Chicken Marsala & Risotto + Oregon Pinot Noir
The Meal | 1.5 - 2 Hours
Sauce that you’ll be licking. Full flavored crowd-pleaser.
Prep:
Trim and put 6 skin-on chicken thighs on a wire rack pan. Salt and pepper both sides heavily. Spinkle sweet paprika, turmeric, ground coriander, and ground caraway on the skin. Put in the fridge for 30 minutes while you finish prep
Dice 3 shallots very finely
Mince 6 cloves of garlic
Finely chop the leaves of one bunch of flat-leaf parsley
Rinse 1.5 cups of arborio rice
Quarter 8 oz of button mushrooms lengthwise. Take a couple of the mushrooms and chop up for the risotto
Grate 4oz of Parmesan
Whip 1 cup of heavy cream to stiff peaks
Cook:
Chicken Marsala:
Heat a large, high walled pan or dutch oven over medium-high heat and literally add olive oil
Add the chicken, skin side down. Cook until the skin is golden brown and turn over. Cook until the under side is cooked well and the chicken is 165 or more. Pull off to a plate and cover
Start your risotto steps now!
Add 1 tbsp of butter and the mushrooms to the pan, shake the pan so that the mushroom coat in the oil and fat
After 5-6 minutes of cooking the mushrooms, they should be browned. Add in 1/3 of the prepped shallots, half of the garlic, and the Italian herbs of your choice and cook for another minute. I like to use finely chopped parsley - add in a third of what you chopped
Add in 1 heaping spoonful of flour and 1 large spoonful of tomato paste. Spread the tomato paste so that it is in contact with the hot pan and begins to caramelize.
30 seconds to a minute after adding in the tomato paste, stir to incorporate. Then add in a splash of soy sauce and slowly add in 1 cup of Marsala, and 1 cup of the Pinot that you’ve opened to breathe for dinner
Taste the sauce and add salt and pepper to taste. Let the sauce reduce for 5 minutes over medium - you want a very gentle boil
Stir in 4 tbsps of butter to the sauce and the juice from half a lemon
Put the chicken in to warm in the sauce, over low heat, for another 5 minutes
Risotto:
Heat a stock pot over medium heat and add in olive oil and a 2 tbsp pad of butter.
Add chopped mushrooms and rice into the pan, shake to cover in oil, and let toast for up to five minutes - stirring and shaking constantly. The rice should brown to a golden color and begin to smell nutty
Add in 1/2 of the prepped garlic and 2/3 of the prepped shallots and cook for another minute
Add in 1 cup of dry white wine and let simmer for 5 minutes. Add in half of the prepped parseley and stir
From this point on, you’ll be slowly adding in stock and stirring. Add in 4 cups of chicken stock, 1 cup at a time, stirring constantly. Every time the mixture begins to get dry, add in the next cup of stock
As soon as you’ve added the last cup of stock, reduce the heat to low and add in the whipped cream and grated cheese
Stir until melted and fully incorporated. Taste to see if you need to add salt or pepper
Options:
Adjust with your own herbs and spices
Sides:
Roasted asparagus stalks tossed in olive oil, salt, pepper, and spices of your choosing - about 20 minutes in the oven at 375
