Chicken Marsala

Ingredients

• 1.25 cup Marsala wine (see note)
• 0.75 cup chicken stock (homemade or low-sodium store-bought broth)
• 1 packet unflavored gelatin (such as Knox)
• 4 boneless, skinless chicken cutlets (each pounded about 1/2 to 1/4 inch thick)
• Kosher salt (to taste)
• freshly ground black pepper (to taste)
• 1 cup all-purpose flour (for dredging)
• 0.25 cup extra-virgin olive oil (plus more if needed)
• 10 oz cremini mushrooms (stemmed and thinly sliced)
• 4 medium shallots (minced)
• 2 medium cloves garlic (minced)
• 1 tsp fresh thyme leaves (minced)
• 3 tbsp cold unsalted butter (cut into cubes)
• 1 tsp soy sauce
• white wine vinegar (or sherry vinegar, or fresh lemon juice, to taste)
• fresh parsley (minced, for garnish)

Steps

1. 1

   Combine Marsala and stock in a mixing bowl or large measuring cup and sprinkle gelatin all over surface. Set aside.

2. 2

   Season chicken cutlets all over with salt and pepper.

3. 3

   Pour a roughly 1/2-inch layer of flour into a wide, shallow bowl. Dredge each cutlet in flour, tap off excess, and transfer to clean plate.

4. 4

   Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering.

5. 5

   Working in batches if necessary, add chicken and cook, turning once, until browned on both sides, about 3 minutes per side. Using a slotted spatula, transfer to paper towels to drain.

6. 6

   Add mushrooms to skillet (do not drain remaining oil) and cook, stirring frequently, until mushrooms have released their juices and browned well, about 10 minutes. Be patient and wait until all that mushroom liquid has cooked off and the slices turn a deeper chestnut color.

7. 7

   Add shallots, garlic, and thyme and cook, stirring, until shallots are translucent, about 2 minutes. Add more oil if pan seems too dry at any point.

8. 8

   Pour Marsala mixture into pan, making sure to scrape in all the gelatin.

9. 9

   Bring to a boil, whisking and scraping up any browned bits from bottom of pan, until liquids are reduced by about three-quarters.

10. 10

    Add butter and soy sauce and whisk constantly until emulsified and sauce takes on the consistency of heavy cream. Season with salt and pepper. Taste sauce and adjust with a small amount of vinegar or lemon juice, as needed.

11. 11

    Return chicken cutlets to pan, swirling to bathe them in the sauce and warm them through. If the sauce begins to break at any point, swirl in a splash of water to bring it back together.

12. 12

    Transfer to a warmed serving plate, spooning sauce all over chicken. Garnish with parsley and serve.

Notes

Adding powdered gelatin to the stock delivers a restaurant-quality, glaze-like sauce rather than a watery finish. Whisking in unsalted butter and soy sauce at the end enriches the sauce with a silky texture and umami depth. Regarding Marsala: look for a dry Marsala for this dish. If the sauce breaks, a splash of water and a vigorous swirl will help re-emulsify it.

Nutrition per serving

• main
• chicken
• mushrooms
• pan sauce
• weeknight
• Italian-American
• sautéed