In the area we live in, we do not get “local” television. Sure, we get CBS, NBC, and ABC, but the stations come from towns about an hour either north or south of us. So, we see quite a few commercials for businesses that are not in Jacksonville. One such commercial is for the Olive Garden’s new dish, Chicken Marsala. Every time I see that commercial, it makes my mouth water. But, I hate to drive an hour to Wilmington to the nearest Olive Garden. We only have one Italian restaurant in Jacksonville and I have heard rumors that the man who owns that is on the City Council and keeps other Italian restaurants like Olive Garden and Carrabas out of town to protect his own interests.
That being said, I am a big fan of the Olive Garden recipe page. I do not think my dishes turn out quite as good as when the Olive Garden chefs cook them (plus I have to do all the work), but I keep trying.
For the Chicken Marsala, you will need four skinless, boneless chicken breasts, flour, dried oregano, vegetable oil, butter, fresh mushrooms, and Marsala wine.
To prep for this recipe, you will need to surround the chicken in plastic wrap and pound it until it is about 1/4 inch thick. If you have whole mushrooms, cut those into slices.
In a medium sized bowl, combine 1/4 cup of flour, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, 1/2 teaspoon of dried oregano, and a dash of pepper. Roll the chicken in the flour mixture and shake off an excess. In a skillet, heat 4 tablespoons of vegetable oil and 4 tablespoons of butter over medium heat. Cook the chicken breast on one side until brown (about 2 minutes). Then turn it over and add 1 cup of sliced mushrooms to the skillet. Let the second side cook about 2 minutes then stir the mushrooms. Once the second side is browned, add 1/2 cup of Marsala wine. Cover the chicken and let it simmer for 10 minutes. This is great served with pasta!