Marsala wine is a common ingredient in sauces for chicken, beef, and pork. Here, the Marsala sauce is enlivened by tarragon, Dijon mustard, and a touch of honey. Chicken thighs are my favorite for this because of their deeper flavor, but check the notes for substitutions. If you are a fan of the light licorice/mint flavor of tarragon, you might want to increase the amount by half, but don't over-do it or you will ruin the dish. If your chicken thighs are small, you will probably want to allot 2 per serving.
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour
Marination Time: 2 hours
Total Time: 3 hours, 15 minutes
Yield: 8 servings
Ingredients:
- 8 chicken thighs, bone-in, skin-on (see Notes)
- 2 cups buttermilk, sour milk, or whole milk
- .
- 1/4 cup (about) all-purpose flour, for dredging
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 2 Tablespoons butter
- 1 teaspoon dried tarragon leaves
- 1/2 cup Marsala wine (see Notes)
- 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon honey, optional
- 1/4 cup heavy cream
- Fresh chopped parsley for garnish
Preparation:
Place chicken thighs in a zip-top bag. Add buttermilk, squeeze out all the air, and seal tightly. Refrigerate at least 2 hours or overnight.
Preheat oven to 350 F.
Remove chicken from the milk, discarding the milk, and drain thoroughly. Pat chicken dry using paper towels. Dredge thighs in flour, shaking off any excess. Season both sides generously with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
Heat a large, heavy, covered skillet or Dutch oven over medium high heat. When hot, add butter and swirl to coat the pan. Place thighs fat-side down in the hot pan. Cook until golden brown on each side, turning only once. Remove from heat.
Sprinkle browned chicken thighs with tarragon. Pour the Marsala wine down the side of the pan and tilt pan to distribute it over the bottom. Cover tightly and bake for 30 minutes. Remove cover and bake an additional 15 minutes.
Remove chicken from the skillet and keep warm.
Over medium heat, whisk the Dijon mustard and optional honey into the remaining sauce in the skillet, scraping up any browned bits. Whisk in the heavy cream and cook until the sauce is reduced and thickened. The sauce should coat the back of a spoon. Taste sauce and adjust salt and pepper, if needed. Return chicken to the skillet and rewarm in the sauce 1 to 2 minutes.
Serve chicken thighs with the Marsala pan sauce and sprinkle with fresh chopped parsley.
Yield: 8 servings
Tarragon Marsala Chicken Recipe Photo © 2012 Peggy Trowbridge Filippone, licensed to About.com, Inc.
Notes:
• Madiera, sherry, or sweet white wine may be substituted for the Marsala.
• Chicken legs may be substituted for the thighs.
• You may try this with chicken breasts, but take care not to overcook or the meat will become dry. I prefer using chicken parts with skin on to help keep in moisture. I suggest baking uncovered for 30 minutes, then test with a meat thermometer. The center of each should read 165 F. Then proceed as directed above with the sauce.
• If sauce becomes too thick, thin with chicken broth.
• Have all ingredients measured and ready to use and this main dish will go together pretty fast.
• Recipe may be halved for smaller families.
• Ranch Chicken Nuggets Recipe
• Marmalade Oven-Fried Chicken Recipe
• Orange Ginger Chicken Recipe
• Chicken Gumbo Recipe
• Chicken Twice Cooked Recipe
• Turkish-style Grilled Chicken with Yogurt and Cumin
• Lemon Chicken with Jerusalem Artichokes Recipe
• Peach-Spiced Chicken Recipe
• Pretzel Chicken Recipe
• Chicken Poached in Coconut Curry Recipe
Preheat oven to 350 F.
Remove chicken from the milk, discarding the milk, and drain thoroughly. Pat chicken dry using paper towels. Dredge thighs in flour, shaking off any excess. Season both sides generously with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
Heat a large, heavy, covered skillet or Dutch oven over medium high heat. When hot, add butter and swirl to coat the pan. Place thighs fat-side down in the hot pan. Cook until golden brown on each side, turning only once. Remove from heat.
Sprinkle browned chicken thighs with tarragon. Pour the Marsala wine down the side of the pan and tilt pan to distribute it over the bottom. Cover tightly and bake for 30 minutes. Remove cover and bake an additional 15 minutes.
Remove chicken from the skillet and keep warm.
Over medium heat, whisk the Dijon mustard and optional honey into the remaining sauce in the skillet, scraping up any browned bits. Whisk in the heavy cream and cook until the sauce is reduced and thickened. The sauce should coat the back of a spoon. Taste sauce and adjust salt and pepper, if needed. Return chicken to the skillet and rewarm in the sauce 1 to 2 minutes.
Serve chicken thighs with the Marsala pan sauce and sprinkle with fresh chopped parsley.
Yield: 8 servings
Tarragon Marsala Chicken Recipe Photo © 2012 Peggy Trowbridge Filippone, licensed to About.com, Inc.
Notes:
• Madiera, sherry, or sweet white wine may be substituted for the Marsala.
• Chicken legs may be substituted for the thighs.
• You may try this with chicken breasts, but take care not to overcook or the meat will become dry. I prefer using chicken parts with skin on to help keep in moisture. I suggest baking uncovered for 30 minutes, then test with a meat thermometer. The center of each should read 165 F. Then proceed as directed above with the sauce.
• If sauce becomes too thick, thin with chicken broth.
• Have all ingredients measured and ready to use and this main dish will go together pretty fast.
• Recipe may be halved for smaller families.
Suggested Related Recipes
• Chicken Stroganoff Recipe• Ranch Chicken Nuggets Recipe
• Marmalade Oven-Fried Chicken Recipe
• Orange Ginger Chicken Recipe
• Chicken Gumbo Recipe
• Chicken Twice Cooked Recipe
• Turkish-style Grilled Chicken with Yogurt and Cumin
• Lemon Chicken with Jerusalem Artichokes Recipe
• Peach-Spiced Chicken Recipe
• Pretzel Chicken Recipe
• Chicken Poached in Coconut Curry Recipe
