The other day I was craving Chicken Marsala, but of course I wanted to attempt creating it with Michigan wine. After doing some research I started to get discouraged. Marsala is a fortified wine, similar to port, that is made in the Italian region surrounding the city of Marsala. Therefore there isn’t a Michigan made Marsala wine, and if you aren’t making the dish with Marsala, it technically can’t be called Chicken Marsala.
However, I did discover through my research that if you mix a dry white wine and brandy together, you can achieve a flavor that is very similar. Lucky for me, there are great varieties of both Michigan dry white wine and Michigan made brandy to choose from. I used a “Barrel Fermented” 2009 Chardonnay from Chateau Grand Traverse and Spirit of Apple – Apple Brandy from Black Star Farms.
Ingredients
- 3-4 Boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 1 cup flour
- 5 tablespoons olive oil
- 6 tablespoons butter
- 3 cups of sliced mushrooms
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 1/3 cup brandy
- 2/3 cup dry white wine
- salt and pepper to taste
Step 1
Heat 2 tablespoons of butter and olive oil in skillet over medium heat. Dredge chicken in flour and cook in the skillet about 3 minutes on each side. Remove the chicken and set aside.
Step 2
Add two more tablespoons of butter and olive oil to the skillet and melt. Add mushrooms and cook until they brown, and season with salt and pepper. Once the mushrooms have cooked a few minutes, add the brandy and white wine. Cook for about 5 minutes and add in the chicken stock and another tablespoon of butter. Simmer until the liquid thickens slightly and is reduced, then add the chicken back in.
Step 3
Stir the mixture and make sure the chicken is completely heated. Serve over pasta or with vegetables. I chose to cook up some no yolk egg noodles, which tasted fabulous – I highly recommend. You can pair the dish with leftover wine and sip the delicious apple brandy for dessert.
