Chicken Marsala

Now onto Chicken and one of my favorites, Chicken Marsala. Usually served with a wonderful buttery Chardonnay, but before we start, let’s understand what wine creates this master piece.
Marsala wine is a wine from Sicily. It’s commonly used for cooking to create very rich caramelized sauces. There are two styles of Marsala to know for cooking, they’re dry vs. sweet, but Marsala is so much more than a cooking wine! You would compare it to a Sherry wine at the local grocery store, a wine specialty place, just tell them what you’re making, mention Marsala wine, they should be able to help you.
Here we go with the list
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon Essence, recipe follows
2 (6 to 8-ounce) boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut in halves and pounded thin
1 tablespoon olive oil
4 tablespoons butter
3 cups sliced mushrooms ( cremini, oyster, shiitake)
3/4 cup Marsala
1 cup chicken stock
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Chopped chives, for garnish
Essence (Emeril’s Creole Seasoning):
2 1/2 tablespoons paprika
2 tablespoons salt
2 tablespoons garlic powder
1 tablespoon black pepper
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon dried leaf oregano
1 tablespoon dried thyme
I always double the sauce, it’s delicious just by itself over fresh fettuccine or any left over chicken.

NOW, let’s mess the kitchen up! In a shallow bowl or plate combine the flour and Essence and stir to combine thoroughly. Quickly dredge the chicken breast halves in the seasoned flour mixture, shaking to remove any excess flour. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until very hot but not smoking, nor you drinking your buttery chardonnay. Add 1 tablespoon of the butter and cook the chicken breasts until golden brown on both sides, about 3 minutes per side. Remove them leaving the pan with all of the juices. Add 1 tablespoon of the remaining butter to the pan and add the mushrooms. Cook, stirring frequently, until mushrooms are golden brown around the edges, you should have liquid now. Add the Marsala wine and bring to a boil, scraping to remove any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. When the wine has reduced by half, (it will be very flowy as you stir, almost like hot water but not that thin), add the chicken stock and cook for 3 minutes, or until the sauce has thickened slightly. Lower the heat to medium and return the chicken breasts to the pan, cook until they are ready to your liking and the sauce has thickened, about 5 to 6 minutes. Swirl in the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter, add salt and pepper, to taste. Garnish with chopped chives and serve immediately.