There are some dishes that by their name alone, intimidate me. Dishes with key words like – Florentine, piccata, Marsala, burgundy, or even balsamic used to make me cringe and steer clear from attempting them.
After spending hours in the kitchen and finding my comfort zone was smack dab in the center of it, I discovered that these “words” were nothing more than fancy descriptive terms or ingredients. Yes I knew that burgundy was a type of wine, but the thought of cooking with wine at one time seemed too elegant for a weeknight meal. Sure I knew that balsamic was a vinegar, but it wasn’t used like apple cider or white vinegar, so it had mysterious undertones that left me unsure as to my ability to use it properly. Terms like Florentine and piccata were foreign to me at first, but learning they just meant cooking with spinach or lemon broke them down so they didn’t scare me. As for Marsala, well I really had no idea it was a wine, but when I found out and took the time to investigate how to use it, I was sorry I had let my ignorance keep me from using it for so long.
It’s interesting that cooking with certain ingredients can make a dish seem elegant and time-consuming, when in fact, the dish may be simple and quick. Chicken Marsala is one of these. Basically it’s chicken in a wine sauce. For some, including me for a long time, even the mention of cooking with “wine” can send them into a tizzy, worrying that this will make the dish beyond their capabilities. In reality, cooking with wine is just as easy as cooking with chicken broth, but with far more possibilities.
Wine adds depth to a dish that chicken broth doesn’t. It is the foundation for the flavor rather than merely a subtle undertone. And with the menagerie of wines out there to cook with, the possibilities are endless.
Chicken Marsala is such an easy meal to prepare, that I can easily make it any night of the week. The most time-consuming part of the meal is cleaning the chicken thighs. Once that is done, its smooth sailing.
Begin by heating oil and butter in a large skillet or dutch oven over medium heat.
Combine flour and oregano in a large plastic bag.
Salt and pepper chicken thighs. Dredge thighs in flour mixture, shaking off excess.
Cook chicken for 4 minutes on first side, until light brown.
Turn chicken over and cook on other side 4 minutes.
Add mushrooms to pan and stir to combine; cover.
Allow mushrooms to cook with chicken for 5 minutes, undisturbed. When mushrooms have released their juices and the pan is steamy, add the Marsala wine.
Cover and simmer 15 – 20 minutes, until sauce is thickened and chicken is cooked through. Serve with mashed potatoes, if desired.
Chicken Marsala
Ingredients
- 10 Boneless Skinless Chicken Thighs, fat & veins removed
- ¾ Cup All-Purpose Flour
- 1 tsp. Dried Oregano
- 6 Tbsp. Olive Oil
- 6 Tbsp. Butter
- 8 – 12 Ounces Sliced Baby Bella Mushrooms
- 1½ Cups Marsala Wine
Directions
- Heat oil and butter in a large skillet or dutch oven over medium heat.
- Combine flour and oregano in a large plastic bag.
- Salt and pepper chicken thighs.
- Dredge thighs in flour mixture, shaking off excess.
- Cook chicken for 4 minutes on first side, until light brown.
- Turn chicken over and cook on other side 4 minutes.
- Add mushrooms to pan and stir to combine; cover.
- Allow mushrooms to cook with chicken for 5 minutes, undisturbed.
- When mushrooms have released their juices and the pan is steamy, add the Marsala wine.
- Cover and simmer 15 – 20 minutes, until sauce is thickened and chicken is cooked through.
- Serve with mashed potatoes, if desired.
Cooking Note
If you prefer to use chicken breasts, split horizontally and pound between two sheets of plastic wrap until ¼” thick or run through a meat cuber. Soak in buttermilk for 2 hours, then proceed as above.
When you serve this with mashed potatoes, it is nice to have some extra sauce/gravy. In order to make additional sauce, use 2 Cups Marsala wine and flour the chicken liberally, not shaking off all the excess. The loose flour in the frying pan will thicken the sauce perfectly.
Recipe by: Tilly Frueh – Simply Grateful Cooking 2018
It took me years to get over my aversion to some of the highfalutin cooking semantics that dress-up some pretty basic dishes. Now that I’ve “overcome” my fears, a whole new world of possibilities awaits, and for this I am — Simply Grateful.
Simply Grateful Cooking 