Chicken Marsala

I starred about a bajillion recipes for Chicken Marsala in my trusty Google Reader. After going over them a bunch of times, I decided on this one from A Cookie A Day. I'm not good at improvising recipes (at least, not on purpose!), and this one seemed like one where I'd make the fewest changes.


Her photography is MUCH better than mine, so of course hers looks yummier! But this was very good and I would for sure make it again.

Ingredients

• 3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
• kosher salt
• ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 4 slices of bacon or pancetta, chopped (I omitted.)
  
• 2 cups baby portabellas mushrooms
• 2 large garlic cloves, minced (about 1 tbsp.)
• 1 tbsp. minced onion
• 1 tbsp. tomato paste
• 1 1/2 cups Marsala wine (sweet) (I didn't have enough, so I did a combo of Marsala and chicken broth.)
  
• 1 1/2 tbsp. fresh lemon juice (1 small lemon)
• 3 tbsp. unsalted butter cut into pieces, room temperature
• 2 tbsp. chopped fresh parsley leaves.

Directions

Season both sides of chicken breasts with salt and pepper; working one piece at a time, coat both sides with flour.

Lift breast from tapered end and shake to remove excess flour; set aside.

Add oil to hot skillet and heat until shimmering.

Place floured chicken in single layer in skillet and cook until golden brown, about 5 minutes.

Using tongs, flip chicken and cook on second side until golden brown.

Remove and set aside.

Return skillet to low heat and add pancetta; sauté, stirring occasionally and scraping pan bottom to loosen browned bits until pancetta is brown and crisp, about 4 minutes.

With slotted spoon, transfer pancetta to paper towel–lined plate.

Add mushrooms and increase heat to medium-high; sauté, stirring occasionally and scraping pan bottom, until liquid released by mushrooms evaporates and mushrooms begin to brown, about 8 minutes.

Add garlic and onion Sauté until tender.

Add cooked pancetta and tomato paste.

Stir while sautéing, until tomato paste begins to brown, about 1 minute.

Off heat, add Marsala wine, then place the chicken back in the pan, cover and simmer until chicken is cooked all the way through.

Uncover the pan, return pan to high heat and simmer vigorously, scraping browned bits from pan bottom, until sauce is slightly syrupy and reduced to about 1 1/4 cups, about 5 minutes.

Off heat, add lemon juice and any accumulated juices from chicken; whisk in butter 1 tablespoon at a time.

Season to taste with salt and pepper (if needed) and stir in parsley.

Pour sauce over chicken and serve immediately.

I served it over mashed potatoes, but pasta would be just as yummy!