Grilled Chicken Marsala with Carrot "Fettucine"

The fridge is bare. I've been too lazy to go grocery shopping, the result of being chauffeured to and from work every day by Hubby, with whom I am carpooling. I don't even want to hop in the car and go anywhere after I'm home. What's this about? Jack Kerouac and Neal Cassady could have been my spiritual mentors: I used to disappear for hours and miles on end in my car. Alas, the days of wasting fossil fuels are over. I'd rather buy books or wine than to continue enriching BP and Shell needlessly.

Surely there is enough in the fridge that I can do my own in-house version of "Door Knock Dinners"? That's the show where Gordon Elliot and a chef would show up at some unsuspecting person's house and cook dinner for the family with existing ingredients from the fridge and pantry. The fridge yields: a lone chicken breast, carrots, celery, whipping cream and...a million eggs (for this week's Sugar High Friday custard event). There are plenty of cheeses in the drawer, but none of immediate use. The yellow broccoli and the brown cauliflower need to join their rotting brethren in the trash can. Half a red onion. Pickles (shudder) and champagne gelée (what the hell?). A quick check of the pantry yields a superior number of menu choices; but then I see the bottle of Marsala tucked in the back. And right next to it, the dried porcini mushrooms that Rose and Mike gave us.

Put them together and what have you got? Chicken with Marsala Sauce (holy smokes! That actually works with the song!).

Marsala is Sicily's great wine. When the Saracens (Arabs) conquered Sicily in 831, they introduced culinary methods that had a lasting impact on Sicilian cooking; they introduced eggplants, citrus fruits and pasta. “Marsala” actually takes its name from the Arab words, Marsah el Allah, which means “Port of God.” It is a fortified wine like Port, Sherry and Madeira, and is made using a process which raises the alcohol level and taste of the wine while preserving those same attributes for long sea journeys.

Marsala is produced from the Grillo, Inzolia, and Catarratto grapes. Don't confuse “California Marsala,” with real Marsala (Hubby: "I wouldn't chase my cat off the bed with a spritzer bottle full of California Marsala"). The Italian state-designated label of controlled quality and production is restricted to an exclusive area around Trapani and some vineyards in Agrigento and Palermo.

This Chicken Marsala recipe is based on one from an LA restaurant whose name I am not sure of; I'd like to properly credit them but the recipe was given to me by someone else, so I'm not even sure if the recipe is true to its original. It's incredibly simple and easy to make. And the carrot "fettuccine" was such a hit that I might have to consider using that for the vegan meal I'm planning this weekend.

Grilled Chicken Marsala with Carrot "Fettucine"

1 T sea salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
2 tsp whole fennel seeds
2 chicken breast halves (with bone in)
2 cups marsala
1/3 cup dried porcini mushrooms
2 shallots, thinly sliced
4 cloves garlic, smashed
3 tbsp light cream
3 large carrots, peeled and washed, ends chopped off
2 T chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Season both sides of the chicken breasts with sea salt, pepper, pepper flakes and whole fennel seeds; set aside.

Using a vegetable peeler, make long, wide strips of carrot ribbons; set aside.

In a small saucepan, bring the marsala to a gentle boil over medium high heat. Add porcini, shallots, and garlic. Reduce by half, about 30 minutes.

While sauce is simmering, grill chicken using a grill pan at the stove on high heat (or grill outdoors), about 6 minutes each side, until cooked through. I actually turned the oven on to 350 degrees, grilled the breast for about 3 minutes each side at high heat (nicely browned), then finished it in the oven just before plating, about 5 minutes.

Boil the carrot ribbons in salted water until tender-crisp, about 2 minutes. You want the carrots tender with a little bite, not mushy -- just like pasta. Drain and immediately add 1 tablespoon of butter, stirring ribbons gently with a wooden spoon to coat the "fettucine." Season with a little salt (or grated parmigiano).

Warm the sauce on medium heat. Whisk in cream. Remove garlic, divide the carrot fettucine among 2 plates, top with chicken and the sauce. Top with flat leaf parsley.

Comments

[joey]

That sounds delicious! Enjoyed the Marsala backgrounder :)

[Cath]

Hi Joey -- it's really yummy! Hubby loved the dish. The irony of this is that I didn't want any. In keeping with my laziness, I wanted a bowl of ramen! :-)

[Jim]

As a residence of California (pronounced “CAH-lee-FOR-nee-ah” for those unfamiliar with Terminator-speak), I hate to agree with your Hubby about the sad state of the local Marsala but he’s right. The California labels are bland, unoriginal, and annoyingly bad (think Michael Bolton). Whereas the Italian vintages are truly “fortified,” the California versions can’t even put up a good fight. It’s the French army of wine.

[Cath]

Jim,

I was laughing so hard at your comment I snarfed my tea. Tea should never be expelled from one's nostrils.

I could rave about California wines for a while -- Hubby and I both love California wines so much we got married in Napa, and we spend a week in wine country every year. So I gotta tell you -- California marsala was really shocking. I kept thinking it would get better. It didn't. On the other hand, our wine fridge is stocked full of Napa and Sonoma bottles so we know they can make some great stuff. :-)

[tanvi]

love the carrot fettucine idea!

[Kerry]

I have been making chicken marsala for years and I have never used prcini mushrooms but it sounds delicious.