Trattoria-Style Marsala Pan Sauce with Cremini and Shallots

By Sprig Originals ✓ · cooked up in Sprig

The pan sauce that makes chicken or veal Marsala worth ordering: dry Marsala reduced to a syrup in a skillet full of fond, built out with browned cremini, shallot and stock, then finished off the heat with cold butter so it turns glossy instead of greasy. It comes together in the same pan you seared your cutlets in, in about 20 minutes, and it will coat the back of a spoon without a speck of cornstarch.

Ingredients

• 1 1/4 lb boneless chicken breasts, halved horizontally into 4 thin cutlets (or veal scaloppine)
• 1/3 cup all-purpose flour, for dredging
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp unsalted butter

• 2 tbsp unsalted butter
• 8 oz cremini mushrooms, sliced 1/4 inch thick
• 1 large shallot, minced
• 2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
• 2 sprigs fresh thyme
• 1 cup dry Marsala wine
• 1 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken stock
• 1 tsp tomato paste
• 3 tbsp cold unsalted butter, cut into 6 cubes
• 1 tsp fresh lemon juice
• 2 tbsp chopped flat-leaf parsley
• kosher salt and black pepper, to taste

Instructions

1. Pat the cutlets very dry. Stir the flour, 1 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp pepper together on a plate, dredge each cutlet, and shake off all but a thin film — excess flour will scorch and make the sauce taste bitter.
2. Heat the olive oil and 1 tbsp butter in a 12-inch stainless steel or carbon steel skillet over medium-high until the butter foam subsides. Add the cutlets in a single uncrowded layer (work in two batches if needed) and cook 3 to 4 minutes per side, until deep golden and 160°F at the center. Transfer to a plate and tent loosely with foil. Do not wash the pan — the browned crust stuck to the bottom is the entire point.
3. Lower the heat to medium and add 2 tbsp butter to the skillet. Add the mushrooms with a pinch of salt, spread them out, and leave them alone for 3 minutes to brown before stirring. Continue cooking 4 to 5 minutes more, until they've released their liquid, it has cooked away, and the edges are browned.
4. Add the shallot, garlic and thyme sprigs. Cook 1 to 2 minutes, stirring, just until the shallot is translucent and the garlic smells sweet — do not let the garlic color.
5. Pull the pan off the heat for a moment and pour in the Marsala. Return to medium-high and scrape the bottom of the pan hard with a wooden spoon; the fond should dissolve into the wine within 30 seconds. Simmer briskly 3 to 4 minutes, until the Marsala is reduced by half and smells nutty rather than sharp.
6. Whisk in the tomato paste, then the chicken stock. Bring to a strong simmer and reduce, uncovered, for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the liquid has reduced to about 3/4 cup and coats a spoon in a thin, glossy layer. It should look slightly thinner than you want the finished sauce — the butter will tighten it.
7. Fish out the thyme sprigs. Pull the skillet off the heat and let it cool for 30 seconds (butter added to a boiling sauce will break). Add the cold butter two cubes at a time, swirling the pan or whisking constantly until each addition melts and the sauce turns opaque and satiny.
8. Stir in the lemon juice and parsley. Taste and season with salt and pepper; a reduced sauce needs less salt than you'd expect, so go in small pinches.
9. Return the cutlets and any juices from the plate to the skillet, spoon the sauce over, and warm over low heat for 1 minute — no simmering, or the emulsion will separate.
10. Serve immediately over the cutlets, with mashed potatoes, polenta or buttered egg noodles to catch the sauce.

Chef's tips

Nutrition (per serving, estimated)

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