Mommy Mondays - Chicken Marsala

Here's my Grandfather and my Mom (back in the day), grilling
 in the rain! Both of them love to grill, and not even bad
weather will stop them!

My mom is an excellent chef.  Professionally trained at the Culinary Institute of America, we were soooo lucky as kids growing up to have her make all of our meals.  Whenever she sends me a recipe I know it's going to be great...so here's one she sent me today.  Chicken Marsala is so delicious, and great to entertain with.  Let me know what you think!

Chicken Marsala 
from Cooks Illustrated with note by my Mom.

Ingredients

4	boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 5 ounces each)
1	cup unbleached all-purpose flour
	Kosher Salt
	ground black pepper
2	tablespoons vegetable oil
2 1/2	ounces pancetta (about 3 slices), cut into pieces 1 inch long and 1/8 inch wide
8	ounces white mushrooms , sliced (about 2 cups)
1	medium clove garlic , minced (about 1 teaspoon)
1	teaspoon tomato paste
1 1/2	cups marsala wine (sweet)
1 1/2	tablespoons lemon juice from 1 small lemon
4	tablespoons unsalted butter cut into 4 pieces, softened
2	tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves

Instructions

1. Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position, place large heatproof dinner plate on oven rack, and heat oven to 200 degrees. Heat 12-inch heavy-bottomed skillet over medium-high heat until very hot (you can hold your hand 2 inches above pan surface for 3 to 4 seconds), about 3 minutes. Pat chicken breasts dry. Meanwhile, place flour in shallow baking dish or pie plate. Season both sides of chicken cutlets with salt and pepper; working one piece at a time, coat both sides with flour. Lift breast from tapered end and shake to remove excess flour; set aside. Add oil to hot skillet and heat until shimmering. Place floured cutlets in single layer in skillet and cook until golden brown, about 3 minutes. Using tongs, flip cutlets and cook on second side until golden brown and meat feels firm when pressed with finger, about 3 minutes longer. Transfer chicken to heated plate and return plate to oven.

2. Return skillet to low heat and add pancetta; sauté, stirring occasionally and scraping pan bottom to loosen browned bits until pancetta is brown and crisp, about 4 minutes. With slotted spoon, transfer pancetta to paper towel--lined plate. Add mushrooms and increase heat to medium-high; sauté, stirring occasionally and scraping pan bottom, until liquid released by mushrooms evaporates and mushrooms begin to brown, about 8 minutes. Add garlic, tomato paste, and cooked pancetta; sauté while stirring until tomato paste begins to brown, about 1 minute. Off heat, add Marsala; return pan to high heat and simmer vigorously, scraping browned bits from pan bottom, until sauce is slightly syrupy and reduced to about 1 1/4 cups, about 5 minutes. Off heat, add lemon juice and any accumulated juices from chicken; whisk in butter 1 tablespoon at a time. Season to taste with salt and pepper, and stir in parsley. Pour sauce over chicken and serve immediately.

Note from my Mom:

The only thing I did differently was adding a can of chicken broth along with the wine and putting the chicken back in the pan at that 5 min mark.Then put the pan in a 200 oven and let it cook for about 15 min till nicely reduced. I also only used 1 Tbsp. of butter. It was so good.  Your Dad said it was better than anything he's had in a restaurant!