W1/Meal 2: Chicken Marsala with Sage

So much sage, so few ideas of what to do with it.

Turns out that sage gets a lot of roles in recipes that star roasted turkey. And I have neither the time nor the air conditioning to cook a turkey right now.

This recipe sounded promising and delicious, and way less time-consuming than Thanksgiving-In-June:



Chicken Marsala with Sage

Ingredients:
4 skinless boneless chicken breast halves, each halved horizontally
All purpose flour
6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) butter
1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage
1 cup imported dry Marsala
1 cup canned low-salt chicken broth
Fresh sage leaves

Directions:
Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper. Dust with flour; shake off excess. Melt 3 tablespoons butter in large skillet over medium-high heat. Add chopped sage; sauté 1 minute. Add half of chicken. Sauté until brown and cooked through, about 3 minutes per side. Transfer chicken to platter. Repeat with remaining butter and chicken. Tent chicken with foil. Add Marsala and broth to skillet; bring to boil, scraping up any browned bits. Boil until sauce is reduced to 1/2 cup, about 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper; spoon over chicken. Garnish with sage leaves.

***

I halved the recipe and used a little less butter. Speaking of which, though... when that sage was frying in the pan of butter... WOAH. My apartment smelled ridiculous. Someone should make a Sage Butter scented candle.


Moving on, I made one big mistake: I simmered the sauce instead of boiling it, so it never fully reduced. I tacked on about 5 minutes of boiling at the end to try to compensate, but it was still thin and threw off my timing.

For the sides, I improvised:

Smashed Potatoes with Chopped Garlic Scapes
I boiled a pound of creamer potatoes for about 25-30 minutes. During the last 5 minutes, I tossed in a handful (maybe about 1/4 cup?) of chopped garlic scapes to soften them. Then I drained everything, added a hunk of butter and a splash of milk, and smashed away. Actually, my husband did. That's a good job for the menfolk, the smashing. These turned out amazing.

Sauteed Kale
... I just put some kale in a little frying pan with olive oil and a generous splash of marsala. I didn't give it quite enough time and had to use a high heat to soften the kale, which ended up giving some leaves an unsightly brown crisp. (Hey, full disclosure here.) I would've been better off with at least 20 minutes on low heat. Still, pretty tasty.

The verdict: A lot of work (and dishes) for a flavorful but unremarkable meal. Seemed kinda Olive Garden-y. Nothing gives chicken that savory, crispy finish like a good sauté , but it's not something I would cook often, given the effort required and the copious amount of butter. As for the sage, it was a fine performance as a supporting role. I'd definitely like to reprise the duet with the butter, if only to make my apartment smell that way again.