Chicken Marsala al Forno

One of my favorite meals is veal Marsala and if I’m dining out and it’s on the menu, it’s difficult for me to resist. This baked (al forno) recipe is a version of the classic chicken Marsala.

The original is made with chicken breasts, dusted with flour, briefly sauteed and served with a Marsala sauce that needs to be served immediately (same preparation as for veal Marsala). A fabulous dish for a few, but not as conducive for a a crowd.

My recipe has the same basic ingredients, chicken, mushrooms, Marsala and can be prepared in advance. A topping of Parmesan and creamy fontina cheese turns this into an extra delicious dish.

Ingredients:

• 2 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless, chicken breast halves
• Flour for dredging
• 6 tablespoons, plus 1/4 cup butter
• Salt and pepper
• 1 1/2 cups mushrooms, sliced
• 3/4 cup Marsala
• 1/2 cup chicken broth
• 1/2 cup fontina cheese, shredded
• 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
• Italian parsley, chopped

1. Place chicken breast (one at a time) in a large heavy plastic freezer bag. With a meat mallet, pound flat until very thin (1/8-inch). You could also place each chicken breast between two sheets of waxed paper.
2. Cut each flattened breasts into four or five pieces. They should be about the same size.
3. In another large freezer bag, add some flour, lightly dredge each piece of chicken.
4. In a large skillet, melt 2 tablespoons of the butter, add enough pieces of chicken to cover skillet (without overcrowding). On low heat, cook 3-4 minutes on each side until golden brown. Season with salt and pepper.
5. Place chicken (overlapping edges) in a 13-inch x 9-inch x 2-inch baking pan.
6. Repeat procedure with remaining chicken, adding 2 tablespoons of butter to skillet each time.
7. In the same pan you used to cook the chicken, melt 1/4 cup butter and saute the mushrooms until tender. Season with salt and pepper.
8. With a slotted spoon, remove the mushrooms, place evenly on top of chicken.
9. Add the Marsala and chicken broth to the skillet, simmer 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
10. Spoon about 1/3 of the sauce evenly over the chicken. Reserve the remaining sauce.
11. In a small bowl, mix together the fontina and Parmesan cheeses. Sprinkle over chicken.
12. Bake in a 450* oven for 15 minutes, until lightly browned.
13. Serve hot with some of the reserved sauce and fresh chopped parsley.