Chicken Marsala

This dish is a great one from Simply Recipes. I have modified it a bit by adding mushrooms and increasing the sauce (because its soo good over mashed potatoes!) The first time I made this I was expecting the sauce to get thick fairly quickly, but it took awhile. You just have to be patient because it will eventually thicken into a wonderful sauce. I have also made this dish with Madiera Wine and found the taste to be very similar. So get whatever you can find. Also I have used thick bacon instead of pancetta and that worked very well. If you can't find pancetta in your grocery store, you can usually find it at Italian specialty shops or deli's.

Chicken Marsala with Pancetta and Cream Recipe

Olive oil
2 oz pancetta (about a 1/4 inch thick slice), cut into 1/4 inch cubes
16 oz. white or mini portabella mushrooms, sliced
1/2 medium onion, diced (or you can use chopped shallots)
Flour for dredging (about 1/2 cup)
4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cut or pounded into thin cutlets
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
2 cups dry Marsala wine
1 cup heavy cream
Minced fresh flat-leaf parsley

Coat a large skillet lightly with olive oil and set it over medium high heat. Add the pancetta. A little before pancetta is done add mushrooms and cook until mushrooms are no longer crisp and the pancetta is brown and crispy. Remove with a slotted spoon, leaving the fat in the pan, and set aside. Add the onions to the pan and cook until translucent and slightly browned, 5-10 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon, leaving the fat in the pan, and set aside.

Put the flour on a plate. Pat the cutlets dry. Season them on both sides lightly with salt and amply with pepper. Heat the skillet with the pancetta fat over medium high. Add more olive oil, if needed, to get about 2 Tbsp of fat in the pan.

When the fat is hot, dredge a cutlet through the flour on both sides. Shake off the excess flour and immediately put the cutlet in the pan. Do the same with as many cutlets as will fit in the pan without touching. Sauté the cutlets, turning once, until browned on both sides. If thin, they should cook through in just a few minutes total. Transfer the cooked cutlets to a plate and continue sauteing the rest, adding more oil if necessary. Transfer these to the plate as well.

Pour off the excess fat. With the pan over med-high heat, add the Marsala and scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Cook until the Marsala is reduced by about a quarter (about 10 minutes). Stir in the cream and boil until you get a nicely thickened sauce (about 20-30 minutes).

Return the chicken, onions, and pancetta to the pan and turn the cutlets over to coat. While the chicken is reheating, prepare mashed potatoes or other side dishes. Serve with the sauce and a sprinkling of parsley.