Chicken Marsala

Chicken Marsala is one of those meals that seems impossibly complicated, until you actually make it. Then you wonder, "What took me so long?" The worst part is the accumulation of dirty dishes that seem to pile up so quickly, what with all that dipping, dredging and frying. I say, the earlier you tackle the clean-up, the sooner you'll be ready to sit back and enjoy this hearty and savory Italian favorite. Don't forget the vino!

Ingredients:

4 boneless chicken breasts
4 eggs
flour and Italian-seasoned breadcrumbs, for dredging
vegetable oil of some kind, for sauteeing
4 cloves garlic, sliced
1 cup Marsala wine
1 package mushrooms, washed and sliced

Process:

Begin by tenderizing the chicken breasts. Take out the good knife, and slice each one crossways into a thin strip, otherwise known as a cutlet. Don't worry if they don't come out exactly right; perfect breasts is something that no one really has anyway. ;0 Once sliced, place one or two cutlets at a time in a plastic Ziplock bag. Grab your trusty meat mallet, and give each several wallops to flatten. Flip and do the same for the other side. Repeat until all the cutlets have been tenderized.

Set out a bowl, and crack 4 eggs into it, then beat with a fork just slightly. Next, grab two plates -- I use Pyrex pie plates, but if you only have regular dinner plates, that works too. Shake a mound of flour onto one plate, and a mound of breadcrumbs onto the other. Put out a third, clean plate. This is where your breaded cutlets will rest after you dredge and coat them.

Now it's time to dredge. Dip each cutlet in flour, then egg, then breadcrumbs. Place coated chicken cutlet on "holding plate" where it will remain with its friends until cook time.

Toward the end of the dredging process, pour a few tablespoons of oil into your frying pan and begin heating it to medium or medium-high. I give two options because every stove is a little different from the next. Hopefully, experience will tell you which temperature is right for you.

Test the frying oil for readiness by spritzing a few drops of water onto the surface of the pan. If it sizzles, you can begin frying your cutlets. Set each one gently into the bottom of the pan, making sure not to overcrowd them. They'll begin sauteeing immediately. After 2 or 3 minutes, flip each cutlet and let fry on the other side for another 2 minutes. Be sure to move everything around the pan to prevent burning. Quickly remove the cutlets from the pan and set aside. Fry the next batch, if there is one. Add those cutlets to the same pile as the others.

Next come the garlic and mushrooms. Without cleaning the pan, add another tablespoon of oil and toss in the garlic. Cook these on medium heat, stirring frequently. When the mushrooms become a golden-brown color, it's time to add the Marsala wine. Glug some in and then turn the heat up to medium-high again. Let the wine come up to a bubble so that the alcohol can cook off.

Grab a Pyrex baking dish, and lay the chicken cutlets in there, all in a row. Remove the Marsala and mushrooms from the fire and pour over the cutlets. Bake in the oven at 350 for another ten minutes. Some people also add mozzarella to their Marsala, but if you plan on being authentic I think you should leave it out.

Serve with a side of spaghetti and red sauce, accompanied by a nice bottle of your favorite red wine. Bellissimo!!

Submitted by Dina Giolitto
http://wordfeeder.com

Back to list of chicken recipes

Custom Search

Talk to Us! Submit a Recipe!

We look forward to hearing about your latest culinary creations, as well as getting ideas and feedback about the website. Please direct your comments and submit your recipes to: