June 2007 - Chicken Marsala and Roasted Veggies

Ciao TKRC members,

I am pleased to announce the highly-anticipated June 2007 recipe – Chicken Marsala and roasted vegetables! The Approval Committee members have tried this recipe out twice (now that is what I call extensive testing) and claim (unofficially, of course) that it is just as good as what is being served in most Italian restaurants.

If you are one of the many TKRC members who do not usually have a good bottle of sweet Marsala wine on hand, try this recipe out with cooking Marsala wine that can be found in most grocery stores for about $2.50…it is usually located next to the balsamic vinegar. (Note: Salt is added to cooking wine so be sure to not add any additional salt to the chicken or sauce until it is reduced and you are ready to serve.)

I don't really know if this recipe is "authentic", but I do know that it is rather easy to make and tastes great...and that's what makes it a winner in my book!

Buon appetito!

TK

Chicken Marsala and Roasted Vegetables

This Chicken Marsala recipe comes from the America’s Test Kitchen Family Cookbook. The recipe calls for sweet Marsala wine, but I like to use a standard grocery store cooking Marsala wine (preferably the Pompeian brand) because it is cheap, easy to find and turns out great when you add a little honey (I have also substituted bacon in the place of authentic Italian pancetta for some of the same reasons).

Chicken Marsala:
½ cup all-purpose flour
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
Salt and pepper
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
3 to 4 slices of bacon, chopped fine
8 ounces white button mushrooms, sliced thin
1 garlic clove, minced
1 teaspoon tomato paste
16 ounces Marsala wine
2 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons butter, cut into pieces
2 tablespoons fresh Italian (flat leaf) parsley, minced

Step 1: Adjust oven rack to the middle position and heat oven to 200 degrees. Spread flour in shallow dish.

Step 2: Pound the thicker ends of the chicken breasts with a mallet to even out the thickness of each of the breasts. Pat dry with paper towels, then season lightly with pepper. Dredge both sides of each breast through the flour to coat and shake off any excess.

Step 3: Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat until the oil just begins to smoke. Add the chicken and cook until light golden brown on both sides, about 4 minutes per side. Transfer chicken to a plate and keep warm in the oven. (Note: don’t overcook the chicken in the skillet because it will continue to cook slowly in the oven)

Step 4: Add bacon and mushrooms and cook until the bacon is crisp and the mushrooms are browned, about 10 minutes.

Step 5: Stir in garlic and tomato paste. Cook until tomato paste begins to brown, about 1-2 minutes. Stir in the Marsala and honey, scaping up any browned bits, and simmer until reduced and slightly syrupy, about 8 minutes.

Step 6: Stir in the lemon juice and any accumulated drippings from the chicken breasts. Turn the heat to low and whisk in butter, one piece at time. Turn off heat and stir in the parsley and season with salt and pepper to taste. Add additional honey if desired. Place chicken breasts on a large platter and cover with the sauce. Serve with roasted vegetables (recipe follows) or over bow-tie pasta.

Roasted Vegetables:
1 ½ pounds red potatoes, cut into ¾-inch wedges
2 to 3 bell peppers, cut into 1-inch slices
1 cup baby carrots
3 to 4 tablespoons olive oil
Salt and pepper

Step 1: Adjust oven rack to the middle position and heat oven to 425 degrees. Toss vegetables in oil and season with salt and pepper to taste. Arrange vegetables in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet. Cover with foil and roast for 20 minutes.

Step 2: Remove foil, flip the vegetables with a spatula and continue to roast until vegetables are slightly crusty and golden brown on one side, about 15 minutes. Flip vegetables one more time and roast for about 10 more minutes, or until browned.