Chicken Marsala

Ingredients:

- 8 oz chicken breasts (veal would be even a better meat for this!)
- 3 cups mixed mushrooms (shitake, cremini, oyster), chopped
- 1 shallot, chopped fine
- 2 small cloves garlic, chopped fine**
- ¾ cup Marsala Wine*
- 1 ½ cup Veal or Chicken Stock
- 1 tbsp Tomato Paste
- Fresh Herbs (parsley, thyme, chives) if desired
- All Purpose Flour
- Heavy Cream (optional)
- Olive Oil
- Butter
- Compound Butter***


*Amount of mushrooms, marsala, and stock is based on your own tastes. I personally like a lot of marsala versus stock, so I use more than the recipe calls for, but it can be strong for some. Just taste as you go.

** Sometimes I put in a whole cloves of sweet roasted garlic from a whole head. If you use roasted garlic in this dish, you can reduce the amount of fresh garlic you add. Roasted garlic cloves can be made by placing peeled, whole cloves in a small sauce pan. Add olive oil to just halfway up the cloves and keep on a very low heat. Mix occasionally. The cloves are done once they are soft to the touch. Try not to overbrown them. Also, save the leftover oil for later use, or use in this dish.

***Compound butter is simply a butter than has been mixed with herbs and salt. Anytime you have leftover herbs (basil, tarragon, parsley, etc), chop them up and mix it into softened butter. You can wrap the butter in wax paper and refrigerate or freeze. You’ll then have it handy to add a flavorful finishing touch to any dish.

Directions:

- Combine your veal/chicken stock in a pot with a little bit of tomato paste (about 1 tbsp or less) for color and flavor. Bring to a boil and simmer to reduce down slightly. It should still be thin. Set aside once slightly reduced.
- Slice your chicken breast in half against the grain. Be sure to cut against the grain or your meat will be tough.
- Place the chicken pieces between plastic wrap and pound to even out and slightly thin out. Don’t over pound or you will release the juices.
- Dredge the chicken in flour seasoned with salt/pepper. You can season the flour with additional items if desired (i.e., garlic powder, cayenne, oregano, parsley, etc)
- Get a skillet hot over medium high heat. Add olive oil and butter to the pan. A tablespoon of each should do.
- Add the chicken to the skillet. Do it in batches, if your pan is not large enough. Cook the chicken on both sides until you get a nice brown color. It should only be a couple minutes per side. Season the chicken while on the skillet. Once cooked remove from skillet, set aside and keep warm. Add additional oil/butter if needed.
- Add the shallots, mushrooms, garlic, salt and pepper to the skillet. Add more olive oil if needed. Be careful not to burn the garlic or shallots or will be bitter.
- Once sautéed, put the chicken back in the skillet and deglaze with your desired amount of Marsala wine. Bring to a boil and reduce by half over a simmer. Remove the chicken while reducing.
- Add desired amount of stock to the pan and bring to a boil. Add fresh herbs and roasted garlic cloves if desired at this point. Then simmer the sauce to reduce and thicken slightly. Don’t over-reduce, as you still want a sauce. It should not be too thick. Stir in heavy cream if desired for extra richness.
- Taste for seasonings. When ready to serve, place the chicken back in the sauce just to warm. Add a little bit of butter to the sauce for a rich finish. This is a good time to use compound butter if you have any. You can definitely taste the difference in flavor.
- Garnish with fresh chives if desired and serve with pasta or mashed potatoes.