Chicken Marsala with Creamy Polenta
Ingredients
- 1.5 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts,pounded ¼-inch thick or chicken tenderloins
- 4 tablespoons of all-purpose flour
- 2 cloves of garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon of kosher salt, plus more to taste
- 2/3 cup of chicken broth
- Pinch of black pepper, plus more to taste
- 2/3 cup of dry Marsala wine
- 3 tablespoons of unsalted butter, divided
- 2 teaspoons of chopped fresh thyme
- 8 ounces of sliced bella or button mushrooms
- 2 tablespoons of chopped fresh Italian parsley,for serving
- 1 medium shallot, finely chopped
Instructions
- Place the flour, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2teaspoon pepper in a zipper bag. Add the chicken to the bag; seal bag tightlyand shake to coat the chicken. Set aside
- Over medium to high heat in a large skillet,heat the oil and 3 tablespoons of the butter in a large stainless-steelskillet. Stainless steel pans are the best for browning. Before you place theflour-coated chicken in the pan, shake off any excess flour and cook, turningonce, until the chicken is golden on both sides and just barely cooked through,about 5 to 6 minutes total. Transfer the chicken to a plate and set aside.
- Melt the remaining tablespoon of butter in thepan. Add the mushrooms and cook until the mushrooms begin to brown, 3 to 4minutes, while stirring frequently so they do not burn or stick. Add theshallots, garlic, and a pinch of salt; cook for 1 to 2 minutes more. Add thebroth, Marsala, heavy cream, thyme and 1/8 teaspoon of red pepper. With awooden spoon, scrape any brown bits from the pan into the liquid. Bring theliquid to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium and gently boil, uncovered,until the sauce becomes thicker and darkened, and is reduced by about half,about 10 to 15 minutes. The goal is a thin cream sauce which will start to gettoward the desired consistency toward the very end of the cooking time. Add thechicken and any juices that may have accumulated with it, back to the pan. Reducethe heat to simmer until the chicken is warmed through and the sauce thickens abit more, 2 to 3 minutes. Sprinkle with parsley and serve.
Notes
Creamy Polenta: Makes 4 cups | Prep time: 10 minutes | Cooking time: 30 minutes
INGREDIENTS:
1 cup of course grain polenta
1 cup of grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
4 tablespoons of unsalted butter
4 tablespoons of fine sea salt0
Kosher salt and black pepper to taste
3 cups of water
2 cups of whole milk plus 1/2 cup or more of half and half DIRECTIONS:
1 cup of grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
4 tablespoons of unsalted butter
4 tablespoons of fine sea salt0
Kosher salt and black pepper to taste
3 cups of water
2 cups of whole milk plus 1/2 cup or more of half and half DIRECTIONS:
- Bring milk and 3 cups water to a boil over medium-high heat in a medium saucepan. Reduce heat to medium. Gradually add polenta, whisking constantly until there are no lumps then bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to low, cover pan, and cook, whisking every 10–15 minutes, until thickened and no longer gritty, 30–35 minutes. Remove from heat and add Parmigiano, butter, and salt and pepper. Cook, whisking, until butter and cheese are melted, and polenta is the consistency of porridge, adding half and half as needed, about 1 minute.
- Polenta can be made a few hours ahead. Store covered at room temperature. Do not refrigerate. Reheat over medium-low, adding milk as needed to soften.
