Chicken Marsala: Classy and Easier to Make than You Might Think

Chicken Marsala is the kind of dish I'm used to seeing only on menus of reputable Italian restaurants. As a result, it lodged itself in my brain as one of those dishes I could never hope to make myself. When I discovered how easy the basic recipe is, I thought that someone must be putting me on. Truth be told, the hardest part of this meal was finding Marsala wine in my local liquor store; my eyes are trained to locate drinking wine, not cooking wine.

Ingredients:

Thin-cut Chicken Breasts (as many as you need for the group you're feeding)

1/2 Medium-sized Onion

1/2 Cup Sliced Mushrooms

1/3 Cup Dry Marsala Wine

Steps/Analysis:

Start by putting a large pan over medium heat. Add enough oil to coat the bottom of the pan. Quick aside: I thought it might be a good idea to season the oil with basil and thyme. I experienced a lot of spitting oil throughout the cooking process, but it was difficult for me to determine if that was because of the amount of oil, the herbs, or an improper heat. In any case, it was a nuisance to deal with, but not overly painful or dangerous. I invite comments to let me know where I went wrong.

Cook your chicken breasts for approximately 3-5 minutes per side, depending on thickness. I always cut them open as I go along to make sure there's no pink in the middle. Remove breasts to a dish and cover to keep warm.

Thinly slice your onion and sautee with the mushrooms in the same pan for just a couple minutes. Don't let them get mushy.

Carefully add your Marsala wine and stir up all the goodness stuck to the bottom of your pan. Salt liberally. Heat for a few minutes before putting your chicken back in the pan. Stir to coat the breasts.

That's it! No lie! I went for the most basic of sides to accompany the chicken: baked potatoes and frozen green beans, both cooked in the microwave.

Notes:

This recipe is good, but a little bland and lifeless as is. In the future, I might bread the chicken first for a little more flavor/texture. Also, it might not be a bad idea to thicken up the sauce a little bit or maybe add some chicken stock to it.

I know I've forced a lot of chicken on you lately (mostly because it's a pretty safe place for a beginning chef to start), but don't worry; my next post will bring something new to the table!