Tony Jackman’s crafty South African variation of Italian-Sicilian Marsala chicken. (Photo: Tony Jackman) One-pan chicken dishes are a delight to cook, and to eat. Think of Florentine chicken, a French-Italian hybrid of chicken breasts simmered with spinach in a creamy sauce, and finished with parmesan.
Marsala chicken is Italian-Sicilian and one of many variations of a scallopine dish — thinly sliced chicken, veal or other meat that is first dredged in flour, then cooked in melted butter to which a cream sauce is added, and simmered until tender.
Marsala chicken is finished with marsala, the famed fortified drink from the region around the city of that name in Sicily. Brandy is added to the wine during fermentation, which adds complexity and the mystery that tantalises the palate when we taste something unusual.
Of course you can make this with actual marsala, if you are better than I am at sourcing it. But what to do in the absence of the coveted marsala? I had two options: wait for another day, after ordering marsala online, or go ahead and figure out a crafty cheat.
Being South African, the idea of a cheat version was obviously appealing, so I checked my liquor stocks and spotted a bottle of dry sherry. I always have a bit of brandy somewhere, as it often comes up in recipes worth cooking and eating, and my eureka moment arrived. I would add a dash of brandy to dry sherry. Genius, sort of.
Mushrooms are the other key ingredient in marsala chicken, and they need only be ordinary old button mushrooms, sliced. It’s always best to shave off the protruding part of the stem when preparing mushrooms, so I did that.
Other than that, there is garlic, chicken stock and parsley for finishing it off. There’s no onion, which would utterly change the flavour profile. Much as I love onion and use it in so many dishes, there are some that just do not need it.
I served my marsala chicken with linguine, which is one of my favourite pasta styles — I prefer its texture and “hold” to that of spaghetti. Other tubular pastas such as fettuccine or tagliatelle would suit the dish too.
Tony’s ‘cheat’ marsala chicken
(Makes 4 portions)
Ingredients
4 chicken breast fillets
Salt and white pepper to taste
⅓ cup plain flour
6 Tbsp olive oil, divided
6 Tbsp butter, divided
3 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped
⅓ to ½ cup chicken stock
1 tsp Maizena or other cornstarch
⅔ cup dry sherry and 2 Tbsp brandy OR 2/3 cup marsala + 2 Tbsp extra
3 Tbsp finely chopped parsley
A quantity of cooked linguine, fettuccine or tagliatelle, cooked al dente and drained.
Method
Place a piece of clingfilm on a working surface and add a chicken breast. Fold the cling film over it and press a rolling pin down on it fairly lightly, rolling it until the flesh flattens out. Don’t press too hard, and stop rolling when the breast is about two-thirds or more bigger in diameter than it was when you started rolling. Repeat with the other breasts.
Spoon the flour onto a plate and stir in some salt and white pepper. Dredge the breasts in this, shaking off excess flour. Set aside.
Add 3 Tbsp each of olive oil and butter to a pan and put it on a moderate heat. Fry the floured breasts on both sides just until they are lightly browned – don’t overdo it.
Remove the chicken breasts to a plate and set to one side.
Trim the stems of the button mushrooms and slice them about three times each.
Wipe out the pan with kitchen paper and add 3 Tbsp each of olive oil and butter, on a moderate heat. Fry the sliced mushrooms until nutty brown, turning with a spatula as you go.
Add the chopped garlic and cook for one minute more, stirring.
Mix the dry sherry and brandy together, or have marsala to hand if you are lucky enough to have any. Stir or whisk the cornstarch into the stock/liquor mixture until fully dissolved.
Add the chicken stock and stir in the dry sherry and brandy or the marsala. Scrape the bottom of the pan to ensure you don’t lose all the flavour that always concentrates at the bottom of something we are cooking. Taste and decide whether it needs any more salt and pepper.
Return the chicken breasts to the pan, making sure they are immersed in the sauce, and that the mushrooms are too.
Simmer gently for only 5 or 6 minutes. During this time, the sauce will thicken and slightly reduce.
Scatter with finely chopped parsley and serve with the linguine or other noodles, which of course you have cooked in the meantime – right? DM
Tony Jackman is twice winner of the Galliova Food Writer of the Year award.
Follow Tony Jackman on Instagram @tony_jackman_cooks.