Oh wow, I opened a big can of worms!
Thanks everyone, for your suggestions. I do have a copy of KE's Chicken Lombardi recipe, and now that I have some Marsala, might just give that a try. Also, I knew that Veal Marsala would basically be the same thing, just with a different meat, but by the time I had read this thread again to remind me of that, I had already made the dish.
Here's the recipe I came up with, on my own, thinking about what sounds good with chicken, to me:
Herbed Chicken Marsala
Yields: 2 servings
Two 6 oz chicken breasts, boneless and skinless
For the seasoning:
Salt
Pepper
Garlic powder
Onion powder
Paprika
Thyme
Sage
¼ c diced onions
-or- shallots
2 oz (~½ c) sliced mushrooms
½ t garlic, minced
~ ¼ c flour, for dredging
¼ c Marsala wine
½ c chicken stock
1 T butter, cubed
Oil and/or clarified butter for sautéing
Salt and pepper, to taste
If the chicken breasts are thick, place them between a piece of folded plastic wrap, and pound them a little with a mallet or meat tenderizer, until they are slightly flattened. Season the breasts to taste with the salt, pepper, garlic and onion powders, thyme, sage, and paprika. Place them in the refrigerator while you prep the remaining ingredients.
Heat a heavy-bottomed skillet or cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add the oil and/or clarified butter, to about 2 T. Lightly dredge the breasts on both sides with the flour. Shake the excess off, and lay them carefully, skin-side down, in the pan. Brown the breasts, then flip and brown the second side. Remove the breasts from the pan and place on a plate or platter and keep them someplace warm.
If needed, add a little more fat to the pan. Add the onions or shallots, mushrooms, and garlic. Sauté quickly over medium high heat until the mushrooms begin to wilt, and the onions begin to turn translucent. Carefully pour in the Marsala wine. Be careful, as it may flare up. Stir with a spoon to scrape up any of the brown bits from the pan to deglaze the pan. Add the chicken stock and bring to a quick boil. Add the chicken breasts back to the pan, and stir or shake a bit to cover them slightly. Cover and reduce the heat to a simmer and cook until the chicken is done, about 10 minutes.
When it’s done, remove the chicken to serving plates or platters. Remove the pan from the heat, and add the butter, shaking or stirring the sauce to thicken it a bit. Taste to check the seasoning, and season with salt and pepper if needed. Spoon the sauce over the chicken and serve.
This recipe is basically what I used and the technique, as well. The only real change was that I have some HUGE chicken breasts, so I cut one breast in half, horiztonally, to get two thin chicken pieces with the same area as the original. I also pounded them out pretty thin, and basically had a two chicken scallopinis. I seasoned those, dredged them in flour, and sauteed them. However, I had the heat up a bit to high (me and that high-heat cooking method I'm used to doing at work), and ended up burning some of the flour while I was sauteing the dish. I drained the oil from the pan, getting as much of the scorched stuff as possible, while leaving the nice "fond" to enhance the flavor. Also, I did reintroduce the chicken to the pan after the sauce was basically done, but I only simmered it for about a minute, as I had flattened them out so thinly.
The results:
I had two pieces, so I gave one to PeppA, and tried the other myself. She likes it! She couldn't pick up on the burnt taste from the scorched flour, and neither could I.
Plans for next time:
I may cut the breasts in half again, if I have some big'uns. However, I don't plan on pounding them, nor do I really plan on flouring them, although I will season them. PeppA wants me to try a batch and dust the breasts with Italian-flavor breadcrumbs. I don't really want to do that, as the breadcrumbs will change the texture significantly, and I don't think she realizes that. I know why she wants that, though, as PeppA and my MIL are addicted to breading chicken with Italian-flavor breadcrumbs for EVERYTHING! I'll report back at a later date when I try another batch.
