Chicken and Mushroom Marsala

Sue gave me a bottle of Marsala when she cleaned her cupboards this week, so we had Chicken Marsala for supper tonight. You really can’t go too far wrong with butter, mushrooms, a few onions, chicken, Marsala and homemade chicken broth. 
 We ate all of it so none for lunch tomorrow. I used skin on chicken hindquarters as we like them better and they braise better than skinless, boneless chicken breasts. They are also quite a bit cheaper to buy. Mushrooms were on sale today and with the homemade chicken broth it was a inexpensive dish to serve. We had it with rice to which I had added vegetables and cooked in chicken broth. You could use sherry to make this dish also, but the Marsala does taste just a little different. Would make a good dish for a company dinner, maybe with some asparagus in the spring and new potatoes to spoon the pan juices on.
Chicken and Mushroom Marsala
Serves 6
Chicken breasts with skin (about 2 1/2 pounds), halved or use chicken hindquarters, thighs and drumsticks (we like the dark meat)
1 1/2 tablespoons vegetable oil
3 1/2 tablespoons butter
1 onion, halved and sliced thin (I use just a few slices)
3/4 pound mushrooms, sliced thin, any variety you like
1/2 cup Marsala
¾ to 1 cup chicken broth
2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley leaves (optional, for garnish)
Pat chicken dry and season with salt and pepper. In a large heavy skillet heat oil and 1 1/2 tablespoons butter over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking and brown chicken in 2 batches, transferring with tongs to a large plate as browned.
Discard all but 1 tablespoon fat from skillet and sauté onion and mushrooms, stirring occasionally, until liquid mushrooms give off is evaporated. Add Marsala and cook mixture, stirring, until Marsala is almost evaporated. Add broth and chicken with any juices that have accumulated on plate and simmer, turning chicken once, until cooked through, about 15 minutes**. Transfer chicken with tongs to a platter.
Simmer mushroom sauce until liquid is reduced to about 1/2 cup. Remove skillet from heat and stir in remaining 2 tablespoons butter and salt and pepper to taste, stirring until butter is just incorporated. Spoon mushroom sauce around chicken and sprinkle with parsley.
**I cooked the chicken on medium low about 25 minutes.

11 comments:

  1. One of my favorite meals! I'm making Eggplant Parmesan tonight. So far I haven't found the recipe I normally use, so will have to use a different one.

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  2. Hi Nadine, Glad you like Chicken Marsala, can't say I like Eggplant though. It always looks so pretty and none of us care for it. Shame as I know it is good for people to eat.

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  3. Myrna, I'd like to thank you for your great blog. Been following you for several months now and love the recipes you include in your posts. I'm so glad to find someone who prefers dark meat chicken instead of the current fad of boneless, skinless chicken breast--ick! Chicken Marsala was one of my husband's favorite meals. I live in KY but would love to see your part of the country as it looks beautiful. Please keep up the great work.

    Judy

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  4. I have to agree on the boneless, skinless, chicken breasts. I rarely buy them as we prefer the dark meat also. So glad you are enjoying the blog. It is great to hear from our readers and know that someone is finding the blog useful and or entertaining.

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  5. I find it interesting that you're both saying you prefer the dark meat of the chicken. Everyone I know the women like the light meat & the men like the dark! I do use the dark meat for a few things tho, but not very often: Bourbon Street Chicken & Teriyaki Chicken seems to be best with dark meat. I haven't made General Tsao's chicken yet, but for some reason I'm thinking that might also be dark meat. However, on a turkey I prefer the dark meat, but I'd rather not eat turkey at all unless it's maybe in soup. Just never really cared for it. Enjoy your day! Hubby is frying fish for us tonight! Yay! He makes the BEST fish!

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  6. I have always liked dark meat better. It is juicer and never as dry as the breasts can get. We don't eat a lot of turkey anymore unless I am canning it. Fish sounds good, another one of my favorites. Lucky you to have a husband who will fry it for you.

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  7. I'll have to make Chicken Marsala again soon. The eggplant is something I used to order in one of our favorite restaurants for my b-day...or anytime we'd go there! Love it! I still remember the first time I had a Parmesan meal: It was Veal & it was good...I was in high school! I'd never had eggplant, so tried it & fell in love with it. It has to be prepared properly for it to taste good tho. The secret I think is to sprinkle it with Kosher salt & let it sit for a couple of hours to draw the moisture out since that is what makes it bitter. I also peel mine rather than take the chance of whether or not the eggplant I have will have a bitter rind or not. We love it. My recipe makes just enough for two meals. I had also made a loaf of French Bread, so make a slice of that into garlic bread for my hubby. Delicious!

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  8. Nadine, I think that eggplant must be an acquired taste, which I haven't acquired yet. LOL.

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  9. Hi All, Just made Chicken Marsala for supper using hind quarters. Delicious!!! I used Sweet Marsala instead of dry and glad I did.
    Which do you prefer?? See the discussion on white vs. dark. Hubby prefers white and wants me to try this next time I make it. And, I prefer the dark, as I think like you all do, that it would be too dry for this recipe. I, too, have not acquired a taste for eggplant.
    After reading Nadine's comments, using salt and peeling it may make a difference in how it tastes. Thanks, Nadine, for your suggestions, will try one more time with an eggplant recipe. M

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  10. I use both the sweet Marsala and sweet or dry sherry. I find the sweet sherry works better for desserts though. It seems to be sweeter than the Marsala.
    Glad you liked it. I still don't think I am going to try eggplant again, though. I think that the white will be dry with this recipe, but maybe not. If that is what he really likes, try cooking it not as long maybe?

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  11. If and when I try chicken white meat for this recipe, I'll even out the breast meat by pounding out the thick part. And, I have even thought of cooking him a breast and I'll have a hind quarter in this recipe. Take Care. M

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