Chicken Marsalvelous

Thanks to my sister-in-law Brynn, I discovered Chicken Marsala. She had it at Olive Garden and loved it. I vaguely remember hearing of it, but had never tasted it. Brynn's description tantalized me enough for me to give it a try. I found the recipe in my "The Best New Recipe" cookbook and decided to try it. It is different from the Olive Garden website recipe, but I really trust these guys, so I followed this recipe. It turned out fabulously! Even the kids liked it. Olive Garden serves with mashed potatoes, which sounds scrumptious. I also thought it would go nicely with spaghetti. So here is the recipe for you to try. Everything is by the book, except I have decreased the Pancetta, because I thought it was a little heavy on the amount. You can get Marsala Wine at Macey's for a couple of bucks - who'd have thought!

Good luck and bon appetite'!

Chicken Marsala

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (5 - 6 oz each), fat trimmed

1 cup flour

Salt and pepper

2 Tbsp. vegetable oil

2 1/2 oz. pancetta (I'd use 1.5oz.), cut into 1 by 1/8-inch pieces

8 oz. white mushrooms, sliced (about 2 cups)

1 med. garlic clove, minced or pressed

1 tsp. tomato paste

1 1/2 cup sweet Marsala

1 1/2 Tbsp. lemon juice from large lemon

4 Tbsp. butter, cut into 4 pieces

2 Tbsp. fresh parsley leaves, minced

1. Adjust an oven rack to the lower-middle position, place a large heatproof dinner plate on the rack and heat the oven to 200 degrees.

2. Pat the chicken breasts dry. Place the flour in a shallow baking dish or pie plate. Season both sides of the chicken cutlets with salt and pepper to taste. Working with one cutlet at a time, coat both sides with flour. Lift the breast from the tapered end and shake to remove excess flour; set aside.

3. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a 12 inch heavy bottomed skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Place the floured cutlets in a single layer in the skillet and cook until golden brown, about 3 minutes. Using tongs, turn the cutlets and cook on the second side until golden brown and the meat feels firm when pressed with a finger, about 3 minutes longer. Transfer the chicken to the heated plate and return the plate to the oven.

4. Return the skillet to low heat and add the pancetta. Saute', stirring occasionally and scraping the pan bottom with a wooden spoon to loosen the browned bits, until the pancetta is browned and crisp, about 4 minutes. With a slotted spoon, transfer the pancetta to paper towels to drain.

5. Add the mushrooms to the pan and increase the heat to medium-high. Saute', stirring occasionally and scraping the pan bottom, until the liquid released by the mushrooms evaporates and the mushrooms begin to brown, about 8 minutes. Add the garlic, tomato paste, and cooked pancetta and cook, stirring constantly, until the tomato paste begins to brown, about 1 minute. Off the heat, add the Marsala. Return the pan to high heat and simmer vigorously, scraping the browned bits from the pan bottom, until the sauce is slightly syrupy and reduced to about 1/1/4 cups, about 5 minutes. Off the heat, add the lemon juice and any accumulated juices from the chicken. Whisk in the butter, 1 Tbsp. at a time, until incorporated. Stir in parsley and season with salt and pepper to taste. Pour the sauce over the chicken and serve immediately.