La Lama Mountain Ovens
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The best of the recipes, techniques, and methods practiced by our large extended Italian-American family - with emphasis on the legacy handed down to us by the original immigrants.

This is a cookbook-in-process project. If you try any of these recipes please let us know how they turn out, whether or not you had any difficulties, and any clarifying improvements you might recommend to make them foolproof. We will of course acknowledge genuine "test-kitchen" assistance.

Family Secrets #21

Chicken Marasala

By Ray Zara, La Lama Mountain Ovens

This dish was not considered a staple in our household while growing up. We bought our chickens live once a week and using only the breast to feed a growing family was not economically feasible. However, Mom did always have a good bottle of Marsala wine in the pantry for use in general cooking and dessert’s.

When purchasing Marsala for your kitchen you will notice several different brands available in "sweet" or "dry". The brand "Florio Sweet" is produced and bottled in western Sicily, and is by far the favorite of most chefs.

Although the wine does an excellent job in various desserts, using it alone in the sauté pan will result in an overpoweringly sweet sauce. I can always tell when ordering Chicken Marsala at a restaurant whether they have "tempered" the wine or used it straight from the bottle. By "tempering" the wine I mean adding a small amount of a dry white wine, enough to take the edge off of the sweetness but still maintain the flavor of the Marsala.

The following recipe will serve two adults with hearty appetites or four small eaters. You might finish the plate with a fresh green vegetable in season, such as asparagus spears or broccoli florets. Keep the vegetables simple by steaming them lightly and drizzling a bit of melted butter and fresh lemon juice on them. Prepared this way they will complement the Marsala sauce rather than vie for attention. The accompanying picture shows glazed fresh yellow beets in a bed of their own beet greens - a bit more complex but irresistible when in season.

The chicken breasts here are prepared the same way as for chicken piccata. Have your trusty clarified butter ready - and refer to the recipe for chicken piccata if you need a refresher on how to make this necessary sauté staple.

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Chicken Marsala

Total Ingredients:

• 2 whole boneless skinless chicken breasts (4 halves)
• 2/3 cup sliced mushrooms
• 1 cup all purpose flour for dredging
• 1/4 cup clarified butter
• 2 small garlic cloves, mashed
• 3/4 cup chicken broth
• 1/4 cup Florio Sweet Marsala wine
• 1/8 cup dry white wine
• 1 Tbls. finely chopped fresh parsley
• 1 Tbls. whole butter

Step One: Prepare chicken breasts

Remove the tenders from the breasts if they are present, the long finger-like strips. Trim all fat and sinews and remove the thin membrane covering the breasts. Butterfly the breasts starting from the plump lobe side. Press firmly with the palm of your hand to achieve uniform thickness. Do not pound with mallet.

Step Two: Sauté chicken breasts

Place a 10", heavy bottomed sauté pan on high heat and add enough of the clarified butter to coat the bottom. When fat is hot enough to make a drop of water sizzle, immediately dredge the chicken breasts in the flour plate, shake off excess and place in the pan. Add the mushrooms at this point. Shake pan frequently to avoid sticking and continue until bottoms are golden brown. Turn breasts in the pan and reduce heat to medium. Add mashed garlic and immediately deglaze the pan with chicken broth. Chicken broth should be at least 1/2 inch deep in the pan. Add the Marsala wine, dry white wine, and whole butter.

Step Three: The finish

Continue cooking until chicken is done. If all is perfect the pan sauce will form at the same time the chicken and mushrooms are done. If the pan sauce has not yet come together, remove chicken and mushrooms from sauté pan and place on warm plates, turn heat to high and quickly reduce pan sauce to the proper consistency.

To serve, place mushrooms along plate rim, 2 breasts in the center, spoon pan sauce over both and garnish with finely chopped parsley.

Altitude Adjustment: None required.