Chicken Marsala My Way

Chicken Marsala is one of my most favorite dishes in the entire world!!! Beautifully browned chicken bathed in a cream sauce with the rich undertones of Marsala wine running through the sauce and topped with gorgeously browned mushrooms. That's my idea of comfort food! I had two beautiful organic chicken breasts still on the bone thawed in my fridge this evening, an unopened bottle of Marsala (I always keep Maderia and Marsala on hand for cooking!!), and some leftover mushrooms that needed to be cooked. I decided to riff a bit on Chicken Marsala. This dish has much of the same components, with a few additions. The result was delightful and met the needed comforting aspects of the original dish. I served mine over brown organic rice.

Chicken Marsala My Way
Ingredients:
2 chicken breasts, skin removed and cut into chunks
1 onion, sliced thinly
1 carrot, sliced thinly
1 celery rib, sliced thinly
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1/2 cup Marsala wine
3 tbs butter
1 quart chicken stock
1/3 cup half-n-half
2 tbs flour
1/4 cup warm water
Salt and Pepper
Mushrooms, sliced (about 1/2 cup sliced)

1. In a Dutch oven over medium heat, melt 2 tbs of butter. Add the onion, carrot and celery and saute until softened. Shove the veg over to the side of the pan. Add the chicken to the pot and brown. Add more butter or a little olive oil, if needed. Season as you go with salt and pepper. When the chicken is browned, mix the veg with the chicken and add the Marsala. Kick the heat up to high and bring to a boil. Reduce by half. Add the chicken stock and the crushed garlic and bring back to a boil. When it boils, reduce the heat to a bare simmer, clap on a lid and cook low and slow for at least an hour.

2. Meanwhile, heat a cast iron skillet over medium high heat and add 1 tbs of butter. Add the mushrooms, being sure to give them room to breathe. Cook until the water has cooked out of the mushrooms and they are golden brown. Cut the heat.

3. When the chicken has cooked for an hour, use a slotted spoon to remove the chicken and veg to a bowl. Kick the heat up to high on the cooking liquid and bring to a boil. Boil until the liquid has been reduced by half. Add the half-n-half. Add the chicken and veg back to the pot. Meanwhile, mix 2 tbs of flour with 1/4 cup warm water in a small measuring cup being sure to get rid of any clumps. Add to the pot and stir in, thickening the sauce. Add the mushrooms to the pot. Serve immediately.