A Chicken Favorite

It seems there are few recipes that Mike looks forward to and actually requests, this is one of them. This is his absolute favorite dish that my Mom makes for him when we come over. When he knew I was making it for dinner tonight he made several comments to me today like it better be as good as my mom's and I better not mess it up. Well, I am extremely happy to report that it turned out incredible and was every bit as good as my mom's!!!!

I truly enjoyed making this delicious dish, although it was a bit time consuming the time seemed to pass by quickly as I listened to some favorite songs like classic Michael Jackson. I think it did take at least an hour to make but a good glass of wine (or two) and the songs helped to pass the time.

The recipe made it so easy to follow and was dead on for everything (except how long the pancetta took to brown). I kept setting the timer on the oven and it was perfect. My mom and I really think the key to this recipe is to purchase a sweet marsala wine from the liquor store (and not using the cheap supermarket brand), it really makes a big difference and gives it a huge amount of flavor. I serve it over   pound of bow tie pasta and it's excellent plus it's even better the second night after the pasta and chicken have time to absorb the sauce. This is definitely a recipe I plan to make many more times and will be in the front of my recipe collection for years to come!!!

Chicken Marsala

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
Salt & Pepper
2 Tbsp. vegetable oil
2 ½ ounces pancetta (about 3 slices), cut into pieces 1 inch long
8 ounces white mushrooms sliced (about 2 cups)
1 medium clove garlic, minced
1 tsp. tomato paste
1 ½ cups sweet marsala wine
1 ½ Tbsp. lemon juice
4 Tbsp. unsalted butter, cut into 4 pieces
2 Tbsp. minced fresh parsley leaves

Pat the chicken breasts dry. Place the flour in a shallow baking dish or pie plate. Season both sides of the chicken cutlets with salt and peppers to taste. Working with one cutlet at a time, coat both sides with flour. Lift the breast from the tapered end and shake to remove excess flour; set aside.

Meanwhile, heat the oil in a 12-inch heavy-bottomed skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Place the floured cutlets in a single layer in the skillet and cook until golden brown, about 3 minutes. Using tongs flip the cutlets and cook on the second side until golden brown and the mean feels firm when pressed with a finger, about 3 minutes longer. Transfer the chicken to the heated plate and return the plate to the oven.

Return the skillet to low heat and add the pancetta. Sauté, stirring occasionally and scraping the pan bottom with a wooden spoon to loosen browned bits, until the pancetta is brown and crisp, about 4 minutes. With a slotted spoon, transfer the pancetta to a paper-towel.

Add the mushrooms to the pan and increase the heat to medium-high. Sauté, stirring occasionally and scraping the pan bottom, until the liquid released by the mushrooms evaporates and the mushrooms begin to brown, about 8 minutes. Add the garlic, tomato paste, and cooked pancetta and cook stirring constantly, until the tomato paste begins to brown, about 1 minute. Off the heat, add the Marsala. Return the pan to high heat and simmer vigorously, scraping the browned bits from the pan bottom, until the sauce is slightly syrupy and reduced to about 1 ¼ cups, about 5 minutes. Off the heat, add the lemon juice and any accumulated juices from the chicken. Whisk in the butter, 1 tablespoon at a time. Stir in the parsley and season with salt and pepper to taste. Pour the sauce over the chicken and serve immediately.