Chicken Marsala

from Cook's Illustrated

This dish has a wonderfully-balanced sauce with a great sheen.

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts, pounded to about 1/4 inch thick
flour for dredging
salt and pepper
2 tablespoons canola oil
2 1/2 ounces pancetta (about 3 slices), cut into pieces 1 inch long and 1/8 inch wide
8 ounces mushrooms, sliced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 teaspoon tomato paste
1 1/2 cups sweet marsala wine (make sure you have the sweet variety)
1 1/2 tablespoon lemon juice
4 tablespoon unsalted butter, sliced into 4 tabs
2 tablespoon freshly chopped parsley

Place a medium-sized platter in oven and heat to 200 degrees

Heat 12-inch heavy-bottomed skillet over medium-high heat until hot. Meanwhile, dry chicken breasts, dredge with flour, and season with salt and pepper (remove excess flour) Add oil to hot skillet and heat until shimmering. Place floured cutlets in single layer in skillet and cook until golden brown, about 2-3 minutes. Using tongs, flip cutlets and cook on second side until golden brown and meat feels firm when pressed with finger, about 2-3 minutes longer. Transfer chicken to heated platter and return to oven.

Return skillet to low heat and add pancetta; sauté, stirring occasionally and scraping pan bottom to loosen browned bits until pancetta is brown and crisp, about 4 minutes. With slotted spoon, transfer pancetta to paper towel--lined plate. Add mushrooms and increase heat to medium-high; sauté, stirring occasionally and scraping pan bottom, until liquid released by mushrooms evaporates and mushrooms begin to brown, about 8 minutes. Add garlic, tomato paste, and cooked pancetta; sauté while stirring until tomato paste begins to brown, about 1 minute. Off heat, add Marsala; return pan to high heat and simmer vigorously, scraping browned bits from pan bottom, until sauce is slightly syrupy and reduced to about 1 1/4 cups, about 5 minutes. Off heat, add lemon juice and any accumulated juices from chicken; whisk in butter 1 tablespoon at a time. Season to taste with salt and pepper, and stir in parsley. Pour sauce over chicken and serve immediately.

Serves 4