kaplanr@uunet.UU.NET (Roger Kaplan) (01/15/91)
This is my adaptation of a recipe I found in a cookbook. The process is actually a typical French saute-reduction dish. You can substitute lots of other things for the marsala & stock... Some of my favorites are: vermouth, dijon mustard and cream; beef broth and balsamic vinegar; lemon juice, chicken stock, and white wine.... Some ideas for future dates if you pull this one off. Anyway, here's the marsala recipe: Pound chicken breasts until very thin by placing between two pieces of wax paper or plastic wrap and whacking mercilessly with something big and flat (at school I used to use a pledge paddle; now I use a fancy pounder designed for the purpose. Not too much difference). Heat some olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Dredge breasts in mixture of flour, salt and pepper, and shake off excess. Saute breasts slowly (med-lo heat) until cooked thru. DO NOT OVERCOOK. Since they're thin, they should cook pretty fast. Remove to platter. Add minced shallot and fry until it smells nice. Add several sliced mushrooms. If you REALLY like this guy, use porcini and/or shiitake, otherwise, just get the boring white ones. I have heard rumors that good-quality imported mushrooms are slight aphrodesiacs...! The porcinis add a really nice flavor, though, and cost about $1-2 more... Saute mushrooms until soft. Add 1/3 cup marsala and 1/3 cup beef broth. Turn heat to high, bring to boil, and reduce sauce until thick, stirring occasionally . Use more or less liquid depending on how much sauce you want. Add more marsala if you want a stronger marsala flavor (I don't particularly like the taste of straight marsala) Remove from heat, and finish sauce by swirling 1-2 tablespoons of butter, using heat of pan to melt butter. This is a "professional" trick that gives the sauce a nice sheen and subtle texture. Just like everything else in cooking, what really determines the final product is the skill of the cook, and the quality of the ingredients. Use decent marsala. You should use homemade beef broth, but that's a royal pain, so use a good brand like College Inn (NOT BOULLION!). Most importantly, realize that your stove has settings between off and HIGH. The breasts, shallots and mushrooms should be sauted gently, over med-lo to med heat (I prefer a gas burner). Don't turn up the heat until you're ready to reduce the liquids. **Roger P.S. Get a nice wine, too. **Roger Kaplan kaplanr@shearson.com ...!uunet!slcpi!kaplanr