Chicken Marsala, or Brandied Chicken: Try this Variation on a Classic

Chicken Marsala is the American take of the Italian scalopine di pollo, but adds more fat, the American way! My recipe is slightly different than the classic because when i was first diagnosed with gluten intolerance in 2009, I was told that Marsala wine had traces of wheat in it. I do not know who started that rumor, but it is not true. However, because of this, I started making this recipe with brandy instead.

While brandy is higher in alcohol content than marsala, the flavor profile is very similar, so works very well in this application. Plus, now you don’t have to have the undrinkable marsala wine hanging out in your fridge until you make this recipe again. Instead, you can make yourself a side car or mix up some sangria and enjoy this chicken marsala or brandied chicken or whatever you want to call it with some pasta or crusty bread!

Serves 4

Suggested Wine Pairing:

Chardonnay cuts through the creaminess of this dish quite well.

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons butter, divided

1 tablespoons olive oil

2 boneless, skinless, chicken breast, halved and pounded to 1/2 inch thickness if necessary

1/2 cup flour (if you are making this gluten free, use Bob’s red mill 1-1 GF baking flour. It’s the best.)

2 cups of mushrooms, cut into quarters

1/2 onion, diced

2 garlic cloves, minced

1/4 cup brandy

1/2 cup chicken stock

1/2 cup cream

1/4 cup parmesan cheese, shredded

1 teaspoon dried thyme

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

1/2 teaspoon dried basil

1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped

Instructions:

1. Begin by preparing the chicken breast and pound them out if necessary.
2. Combine flour with a generous amount of salt and pepper.
3. Dredge chicken breasts in the flour mix.
4. Preheat pan over medium high heat and add 1 tablespoon of butter and 1 tablespoon of olive oil.
5. Add chicken to the pan, making sure not to crowd. This might need to be done in two batches. Cook chicken for about 4 minutes each side and remove from the pan.
6. In same pan, add remaining butter and add mushrooms and onions and cook for about 5 minutes, or until softened.
7. Add garlic and cook for another 30 seconds before adding brandy and cook for 5 minutes over medium heat to reduce.
8. Add in the chicken stock and cream and bring the sauce to a simmer, reduce the heat to low and allow to cook for 5 -10 minutes until sauce meets the desired consistency. It should coat the back of a spoon.
9. Add the chicken back into the sauce and allow to reheat.
10. Serve one chicken breast with gluten free pasta and plenty of that chicken marsala sauce. Garnish with parmesan cheese and parsley.

If you like this recipe, be sure to check out my chicken parmesan recipe which is also gluten free!