A tail of two chickens... *GRINS*

Today was another shop luncheon, and wuff prepared these dishes for his co-workers to celebrate the birthdays of several this month.

Wuff had to come up with something to fit multiple diets this time, as we now have several co-workers with various restrictions such as: No liquor, no/low carbs, no shellfish, etc. So wuff started with chicken as the protein. Easy and flexible, adaptable to a lot of different dishes and flavors.

The Chicken Marsala is rich, complex and full of flavor. Sweet Marsala wine, earthy mushrooms, savory shallots and garlic, Italian spices. A traditional but popular dish.

The Chicken Piccata is light, bright, and zippy. Lemon highlights, brine-y capers, vinegary pickled artichoke hearts. A fresh and light alternative with no booze in the making.

Both dishes start from very similar roots, allowing for easier simultaneous creation of the pair. Both begin with boneless, skinless chicken breasts, butterflied and separated, pounded thin and dredged in seasoned flour. Fried up crisp and tender.

The sauces totally alter the results, creating two very different experiences. All of wuff's coworkers opted to split servings so they could enjoy some of each.

Wuff offered both traditional egg noodles and steamed "Zoodles" of zucchini and summer squash. This satisfied those with hearty appetites along with those avoiding carbs. Once again, wuff's coworkers decided to enjoy some of each! And wuff agrees with their choice. It was definitely fun to experience both versions.

This was a total success! Vrghr heard more than one friend here say "This is one of the best dishes you've ever served." Both of these have such great flavor, that they would be successful on their own without a doubt. But served together, they provide a wonderful contrast in eating experience, yet still remain complementary.

And these are very easy to prepare! Basically, you slice and flatten the chicken, dredge and fry it, remove it to rest while you create a pan sauce from the drippings and a few additional ingredients. Then you simply add the chicken back in and allow the flavors to marry. Cut the temperature of the pan(s) down to low, and this will also hold very well as a buffet or potluck dish for a group.

Vrghr's co-workers demanded he provide the recipes for these. Here they are, so that you can create them as well.

BON APPETITE!

Noodles & Zoodles
Ingredients:
1 lb of selected pasta (Vrghr used "Bow Tie" (Farfalle))
2 medium Zucchini Squash
2 medium Yellow (Summer) Squash
Salted Water
Need: metal colander or steamer that fits over the boiling pasta pot

Directions:
Bring a ~3 Qts of heavily salted water to a rolling boil
Cut the ends off the squash and run them through a "noodler" spiral slicer/shredder
Place the pasta in the water, put a metal colander or steamer over the pot and add the spiral-cut squash "zoodles" to the colander. Cover with a lid or plate and allow the steam from the boiling pasta to steam the squash.

The two types of noodles should finish about the same time. Pour the colander full of steamed "zoodles" into a bowl, sprinkle with a bit of salt and pepper, and toss.
Drain the pasta but Do Not Rinse. Add a pat or two of butter if desired

Chicken Marsala
Ingredients:
For the Dredge:
~2/3-1 C All-purpose flour
2 tsp Italian Herbs seasoning
1 tsp Garlic Powder
1 tsp ground Black Pepper
1/2 tsp Kosher Salt
1/8 tsp Cayenne Pepper

For the Marsala:
3 skinless, boneless chicken breasts, butterflied and then cut in half
4 strips thick-cut Applewood Smoked Bacon
1/2 C finely chopped shallots, ~2 Shallots
2 TBS minced garlic
8 ounces crimini or porcini mushrooms, stemmed and sliced
2/3-1 C sweet Marsala wine
2/3 C chicken stock
2/3 C heavy cream
2 tablespoon unsalted butter
2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
2 tsp Lemon Juice
1 tsp soy sauce
1/3 cup chopped Italian flat-leaf parsley, divided

1 TBS Arrowroot, as necessary

Directions:
Slice the chicken breast into "butterfly" and then cut in half. Put the halves between sheets of plastic wrap and pound them flat with mallet, pan, rolling pin, etc., until they are about 1/4-inch thick

Chop the bacon into 1/4 inch segments

In a large skillet (or electric fry pan) over medium high heat, fry the bacon until mostly crisp. Remove to plate but retain the bacon fat in the skillet

Put the flour dredge ingredients into a large, shallow bowl or into a gallon zip top bag. Whisk or shake to combine

Add the flattened chicken breasts to the flour and shake/dredge until coated.

Add the coated chicken to the pan with the bacon fat. Fry until golden brown on both sides, about 5 minutes on each side – do this in batches if the pieces don't fit comfortably in the pan, refreshing the oil as needed. Remove the chicken to a large platter in a single layer to keep warm

Lower the heat to medium and add the minced shallots and garlic. Sauté until the shallots are translucent the the garlic is fragrant. Add the mushrooms, season with salt and pepper, and continue to sauté until they are nicely browned and their moisture has mostly evaporated, about 5 minutes.

Add the Marsala to the pan and boil down for a minute or two, until reduced by about 1/2. Add the chicken stock, cream, oregano, half the parsley, and thyme and simmer for a minute to reduce the sauce slightly. If desired, whisk in a bit of the arrowroot at a time to thicken up the sauce slightly

Stir in the butter, soy sauce, and lemon juice, and return the chicken to the pan; simmer gently for 1 minute to heat the chicken through

Taste, and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper as needed

Garnish with the rest of the chopped parsley

 
Chicken Piccata

Ingredients:
For the Dredge:
~2/3-1 C All-purpose flour
2 tsp Italian Herbs seasoning
2 tsp Lemon Pepper
1 tsp Garlic Powder
1/2 tsp Kosher Salt

For the Piccata:
3 skinless, boneless chicken breasts, butterflied and then cut in half
2 slices of Applewood thick-cut Bacon
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Juice of 1 large lemon
1/2 C chicken stock
1/4 C brined capers
1/4 C finely chopped shallots
3 TBS minced garlic
1/3 C fresh Italian flat-leaf parsley, chopped, divided
1 8 oz Jar Artichoke Hearts, drained (Optional)

Slices of fresh lemon for pan and garnish

Directions:
Slice the chicken breast into "butterfly" and then cut in half. Put the halves between sheets of plastic wrap and pound them flat with mallet, pan, rolling pin, etc., until they are about 1/4-inch thick

Chop the bacon into 1/4 inch segments

In a large skillet (or electric fry pan) over medium high heat, fry the bacon until mostly crisp. Remove to plate but retain the bacon fat in the skillet

Put the flour dredge ingredients into a large, shallow bowl or into a gallon zip top bag. Whisk or shake to combine

Add the flattened chicken breasts to the flour and shake/dredge until coated.

Add a tablespoon of butter and 2 tablespoons of olive oil to the bacon fat (there will be a lot less since this only used 2 strips). Add the coated chicken to the pan with the bacon fat. Fry until golden brown on both sides, about 5 minutes on each side – do this in batches if the pieces don't fit comfortably in the pan, refreshing the butter and oil as needed. Remove the chicken to a large platter in a single layer to keep warm

Lower the heat to medium and add the minced shallots and garlic. Sauté until the shallots are translucent the the garlic is fragrant.

Add the lemon juice into the pan, half the lemon slices, half the parsley, chicken stock, and capers with their brine. Bring to boil, scraping up brown bits from the pan for extra flavor. Add the Optional drained Artichoke hearts, and break up a bit with the spoon

Check for seasoning, and adjust with salt and lemon pepper as desired

Stir in 2 TBS cold cubed butter and whisk to emulsify.

Return all the chicken to the pan and simmer for 2-3 minutes.

To plate, pour sauce over chicken, making sure to get some capers and artichoke heart on each cutlet.

Garnish with parsley and a slice of lemon.

PLATING:
Place a portion of the noodles or zoodles on a heated plate. Top with the desired chicken and spoon some of the sauce over the top

!DEVOUR!