Chicken Marsala Recipe

One of my best friends, Leah, turned 40 and we threw a dinner party for her with an Italian theme.  There were some great dishes there, thank you to all that contributed wonderful food! One of my all time favorite Italian dishes is Chicken Marsala.  So I jumped on the computer to see if I could find a recipe that stood out above the others.  This is the first Emeril Lagasse recipe that I have tried, and I am so happy I chose this one.  It was honestly the best Chicken Marsala I have ever had.  The creole seasoning gives the chicken a little bite, which is extremely tasty!  I had a bit of a hard time finding the Marsala wine, thank you to The Beverage House!  This wonderful lady there pulled down from the shelf a wonderful bottle that she recommended.  She was right on the money, it was fabulous as well as extremely affordable.  I actually doubled the recipe but didn't need to double the creole seasoning recipe, there was plenty.  I also left out the oyster and shiitake mushrooms and substituted baby portabella mushrooms with the cremini's.  Serving thin spaghetti noodles with it is highly recommended as well.  It turned out fabulous. Everyone at the party loved it, and so will you!  This is the recipe you want when you are cooking to impress. Enjoy! 

 Ingredients

·                                 1/2 cup all-purpose flour

·                                 1 tablespoon Essence, recipe follows

·                                 2 (6 to 8-ounce) boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut in halves and                                  pounded thin

·                                 1 tablespoon olive oil

·                                 4 tablespoons butter

·                                 3 cups sliced mushrooms (cremini, oyster, shiitake)

·                                 3/4 cup Marsala

·                                 1 cup chicken stock

·                                 Salt and freshly ground black pepper

·                                 Chopped chives, for garnish

Directions

In a shallow bowl or plate combine the flour and Essence and stir to combine thoroughly. Quickly dredge the chicken breast halves in the seasoned flour mixture, shaking to remove any excess flour.

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until very hot but not smoking. Add 1 tablespoon of the butter and cook the chicken breasts until golden brown on both sides, about 3 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate and set aside. Add 1 tablespoon of the remaining butter to the pan and add the mushrooms. Cook, stirring frequently, until mushrooms are golden brown around the edges and have given off their liquid. Add the Marsala wine and bring to a boil, scraping to remove any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. When the wine has reduced by half, add the chicken stock and cook for 3 minutes, or until the sauce has thickened slightly. Lower the heat to medium and return the chicken breasts to the pan and continue to cook until they are cooked through and the sauce has thickened, about 5 to 6 minutes. Swirl in the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter, add salt and pepper, to taste. Garnish with chopped chives and serve immediately.

Essence (Emeril's Creole Seasoning):

·                                 2 1/2 tablespoons paprika

·                                 2 tablespoons salt

·                                 2 tablespoons garlic powder

·                                 1 tablespoon black pepper

·                                 1 tablespoon onion powder

·                                 1 tablespoon cayenne pepper

·                                 1 tablespoon dried leaf oregano

·                                 1 tablespoon dried thyme

Combine all ingredients thoroughly and store in an airtight jar or container.

Yield: about 2/3 cup

"Emeril's New New Orleans Cooking", by Emeril Lagasse and Jessie Tirsch. Published by William and Morrow, 1993.Chicken Marsala Recipe : Emeril Lagasse : Food Network