Chicken Marsala with Peas and Sun Dried Tomatoes

Chicken marsala is a delicious chicken entrée that has been around forever, but my two main gripes with the classic preparation are that it calls for dredging the chicken in flour, and produces a finished dish that is somewhat lacking in color.  Coating the chicken pieces in flour prior to sautéing them serves primarily to thicken the pan sauce, however, the dredging process can be messy and if you’re allergic or sensitive to gluten, even the small amount of flour used in a typical chicken marsala recipe can cause you problems.  Chicken Marsala with Peas and Sun Dried Tomatoes is a quick, lightened up version of classic chicken marsala that solves both of these issues.  Instead of flour, the pan sauce is thickened with a combination of crème fraîche and cornstarch, with peas and sun dried tomatoes providing a boost of color to the otherwise bland tones in the dish.   Best of all, this simple recipe takes only about 20 minutes to prepare making it a perfect meal for busy weeknights.

Chicken Marsala with Peas and Sun Dried Tomatoes calls for boneless, skinless chicken breasts that have been filleted or pounded to a thickness of ¼ inch.  These are known as chicken cutlets.   You can buy chicken cutlets but it’s much cheaper to make your own. Simply place your hand on top of a boneless, skinless chicken breast, and, using a sharp fillet knife, and pressing down firmly, carefully slice it in half starting at the rounded thick end of the breast.  If you end up with cutlets that are too thick use a meat pounder to flatten them to an even thickness of about ¼ inch.

After the Marsala wine, chicken stock, and crème fraîche have reduced a bit add the cornstarch mixture and you will see a beautiful light, but creamy, sauce start to form. Once you add the chicken back to the skillet, coat it with the pan sauce, and heat it through, it’s ready to serve.

Chicken Marsala with Peas and Sun Dried Tomatoes is easy and tasty with none of the heavy qualities that are typical of dishes with cream sauces.  It’s a great recipe to add to you weeknight cooking repertoire.

Chicken Marsala with Peas and Sun Dried Tomatoes

 

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Author: QUEEN OF MY KITCHEN

Serves: 6 servings

Ingredients

• 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts – pounded or filleted to a thickness of about ¼ inch
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
• 2 tablespoons butter, divided
• 8 ounces mushrooms, cleaned and sliced – I used baby portabella
• ½ cup chicken stock
• ½ cup sweet Marsala wine
• ½ cup frozen peas
• 2½ ounces sun dried tomato halves (not oil packed)
• ½ cup/4 ounces crème fraîche
• 1½ tablespoon cornstarch
• 1 tablespoon fresh chopped parsley or basil

Instructions

1. Season the chicken with salt and pepper.
2. Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil and 1 tablespoon of butter in a large skillet over medium high heat until hot but not smoking.
3. Add the chicken to the hot skillet and cook for 3-4 minutes on each side. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the chicken to a plate and keep warm.
4. Add the remaining oil and butter to the skillet. When the butter foams, add the mushrooms and cook for 2 minutes.
5. Add the chicken stock and marsala wine. Bring to a boil and add the peas and sun dried tomato halves. Reduce heat and simmer for 2 minutes.
6. Add the crème fraîche and simmer for 2-3 minutes until reduced slightly.
7. Meanwhile combine the cornstarch with 1½ tablespoon of water and mix well. (I use a small mason jar for this and shake the covered jar until the mixture is well combined and all the cornstarch is dissolved.)
8. Add the cornstarch mixture to the skillet and simmer until the sauce becomes creamy, about 1-2 minutes. Put the cooked chicken back into the skillet with the cream sauce. Stir to combine until heated through, about 1 minute more.
9. Sprinkle with fresh parsley or basil and serve.

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