Chez Starz

I had forgotten to look up a recipe for dinner and wanted to try something new, so I opened the Epicurious app and found this gem of a meal. Very delicious and rich in flavor. I had never tasted Marsala wine, and of course a chef must taste the vino they are putting into the recipe. It has a very unusual consistency, almost like a liqueur. My son and I made this recipe together in Canada when he wanted to start learning to cook.

Ingredients:

• 1 3/4 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth (14 fl oz)
• 2 Tbs finely chopped shallot
• 5 Tbs unsalted butter
• 10 oz mushrooms, trimmed and thinly sliced
• 1 1/2 tsp finely chopped fresh sage
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/8 tsp black pepper
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 4 skinless boneless chicken breast halves (2 lb total)
• 2 Tbs extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons dry Marsala wine
• 2/3 cup heavy cream
• 1 tsp fresh lemon juice

Directions:

Put the oven rack in the middle position and preheat the oven to 200°F.

Bring broth to a boil in a 2-quart saucepan over high heat, then boil, uncovered, until reduced to about 3/4 cup, about 20 minutes. Cook shallot in 3 tablespoons butter in an 8- to 10-inch heavy skillet over moderate heat, stirring, until shallot begins to turn golden, about 1 minute. Add mushrooms, 1 tsp sage, salt, and pepper, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the liquid the mushrooms release has evaporated and the mushrooms begin to brown, 6 to 8 minutes. Remove from heat.

Put flour in a wide shallow bowl. Gently pound chicken to 1/4 inch thick between 2 sheets of plastic wrap using the flat side of a meat pounder or a rolling pin. Pat chicken dry and season with salt and pepper, then dredge in flour, 1 piece at a time, shaking off excess. Transfer to sheets of wax paper, arranging chicken in 1 layer. Heat 1 Tbs each of oil and butter in a 10-inch heavy skillet over moderately high heat until the foam subsides, then sauté half the chicken, turning once, until golden and just cooked through, about 4 minutes total. Transfer cooked chicken to a large heatproof platter, arranging in 1 layer, then put platter in oven to keep warm. Wipe out the skillet with paper towels and cook the remaining chicken in the same manner, then transfer to the oven, arranging in 1 layer. Add 1/2 cup wine to skillet and boil over high heat, stirring and scraping up brown bits, about 30 seconds. Add the reduced broth, cream, and mushrooms, then simmer, stirring occasionally, until the sauce thickens slightly, 6 to 8 minutes. Add lemon juice, the remaining 2 tablespoons of wine, and 1/2 tsp sage.

Serve chicken with sauce.

Wine Pairing: Sauvignon Blanc