By Aaron Hutcherson
The Washington Post
Chicken Marsala is an Italian American classic. In its most basic form, it starts with thin pieces of boneless, skinless chicken breast, seasoned with salt and lightly dredged in flour. The chicken is quickly browned in a skillet with some form of fat, then a quick pan sauce is made with marsala wine, which is served over the chicken.
As the name suggests, it’s really all about the Marsala, a fortified wine that hails from the town of the same name in Sicily.
“Vanilla, spice, smoke and caramel are some of the scents it can manifest,” famed Italian chef and cookbook author Marcella Hazan wrote in “Marcella Cucina.” It can come in a range of sweetness levels, though even those marked secco or dry still contain more residual sugar than standard dry wines.
The dish is rooted in traditional Italian scaloppine, which refers to a thin, flattened cut of meat. In addition to chicken, you can find the term appended to veal, beef and pork. In “Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking,” Hazan has a recipe for veal scaloppine with Marsala that follows the outline above, where the meat is dredged and then browned in a combination of vegetable oil and butter. Next, a dry Marsala wine is used to scrape up the fond (the brown bits stuck on the bottom of the pan) before being reduced and finished with a knob of butter for a silky mouthfeel. (Another version in the cookbook adds heavy cream to “soften the wine’s emphatic accent without robbing it of any of its flavor.”) Finally, the meat is returned to the skillet for a quick turn in the sauce before serving.
When Italian immigrants came to America, probably at some point along the way they switched to chicken instead of veal because it was cheaper and easier to source. But anyone who knows and loves the dish might also have noticed there are no mushrooms listed in the above formula. There is a version in “Marcella Cucina,” originally published in 1997, for “fricasseed chicken with dried porcini mushrooms and marsala wine,” but for the most part, the inclusion of fungi is now assumed for any recipe simply called “chicken Marsala.”
In reviewing chicken Marsala recipes before developing my own, I discovered there are lots of different interpretations of this dish, in of ingredients but also process. The variables include cooking fats (neutral oil, olive oil, butter), the inclusion of pork (pancetta, bacon, prosciutto), whether the chicken or mushrooms are cooked first, the type of mushrooms, different alliums (onion, garlic, shallot), the type of Marsala wine (sweet or dry), additional flavorings (thyme, tomato paste, soy sauce, lemon juice, vinegar), and how the sauce gets its luscious texture (gelatin, cornstarch, heavy cream, butter).
My job is to sort through all these possibilities to come up with the best version I can, taking bits and bobs from here and there like a culinary Dr. Frankenstein.
It starts with rendering diced pancetta of its fat to use throughout the cooking process. Chicken cutlets pick up a porky flavor boost as they are pan-fried until golden. Next, sliced button mushrooms cook in the remaining fat until they begin to brown, at which point a sliced shallot and fresh thyme leaves are added. Marsala wine (preferably dry) and chicken broth or stock are used to deglaze the pan. The pancetta returns to the pan while the liquid reduces to infuse the sauce with savory goodness, which then gets finished with butter for richness and fresh lemon juice for balance. Once the chicken and the sauce unite, chopped fresh parsley adds a finishing flourish.
The result is earthy, savory, slightly sweet, nuanced, balanced and downright delicious. Make it for dinner tonight to see for yourself.
Chicken Marsala
Chicken Marsala is a classic Italian American dish of cutlets in a mushroom sauce that is savory and slightly sweet from the fortified wine. (Avoid Marsalas labeled “cooking wine,” if possible.) The dish gets a boost of flavor from diced pancetta, and a touch of fresh lemon juice adds balance. Complete the meal with a starchy side, such as mashed potatoes, cooked pasta or steamed rice, and a green salad or roasted vegetables.
Makes 2 to 4 servings
INGREDIENTS
2 tablespoons neutral oil, such as vegetable or peanut, plus more as needed
2 ounces diced pancetta
4 chicken cutlets (about 1 pound total; see Notes)
Fine salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
8 ounces sliced button mushrooms
1 medium shallot, thinly sliced
1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme leaves
1 cup Marsala wine, preferably dry
1/2 cup no-salt-added or low-sodium chicken broth or stock
2 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice, plus more to taste
Chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves, for serving
DIRECTIONS
1: In a large (12-inch) heavy-bottomed skillet over medium-high heat, add the oil and pancetta, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the pancetta renders its fat and browns, 3 to 4 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the pancetta to a small bowl, leaving the fat in the skillet.
2: While the pancetta cooks, pat the chicken dry and lightly sprinkle both sides with salt and pepper. Put the flour in a wide, shallow bowl or pie dish, and set a large plate and serving platter nearby. Working with one piece at a time, dredge the chicken in the flour, shaking off excess. Transfer the dredged chicken to the prepared plate, and repeat with the remaining cutlets. Working in batches, if needed, fry the chicken until golden brown on each side, about 2 minutes per side. Transfer the chicken to the platter, loosely tent with foil to keep warm, and repeat with the remaining chicken, if needed.
3: Add the mushrooms to the skillet and cook, stirring occasionally, until they have released their liquid and started to brown, 5 to 7 minutes. Add the shallot and thyme, and season to taste with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally and adding more oil if the pan is dry, until the shallots start to soften, about 2 minutes.
4: Return the pancetta to the pan, and add the Marsala and chicken broth or stock, scraping up any browned bits at the bottom of the skillet. Cook, stirring occasionally, until reduced by about half, about 7 minutes.
5: Reduce the heat to medium and add the butter, a couple of pieces at a time, stirring constantly until the sauce emulsifies and thickens slightly, about 2 minutes. Stir in the lemon juice. Taste, and season with salt, pepper and more lemon juice, as desired. Return the chicken to the pan, spooning the sauce over the cutlets, and heat until warmed through, 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer the chicken and sauce to the serving platter, sprinkle with parsley and serve hot.
Notes: To make your own chicken cutlets: Start with 2 medium chicken breasts and, using a sharp chef’s knife, cut them in half across the equator so the meat opens like a book. Cut across to separate the halves to form 4 cutlets. Arrange the pieces in a single layer on a sheet of parchment paper or plastic wrap. Top with a second sheet of parchment or plastic wrap. Use a meat tenderizer, mallet or small skillet to pound to an even thickness of about 1/4 inch.
Substitutions: Pancetta can be replaced with bacon or guanciale, or omit it. Don’t have chicken cutlets? Use boneless, skinless chicken thighs or boneless pork chops. Button mushrooms can be replaced with other types of mushrooms. Instead of shallots, try onion or garlic. Fresh thyme can be replaced with 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme. Don’t have Marsala? Use sherry, port, madeira, red wine or more broth or stock with 1 to 2 teaspoons of sugar. Gluten-free? Omit the flour, or use a gluten-free alternative.
Storage note: Refrigerate for up to 4 days.
Recipe from Aaron Hutcherson.
