Chicken Lombardy

 

This recipe came across my Facebook feed recently.  Thank you to Southern Living for their version of Chicken Marsala.

If you don't want to use the Marsala wine, you can substitute sherry, port, red wine, white wine, chicken broth or vegetable broth with a splash of vinegar for a non-alcoholic alternative.

If you can't find cremini mushrooms, substitute baby portabellas instead.

There's a few steps to this recipe, so make sure you read through all the directions before starting.  There's nothing difficult to do here, but it's always a good idea to become familiar with the instructions before you're in the middle of cooking.

3 boneless/skinless chicken breasts (about 1 3/4 lb.) halved lengthwise

1/4 t. black pepper

1 t. kosher salt

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 cup (4 oz.) unsalted butter, divided, plus more if needed

cooking spray

8 oz. cremini mushrooms, thickly sliced (about 1 1/2 cups)

3/4 cup Marsala

1/2 cup chicken stock

2 oz. Fontina or Mozzarella cheese, shredded (about 1/2 cup)

2 oz. Parmesan cheese, grated (about 1/2 cup)

Chopped flat-leaf parsley, for garnish

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.

Place each piece of chicken between 2 sheets of wax paper, and pound to 1/8 inch thickness using a meat mallet or rolling pin.  Sprinkle evenly with pepper and 1/2 t. of the salt.

Place flour in a shallow dish; dredge chicken lightly in flour, shaking off excess.  Reserve 2 T. of the flour, and set aside.

Heat 2 T. of the butter in a large non-stick skillet over medium heat.  Cook chicken, in batches, until golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes per side (chicken might not be cooked through).

Transfer chicken to a 13 x 9 baking dish coated with cooking spray, overlapping chicken pieces if needed.  Repeat procedure with remaining butter and chicken, adding 1 T. butter to skillet before cooking each batch.  Reserve drippings in skillet.

Add 2 T. of the butter and mushrooms to drippings in skillet; cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally until tender and lightly browned, about 5 minutes.  

Sprinkle mushroom mixture evenly over chicken.

Make the Sauce:

Stir Marsala, stock, and remaining 1/2 t. salt to drippings in skillet; bring to a simmer over medium high  Simmer, stirring occasionally, until slightly reduced, about 8 minutes.  Spoon about 1/3 of the Marsala mixture (about 1/4 cup) over chicken.

Combine cheeses in a small bowl; sprinkle over chicken.  

Bake in a preheated oven until chicken is cooked through and cheese is melted, about 6 minutes.

Finish cooking the sauce:

Meanwhile, bring remaining Marsala mixture to a simmer over medium heat.  Combine remaining 3 T. butter and reserved 2 T. flour in a small bowl until a paste forms.  Add paste to Marsala sauce and whisk until combined and thickened, about 2 minutes.

Sprinkle chicken with parsley and serve with Marsala sauce.