Yield: 2 to 4 Servings

Adapted from a faux Olive Garden recipe

There are lots of Marsala recipes around. The striking difference is about half call for sweet Marsala and half call for dry. Depends on your personal taste. I much prefer the dry. Make sure you get a decent Marsala, preferably imported. Supermarket “cooking Marsala” is an abomination and shouldn’t be used for anything.

• 4chicken breasts, boneless & skinless
• ½cup AP flour
• salt & pepper
• 3TBS oil
• 4TBS butter, room temperature
• 8oz fresh mushrooms, sliced
• 1shallot, peeled and minced
• ¾cup dry Marsala wine (see note below)
• ¾cup chicken stock
• 1packet unflavored gelatin (2½ tsp)

Prepare sauce:

Combine Marsala and stock in a mixing bowl or large measuring cup and sprinkle gelatin all over surface. Set aside.

Prepare chicken:

Add flour, salt and pepper to a shallow bowl and mix to combine.

Pound chicken breasts between sheets of plastic wrap until about ¼” thickness.

Season chicken with salt and pepper, then dredge in flour, knocking off excess.

Cook mushrooms:

Heat 1 TBS oil in a skillet over medium heat.
Add the mushrooms and a pinch of salt to the pan and cook for 5 to 10 minutes, until nicely browned. Set aside. Optional: Push mushrooms to one side and add a finely diced shallot to pan, cook until softened. Remove both to a dish and set aside.

Cook chicken:

Add 2 TBS oil and cook chicken breasts on medium heat for about 3 minutes on the first side, until lightly browned. Turn breasts over to cook other side until they are around 145°F internal temperature.
Return mushrooms to pan and add Marsala-stock-gelatin mixture around chicken pieces. Cover and simmer for about 5 minutes. Check chicken temperature for 160°F. Remove chicken to serving plate.
Remove pan from heat. Add butter to the remaining sauce, stir butter until it is melted and an emulsion is made.
Distribute sauce over chicken breasts and serve immediately.

Side dish suggestions:

Note: Marsala wine is a fortified wine from Sicily and can be either dry or sweet; it’s used to create a rich caramelized flavor to the sauce. The wine is added to the chicken and mushrooms with butter to create the rich brown sauce for that authentic Italian taste. Chicken Marsala is best served with a starch like potato or over pasta.