click for larger imageChicken with mushrooms and marsala cream sauce (March 2005) - original recipe by Barry L. Kramer
Preparation time: 30 minutes slicing vegetables and cleaning chicken.
Cooking time: about an hour of nearly continuous attendance.
10 on a scale of 1 to 10.
click for larger image
4 to 6 boneless skinless chicken breast halves
1/2 to 1 lb. baby portobello mushrooms, sliced. I like to use a lot and haven't
tried other types.
1 to 2 medium cooking onions, finely chopped
1 can beef broth (14 or 15 oz), most will be used - or use 14 oz. water + 1/2
T Minor's Beef Base
8 oz. heavy cream, most or all will be used
1 stick butter, most will be used
1 very heaping tablespoon chopped prepared garlic, or equivalent in fresh cloves
(crushed)
olive oil
Wondra flour
marsala wine, a cheap one is fine, but don't use cooking wine (it's too salty).
The one I used is "Italian Swiss Colony" brand, "medium sweet"
salt, pepper
1. Clean chicken breasts and pound with meat mallet to tenderize, until thin, about 1/4" to 3/8" thick per personal preference.
2. Lightly salt and pepper chicken on both sides.
3. Roll chicken in Wondra flour to coat all sides. Press into the flour so it sticks to all surfaces. Surface should feel dry. (Note: I haven't tried regular flour and probably won't).
4. In large frying pan, medium heat about 2 T. olive oil. Add about 2 T. butter when heated. Mix. When sizzling subsides somewhat, add chicken and cook until light golden brown (photo), about 4-6 minutes per side, turning only once. Don't overcook. Second side cooks faster than the first. Fry two batches if necessary. Remove when done; cover in foil to keep warm.
5. Add onion to pan. Sautee onion in butter and oil, adding a little more of each if needed to prevent dryness, sizzling lightly about 2 minutes until it starts to become tender, then add garlic. Use a lot, 1 very heaping tablespoon or so - even if seems to be too much, it isn't. Cook onions and garlic together, adding a little more butter and/or olive oil as needed to prevent sticking. Cook until soft, lightly tanning them, but do not quite brown them. Stir and jiggle frequently. Never allow it to get dry (it's also okay to add very small amounts of water if needed to avoid drying out).
6. Push onions and garlic to the very edge of the pan to stop cooking and make room (photo). Add sliced mushrooms in small batches, cooking each batch so that all the mushroom slices in each batch are laid flat on the surface of the pan. For every new batch, immediately add a splash (1/2 to 1 T) of marsala wine distributed evenly over all of the mushrooms, and some water (to keep moist and prevent burning, maybe 2-3 T at a time), and some small bits of butter. Cook one side of the mushrooms, then turn them over (individually if necessary) when the first side is browned. Mushrooms should darken on both sides (photo 1 ; photo 2). Add a splash of water anytime it looks dry. When brown and soft in texture, push them to the side of the pan (to slow the cooking) and then cook the next batch, always adding wine, water, and fragments of butter, evenly distributed over them. Regularly add water to keep the mushrooms moist (when first turned over and anytime it's needed) and always add wine in small amounts so all batches of mushrooms are evenly cooked in the wine and a little butter. Usually there are 4 to 6 batches.
7. When all of the mushrooms have been cooked this way, stir in about 3T marsala and about 1 C of beef broth (most of the can) and mix onions, garlic, mushrooms into the liquid. Return chicken to pan, keeping it to the side (photo). Bring mixture slowly to a boil. Do not turn the chicken anymore to avoid removing brown coating. Chicken should be laid flat in the pan for even heating, but keep to the side to reduce liquid and don't move them around.
8. Allow mixture to come to a boil. Boil lightly, adjusting heat if required and stirring occasionally, until about half the liquid is gone. Tilt the pan as needed to keep liquid evenly distributed. It should begin to noticeably thicken, especially in the middle, but not dry up. Now is a good time to taste the mixture and add more salt and pepper if needed. Salt requirement depends on taste and how salty the beef broth is. More wine can be added if desired, but do not add so much that it becomes too sweet. This is not a sweet recipe.
9. Heat cream in preparation for next step (don't allow it to boil). This will make it mix better and prevent coagulating.
10. When the liquid has thickened but before it is dry, reduce heat to stop boiling, and add heavy cream, about 2/3 to 1 C in small amounts at a time, stirring in continuously. The final product should have a rich tan color (photo), similar to coffee with cream. Heat but never boil the sauce.
When all cream has been added, remove from heat and serve chicken with mushrooms and sauce. Final photo; closer view.
Buttered noodles or spätzle is a good side dish. Reheats extremely well
in microwave.