Now, I have no idea what “Nachatta” means, but this riff on Chicken Marsala, with cranberries, mushrooms, and a touch of cream, echoed the flavors of turkey and cranberry sauce and so made a fantastic main course for our Thanksgiving dinner. I found the recipe in the Seattle Celebrated Chefs Cookbook, courtesy of Amore. We served it with the previously-posted Thanksgiving favorite, Golden-Crusted Brussels Sprouts.
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Chris says:
I gotta say, this is a great turkey sub…
Lisa says:
What? This isn’t a sandwich…
Chris says:
Sigh… “sub” as in “substitute”.
Lisa says:
Yeah, I know. It’s called playin’ around. Heard of it? Anyway, I agree. It’s awesome! I heart the shrooms.
Chris says:
Well *I* heart the cranberries.
Lisa says:
I suggest we make this again some time… perhaps in May, when Thanksgiving is all but a hazy memory…
Chris says:
How about June? I’m predicting a busy first half of the year.
Lisa says:
May, June, Nachatta, Colada, whateva. It’s all good, as long as it happens eventually!
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Chicken Nachatta
2 tbsp unsalted butter
1 cup thinly-sliced red onion
2 skinless, boneless chicken breasts, (approx. 1 lb)
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp light brown sugar
1/4 cup chicken broth
3/4 cup Marsala wine
1/2 cup sliced mushrooms
1/4 cup dried cranberries
1/4 cup heavy cream
Melt the butter in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add the red onion and cook until tender and somewhat browned, 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from the pan and set aside.
Coat the chicken breasts with the flour, patting to remove excess.
Add the olive oil to the skillet and heat to medium-high. Add the chicken breasts and brown, 1-2 mintues. Turn the chicken over, add the brown sugar to the skillet, and stir so that it melts. Add the chicken broth and boil until reduced by half, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the Marsala, mushrooms, onions, and dried cranberries. Bring to a boil, add the cream, and lower the heat to medium. Simmer until reduced by half and the chicken is cooked through, 8 to 10 minutes, turning once or twice. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Transfer to plates and top with the pan sauce.