This is ATK's original Chicken Marsala recipe from season 2 of the show that uses a sweet Marsala wine. ATK has since updated the recipe with a "better" savory version and they have removed the original recipe from their site. They have even linked the updated version to the original video episode. Whether you like it sweet or savory, both versions are preserved here.
Notes
- The Marsala used in the episode was Florio Vino Marsala Fine Sweet.
Ingredients
- 4 boneless-skinless chicken breasts - about 5 ounces each
- 1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon salt
- ground black pepper - to taste
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 2 ½ ounces pancetta - about 3 slices, cut into pieces 1 inch long and ⅛ inch wide
- 8 ounces crimini mushrooms - sliced (about 2 cups)
- 1 medium clove garlic - minced (about 1 teaspoon)
- 1 teaspoon tomato paste
- 1 ½ cups sweet marsala wine
- 1 ½ tablespoons lemon juice - from 1 small lemon
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter - cut into 4 pieces, softened
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 200 degrees F.
- Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position, place large heatproof dinner plate on oven rack.
- Heat 12-inch heavy-bottomed skillet over medium-high heat until very hot (you can hold your hand 2 inches above pan surface for 3 to 4 seconds), about 3 minutes.
Prepare the chicken:
- Pat chicken breasts dry.
- Place flour in shallow baking dish or pie plate.
- Season both sides of chicken cutlets with salt and pepper; working one piece at a time, coat both sides with flour. Lift breast from tapered end and shake to remove excess flour; set aside.
Brown the cutlets:
- Add oil to hot skillet and heat until shimmering.
- Place floured cutlets in single layer in skillet and cook until golden brown, about 3 minutes.
- Using tongs, flip cutlets and cook on second side until golden brown and meat feels firm when pressed with finger, about 3 minutes longer.
- Transfer chicken to heated plate and return plate to oven.
Brown the pancetta:
- Return skillet to low heat and add pancetta; sauté, stirring occasionally and scraping pan bottom to loosen browned bits until pancetta is brown and crisp, about 4 minutes.
- With slotted spoon, transfer pancetta to paper towel--lined plate.
Sautée the mushrooms and aromatics:
- Add mushrooms and increase heat to medium-high; sauté, stirring occasionally and scraping pan bottom, until liquid released by mushrooms evaporates and mushrooms begin to brown, about 8 minutes.
- Add garlic, tomato paste, and cooked pancetta; sauté while stirring until tomato paste begins to brown, about 1 minute.
Make the sauce and serve:
- Off heat, add the Marsala.
- Return pan to high heat and simmer vigorously, scraping browned bits from pan bottom, until sauce is slightly syrupy and reduced to about 1 1/4 cups, about 5 minutes.
- Off heat, add lemon juice and any accumulated juices from the chicken.
- Whisk in butter 1 tablespoon at a time.
- Season to taste with salt and pepper, and stir in parsley.
- Pour sauce over chicken and serve immediately.