Chicken Marsala
 
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
 
Recipe by:
Serves: 4
Ingredients
  • 1 cup chicken stock
  • 1 cup dry Marsala wine
  • 1 packet unflavored powdered gelatin (optional, see Notes)
  • 4 large skinless, boneless chicken breasts
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon Acadiana Table Cajun Seasoning Blend, see recipe here
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 2 cups sliced mushrooms, such as button or portobello
  • 1 cup chopped yellow onion or shallots
  • 1 tablespoon minced garlic
  • 1 cup thickly sliced yellow squash (optional)
  • 1 cup thickly sliced zucchini (optional)
  • 1 cup chopped carrot (optional)
  • 2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley
  • Parmesan cheese
  • 1 tablespoon butter
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 pound cooked linguine noodles tossed with olive oil
Instructions
  1. Combine the chicken stock and Marsala wine in a mixing bowl, and sprinkle in the packet of gelatin. Stir and let sit at room temperature until ready to use.
  2. Place each chicken breast between two sheets of plastic wrap and pound with a kitchen mallet (or a small saucepan) until about ½-inch thick. Season the flour and lightly coat each chicken breast with flour; shake off any excess.
  3. In a large cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat, add the oil and butter. Once sizzling, add the chicken and cook until just browned on both sides, about 5 minutes total. Remove to a platter and keep warm.
  4. In the remaining grease, add the mushrooms and cook until they are browned, about 8 minutes. Add the onion and garlic and sauté until the onion turns translucent, about 5 minutes.
  5. Add the stock and wine mixture (spoon out any gelatin in the bowl) and deglaze, scraping the bottom of the pan. Boil the liquid for 3 minutes to remove some of the alcohol and lower to a simmer. Add the squash, zucchini, carrot, and parsley, and cook until the sauce reduces by half and begins to thicken, about 8 minutes.
  6. Return the partially cooked chicken to the pan. Lightly sprinkle the pan with Parmesan cheese. Continue to simmer until the chicken is fully cooked and the sauce thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon, about 8 minutes. Stir in the butter to add a finishing sheen to the sauce. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
  7. Serve on a platter family-style or plated individually. Serve with noodles on the side.
Notes
The squash and carrots are optional in this recipe, but I like the contrast of color and the flavors they pick up in the sauce. You may be tempted to substitute white wine or even sherry, but the resulting flavors will not define a true Marsala dish. Buy a drinkable Marsala (around $10) not a bottle marked “cooking wine.” An opened bottle of Marsala will last a year or so; you’ll find many recipes to use the leftover wine. Some cooks like to add cream to this dish, but I urge you to stick with this pan sauce reduction and experience its intensity. If you make your chicken stock from bones, you may not need the gelatin; gelatin gives the sauce a thick, velvety texture that is the signature of a glaze-like Marsala sauce. You could serve this dish with a side of rice, mashed potatoes, or even stone-ground grits, but staying with tradition, it’s time to use your noodle—linguine, that is.
Recipe by Acadiana Table at https://www.acadianatable.com/2023/10/23/chicken-marsala/