Chicken OR Beef Marsala
Chicken & Beef Marsala
Yield: 4 servings
Want a yummy recipe to impress your sweetie or dinner guests? This meal will do exactly that and it can be gluten-free too!
Some people are chicken lovers and some are beef, so I decided to provide you with the recipes for both… you make the choice. The steps are easy to follow and it's a recipe you can easily make on Valentine’s Day or for any dinner party!. I often make the chicken version as it is easy to hold in the oven for an hour while I serve drinks and appetizers. This is my hubby’s favorite dish by far. I serve it over Garlic Smashed Potatoes (recipe under Braised Red Wine Short Ribs), with a Mixed Green Salad with Mustard Vinaigrette and you have a fabulous meal! My daughter follows a gluten-free diet so I have made this recipe gluten-free by substituting gluten-free flour for dredging chicken and thickening the sauce!
Ingredients:
4 small (3-4 ounce) chicken breasts, (~ 3/4” – 1” thick)
*or 4 – 6-8 ounce beef tenderloin steaks
½ cup all purpose flour
½ teaspoon kosher salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper
½ teaspoon garlic powder
2-3 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons butter, sliced
1 medium onion, finely diced
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
3 tablespoons flour
1 cup warm water
1 teaspoon chicken or beef soup base
1 cup Marsala wine
½ teaspoon kosher salt and dash of fresh ground pepper for seasoning sauce
2 tablespoons half & half
8 ounces mushrooms, sliced
5-6 fresh basil leaves, chopped
Equipment:
Chef knife
Cutting board
Measuring cups, dry & liquid
Measuring spoons
Rolling pin or meat mallet
Large 10-12” oven safe skillet (or cast iron skillet)
Tongs or bent edged spatula
Rubber spatula or wire whisk
Waxed paper
Chicken Prep:
To make the chicken version of this recipe first you will need to prepare the breasts for pan frying. Initially you will flatten and dredge your breasts in a four mixture. I have done this step early in the day before a gathering to save time and then wrap and refrigerate for later.
To flatten your chicken, begin by laying a foot long piece of waxed paper on your counter or cutting board. Make sure the surface is secure and flat. Place your chicken breasts on the waxed paper leaving about two inches between each breast for expansion. Place the second piece of waxed paper on top of the chicken being sure they are all covered. This is where the fun begins. Using the end of the rolling pin or meat mallet hit the chicken beginning in the center of each breast and working out towards the edges. Take out your frustrations on the meat and gently pound until evenly ~ ½ inch thick. This process helps to tenderize the chicken and allow even cooking due to a uniform thickness. The flat surface will also allow even browning during pan frying.
Now you are ready to dredge your chicken. Combine the flour, salt, black pepper & garlic powder in a small bowl and stir well. Pour mixture onto a medium plate and spread to a thickness of about ½ inch. Taking each breast, press chicken into flour mixture on each side twice, shaking off excess after each turn. Chicken should look well coated but not too thick as shown above. ( When all four breasts are coated they may be wrapped and refrigerated for later cooking. I reserve the plate with flour for later in case they need a bit of extra dredging right before pan frying. This mixture is also used for thickening the sauce too).
Pan frying is the next step. Preheat your skillet over medium high heat for about 2 minutes. Pour olive oil and cubed butter on warmed pan and reduce heat slightly as not to burn butter. When fat becomes a bit bubbly, place chicken in pan. Pan fry for ~ 2-3 minutes or slightly golden. Flip breasts on second side and repeat. Remove chicken from pan and place on a plate. Cover gently with foil.
Beef Prep:
To prepare Beef Marsala the steps are also easy and the sauce will be exactly the same as for chicken. Only difference is of course tenderloin and beef soup base! Most grill masters will prefer to cook their beef over a charcoal or gas grill and then prepare the sauce. If the weather is balmy that might be my choice too, but Illinois in February can be brutal and I prefer not to stand outside in the frigid air. Awhile back I started to cook my steaks in the oven with amazing results! So here goes!
Preheat oven to 400 F.
Start by seasoning your steaks with ½ teaspoon of salt and garlic powder with a couple grinds of fresh black pepper in a small bowl. Liberally sprinkle the four steaks. Place a cast iron skillet or whatever 10 inch oven safe skillet you own, on medium high heat for 3-4 minutes or until a small amount of water flicked at the skillet dances across and evaporates. This tells you that your skillet is hot. Place all four tenderloins on the ungreased skillet surface and sear each side for 2-3 minutes per side depending how done you like your beef. Each side should be browned as shown above. Place entire pan into preheated oven… yes, I know it sounds strange, but it works. Allow the beef to bake the following times until there desired color you desire. Of course the thickness and actual size of your steak will vary the time, but the steaks I used were 6-7 ounces and about an inch thick. I love medium rare beef, so I cooked mine for 12 minutes and left the others in for an additional 4 minutes for the medium, no blood loving family members and they turned out perfect!
~ 6 minutes for rare (purple center)
11-14 minutes for medium rare( ~145 degree center)
15-18 minutes for medium (150 -155 degree center)
18+ for well done (160 degree center)
**Of course using a ready read thermometer will test exact temperature, but involves opening and closing oven door often.
After removing tenderloins from the oven, I transferred them to a plate and covered loosely with foil while I finished getting my salads, wine and water on the table.
Sauce:
The sauce is rather fun to make and requires a few fundamental steps. Preparing and measuring ingredients ahead of cooking makes the process so much easier. If making Chicken Marsala, use the pan you pan fried the chicken in to sauté vegetables and make sauce. The drippings will add flavor and the fat you need to sauté. I often add another tablespoon butter if pan seems dry. If you are making Beef Marsala, you will need another 10 inch skillet to make sauce in while your beef is cooking. You will not have used the oil or butter to cook beef, so this will be added to skillet to sauté onions and garlic over medium high heat.
Sauté onions and garlic in melted butter, olive oil mixture for about 5 minutes or until onions turn translucent and slightly yellow in color. Monitor heat to ensure they don't burn.
After onion/ garlic is ready, add flour to skillet to create a roux. Stir mixture until all vegetables are evenly coated with flour for about 2 minutes.
Combine the warm water and soup base together and stir well to dissolve. Add to roux along with Marsala wine and agitate to mix. I often use a wire whisk to ensure all flour is mixed well with liquids. Allow sauce to heat over medium low heat for ~ 5 minutes or until thickens and comes to a slow simmer. Add half and half and stir well. Last step is to add the mushrooms and chopped basil.. Slowly simmer for about 5 -7 minutes or until mushrooms have softened.
Make ahead Chicken Marsala:
To make your Marsala dish to be ready an hour after everyone arrives for your gathering….
Follow all steps for sauce and then place chicken back in skillet, tucking it under mushrooms and sauce. Place entire skillet in preheated 250 degree oven for one hour. This will cook mushrooms and allow chicken to absorb the luscious flavors of the sauce! I usually prepare mine following this technique as I want to spend time with my guests too!
To plate… place about 1 cup garlic smashed potatoes on center of plate, arrange chicken breast or beef tenderloin on top and spoon generous amount of sauce and mushrooms over meat. Garnish with a cluster of fresh basil or Italian parsley!! Bon Appetit!!