The Half Bottle Chicken Marsala

• Cut the Shallots into ¼" Dice & slice Mushrooms
  
• Cut the chicken breasts in half lengthwise to get two breast pieces.

  Line the cutting board with plastic wrap. (or use a resealable bag) lay the chicken breasts on the plastic and cover with another layer of plastic wrap.

  Use a kitchen mallet or bottom of a pan to pound out the chicken breasts.

  They should be about half the size they were originally. Avoid pounding too flat and getting holes in them.
• Mix the flour with the salt and pepper in a pie plate or dinner plate.
• Dredge the chicken breasts into the flour mixture.
• Heat a saute pan and add the oil.
• Sear the chicken breast on each side until golden. Remove from the pan and reserve.
  
• Once the shallots are translucent increase the heat to high.

  Add the half bottle of Marsala Wine and reduce by half.

  **Very important to reduce at least by half. This will remove the raw wine flavor and increase the sweetness of the final dish.
• Once the wine has reduced by half. Return the chicken to the pan and add the two cups of Chicken Broth. Keep the heat high on the burner to reduce the chicken broth.
  
• As the sauce is reducing and the chicken finishes cooking make a Beurre Manie.

Making and using Beurre Manie (reverse Roux)

• Combine 1 stick of softened or melted butter with flour until it becomes a paste like consistency. (You can keep unused portion in the refrigerator for another dish.)
• Once the sauce has reduced by half again, taste the sauce to see if it needs to reduce more or needs seasoning, salt or pepper.
• To thicken, remove the chicken breasts to a clean plate.
• Whisk in a tablespoon of Beurre Manie at a time to allow it to dissolve.
• Roux and Beurre Manie need to cook in the sauce for a couple of minutes to allow it to thicken.

  So add small amounts instead of one large amount for this dish.

  This way you can control the thickness while the roux combines.

  **The Roux will give the dish a butter finish.

  **If finishing with Cornstarch you can drop a pat of butter to get a butter finish.

  **Cornstarch on the other hand will thicken almost immediately.
• Return the chicken to the pan and coat in the sauce. Serve with Mashed Potatoes.