This classic Italian dish of braised chicken and mushrooms is great for last minute entertaining. Marsala is a fortified wine similar to sherry and port and gives a lovely tipsy and sweet flavour to the sauce. Make sure you use a good quality stock for the sauce – if you don’t have any home-made stock then look out for cartons of fresh stock near the fresh poultry in the supermarket. Serve with steamed green beans and warmed ciabatta bread or buttered tagliatelle tossed with fresh chopped parsley.
Ingredients
- 4 chicken breast fillets
- 2tbsp flour
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 25g butter
- 2tbsp olive oil
- 2 shallots, peeled and finely chopped
- 225g mushrooms, wiped and thinly sliced
- 300ml marsala
- 300ml chicken stock
- Steamed green beans, to serve
Method
Dust the chicken breast fillets with flour and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Heat half the butter and oil in a large deep frying pan and fry the chicken over a moderate heat for 10-12 mins until browned all over, turning occasionally. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside.
Add the rest of the oil and butter to the pan and fry the shallots for 5 mins until softened. Add the mushrooms and fry, stirring for a further 5-6 mins until golden.
Pour in the marsala and bring to the boil, scraping any sediment from the base of the pan. Add the stock and return the chicken to the pan.
Cover and simmer gently for 20-25 mins until the chicken is cooked through. Adjust the seasoning to taste and serve with steamed green beans.
Top tip for making Marsala chicken
If you prefer a thicker sauce, remove the cooked chicken and mushrooms from the pan and boil the sauce for 5-10 mins until reduced by one-third.
