Chicken or Veal Marsala

This recipe is not only delicious and quick to prepare, it is also healthy as it uses only a minimal amount of oil. Imported porcini mushrooms can be found in many grocery stores, and certainly at Italian specialty stores. To complete this meal, serve it with an herb-flavored rice, garlic mashed potatoes, or over Linguini. A tasty sautéed green such as spinach or broccoli rabe would round out the meal nicely.

1 oz. Dried Porcini Mushrooms
8 oz. Fresh White Mushrooms
4 Boneless/skinless Chicken Breast Halves
Flour For Dredging(*)
Salt & Pepper
3 Tablespoons Olive Oil
2/3 Cup Sweet Marsala Wine
1/4 Cup Fresh Chopped Italian Parsley

Re-hydrate the porcini mushrooms in 1 cup warm water for about 30 minutes. Remove from the water, pat dry with paper towels, and chop coarsely. Strain the porcini water, and set aside for later use.

Slice the fresh mushrooms thinly. Dredge the chicken breasts in flour seasoned lightly with salt and pepper, and then brown in a skillet with the oil over medium heat. (*) If you are using veal, DO NOT dredge in flour. Fast fry the cutlets in olive oil so they are medium rare.)
Once the chicken is well browned, remove the chicken and set aside.

Cook the sliced mushrooms in the same pan until tender and golden brown. If the pan becomes too dry, use a little of the porcini liquid to moisten it. Return the chicken pieces to the pan with the mushrooms, and add the porcini, the Marsala wine and 1/4 cup of the porcini liquid. Taste, and season with salt and pepper if needed.

Cook on medium low heat, cover, and cook for about 20 minutes. If the juices begin to evaporate too much while cooking, add a few tablespoons of the porcini water and a small amount of Marsala wine. When completed, the sauce should be thick and creamy. To serve, place chicken/veal pieces over Linguini on a platter, spoon over the juices, and sprinkle with the fresh parsley.