Chicken Marsala

I made Chicken Marsala a couple of weeks ago but I didn't think it was great...just not enough Marsala flavor.  Marsala, like port and sherry, is a fortified wine, which means it has added alcohol.  It's very flavorful but when I first made the dish I followed what most recipes recommend, which is to add chicken broth.  That ended up being a bland sauce, so the next time I made it, I only used Marsala.  It turned out great. 

Make sure you cook the mushrooms until they are nice and brown, and don't overcook your chicken since you'll be adding it back into the sauce.  Your chicken should be a nice light golden brown, like this:

2 boneless breasts, flattened to even thickness and cut in half
Flour seasoned with salt and pepper, for dredging
12-16 oz. sliced mushrooms (I use Baby Bellas)
1 medium shallot (about 2 T.), finely minced
1-1/2 cups Marsala
Juice of one small lemon
2 T. fresh tarragon or parsley, chopped
Olive oil and 2-3 T. butter

Put seasoned flour in a plastic bag.  Add the chicken pieces and shake to coat.  Heat olive oil and saute chicken for a few minutes on each side until almost done.  Remove and cover with foil to keep warm.  In the same pan, add 1-2 T. butter to the remaining olive oil and saute mushrooms until nice and brown, about 10 minutes.  Add the shallot and cook for about 1 minute.

Remove the pan from the heat and carefully add the Marsala (remember that this is alcohol so you don't want to start a fire!).  Simmer for about 5-8 minutes until the wine starts to reduce.  Add the chicken and continue simmering until you have a nice sauce.  Add the lemon juice, remaining 1 T. butter, and tarragon and you're done!

I used tarragon because my parsley looks like it has been living in a 100 degree oven, which of course it has.  My tarragon (actually, Mexican Marigold) is doing great and I really loved the flavor with the Marsala.