Chicken Marsala with Garlic Sauteed Broccolini

I’ve been meaning to make this dish for a while. I rarely order chicken when we go out to eat. It’s not that I don’t like chicken. I enjoy it quite a bit, but there’s just always something else which sounds better to me. There’s always some thick cut of filet mignon smothered in bernaise sauce or duck confit with a cherry-balsamic reduction calling my name. But there is one chicken dish that has the power to distract me from thick cuts of red meat and duck in sweet fruity sauces. That dish is Chicken Marsala. I rarely make it though. It’s not that it’s labor intensive or complicated to prepare. It’s simply that Chicken Marsala requires Marsala wine, which requires me to make a trip to the liquor store, which requires me to escort two extremely active toddler boys into a fun house of glass bottle towers. I avoid that situation like the plague.

But, my hubby stopped by the liquor store to pick up wine for last night’s steak dinner feast and I had him grab a bottle of Marsala. So, it’s Chicken Marsala for dinner tonight!

Marsala sauce is another in a family of wine reduction sauces that bring pure joy to my heart, like my beloved Bordelaise and Madeira sauces. We’ll start with a bit of Marsala wine, then simmer it down until it reduces to a thick, concentrated wine base. To that, we’ll add chicken stock and continue simmering to concentrate the flavors. The flour and oil remaining in the pan from cooking the chicken will act as our roux to help thicken the sauce. Mushrooms and thinly sliced garlic complete the sauce.

Chicken Marsala pairs beautifully with angel hair pasta, garlic mashed potatoes, or sauteed veggies. Tonight, I’m blanching a bunch of crisp broccolini just until slightly tender, then sautéeing it in a bit of olive oil and garlic.

Chicken Marsala

Ingredients

• 4 Thin-Cut Chicken Breasts
• 3 cloves Garlic, thinly sliced
• 2 cup Mushrooms, sliced
• 3 Tbsp Olive Oil
• Flour, for dredging the chicken
• 3/4 cup Marsala Wine
• 1 can (about 2 cups) Chicken Stock
• Salt and Pepper

Directions

In a large pan, heat about half of the olive oil over medium heat. Add the sliced garlic and the mushrooms. Cook for 8-10 minutes, stirring frequently, until the mushrooms are tender and brown and the garlic is lightly toasted. Remove from the pan and set aside. Dredge the chicken breasts in the flour to evenly coat both sides. Heat the remaining olive oil in the same pan used for the mushrooms. Cook the chicken for 4-5 minutes on each side until cooked through and golden brown. Remove the chicken and set aside. Add the marsala to the pan and use a wooden spoon to scrape up all of the tasty brown bits from the bottom of the pan. Bring the marsala to a simmer, allowing the wine to reduce until about 1/4 cup remains. Add the chicken stock. Bring to a simmer and cook until about 1 cup of liquid remains. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Return the chicken and mushrooms to the pan. Cook for a few minutes to coat the chicken in sauce.

Garlic Sautéed Broccolini

Ingredients

• 1 bunch Broccolini
• 2 tsp Minced Garlic
• 1 Tbsp Olive Oil
• Salt and Pepper

Directions

Bring a pot of water to a boil. Blanch the broccolini, by placing it in the boiling water and cooking for 5-7 minutes. Remove from the boiling water and gently pat dry. In a pan, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook for a minute or two. Add the blanched broccolini. Toss in the oil and garlic. Cook for 2-3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, to taste

Little Man in Big Shoes, keeping busy while Mommy cooks.