Chicken Marsala with Mushroom Risotto

After buying a bottle of marsala wine to make my tiramisu and obviously I know wouldn't be using the whole bottle to make the tiramisu so I started to look for recipes to use up the remaining marsala wine. And if you Google marsala wine, the first food will definitely be Chicken Marsala but please do not be confused with the Indian Chicken Masala. This Chicken Marsala is nothing India about it but Italian.

And being myself, I would never allow myself to cook just the chicken without whipping out something to go with it and what is more Italian then a risotto. Found a recipe from my favorite chef, Gordon Ramsay and make some modification to it to suit what I have in my pantry to come out with my version of the Mushroom Risotto.

Recipes (serve 4)

For the Chicken Marsala 

1/4 cup       plain flour
1/2 tsp        salt
1/4 tsp        ground black pepper
1/2 tsp        dried oregano
4                 skinless chicken breast
4 tbsp         butter
4 tbsp          olive oil
1 cup          slice mushroom ( I use portabella)
1/2 cup       marsala wine
1/2 cup       chicken stock
few sprig of fresh oregano
2 clove of garlic, un-peel but smashed lightly

Method

• Mix the flour, salt, pepper and dried oregano together 
• Pound the chicken breast to ensure even thickness
• Coat the chicken in the seasoned flour
• Melt butter in the olive oil and add in the chicken
• Pan fry till lightly brown, turn over, add mushroom, fresh oregano, garlic
• Pour in Marsala wine, be careful as it will flambe. 
• Add in chicken stock 
• Cover and simmer for about 5 min 
• Remove chicken and set aside
• Deglaze the pan with a little more marsala, about 1/2 cup. Reduce to a syrup like sauce. 

Mushroom risotto 

1 large     shallot (finely chopped)
2 clove    garlic (finely chopped)

4 tbsp      olive oil

200g        baby portabella mushrooms

280g        arborio rice (I use carnaroli but any kind will do)

1/2 cup    dry white wine

4 cups      low sodium chicken broth

1 tbsp       fresh basil

1 tbsp       fresh parsley 

2 tbsp       marcarpone cheese

3 tbsp       freshly grated parmesan

Sea salt and pepper to season 

Method 

• In a large sauce pan, sweat the shallot and garlic in the olive oil in low heat for about 3 to 4 minutes
• In a separate saucepan, heat the chicken broth. 
• Add in the mushrooms and saute for a further 5 minutes until the mushroom softened, stirring frequently 
• Stir in the rice and cook for another min or 2. Add the wine and stir. Cook until all the liquid is absorbed, stirring frequently 
• Gradually add the broth over the next 15 minutes, adding more as each amount is absorbed by the rice. This will help to give a creamy texture.Keep stirring frequently. 
• When the rice is al dente (a little resistance in the middle when you bite in), add the herbs, taste check and stir in the cheeses. 
• The risotto can be serve alone with fresh shaved parmesan too.  

To finish the dish, simply serve the chicken on a bed of mushroom risotto and ppour some of the sauce over the chicken and around the plate.

Tiramisu with edible soil (Recipes adapted from Heston Blumenthal, How to cook like Heston)

Plant or dessert?? Was watching how to cook like Heston on Youtube when I came across him making this interesting version of tiramisu, you can also watch his video right here. Hence I decided to take up this challenge and make one myself. It may seen like alot of work but if you get all your ingredient ready, it isn't all that hard at all.

Recipes (makes about 6 to 8 small flower pot)

For the crystallized dark chocolate

200g      white castor sugar
80g        dark chocolate, roughly chopped

For the caramelized grape nuts 

50g          grape nuts cereal (I use macadamia nuts, you can use any nuts)
1/4tsp      salt
15g          brown sugar






To finish the soil

60g          white chocolate
20g          cocoa powder
1/2 tsp     salt
60ml        hazelnut oil (I use macadamia nuts oil)
caramelized grape nuts
crystallized dark chocolate

For dark chocolate layer

200g       dark chocolate

For the marsala cream 

3          eggs
50g      castor sugar
300g    mascarpone
200ml  whipping cream
60ml    Marsala
1.5g    leaf gelatine, softened in a little cold water. (I use gelatine powder)

For the sponge fingers

24          sponge finger
150ml    ground coffee brewed in 400ml water
100ml    Marsala

To serve 

Basil and mint leaves to garnish

Method

• For the crystallized dark chocolate, put 75ml cold tap water and sugar into a saucepan and place over high heat. Bring to a boil and continue to heat until liquid reach 135 degree C or syrup at the side of pan begins to colour.

• Remove from the heat and immediately add the chopped chocolate. Whisk to incorporate and whisk until the liquid has completely crystallized.  

• Pour crystal onto a baking tray to cool. This can be kept in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 1 month.

• To caramelize the Grape nuts, place them in a frying pan over a high heat and allow to toast for about 4 min, shaking the pan from time to time. Add salt and continue to toast for another min. 

• Sprinkle the sugar over the surface of the nuts and stir until surface of nuts is well caramelized. 

• Pour the nuts on to a parchment line baking tray to cool to room temperature.

• To caramelize the white chocolate, preheat the oven to 190 degree C. Place the white chocolate on a parchment lined baking tray and place in oven for 15 min. After the first 5 min, begin to stir the chocolate every couple of minutes until fully caramelized. 

• Mix the crystallized dark chocolate, caramelized white chocolate with the cocoa powder and caramelized nut then add the salt and the hazelnut oil. 

• to make the dark chocolate layers, break the chocolate into pieces and melt in in a bowl over a saucepan of simmering water.

• Pour the melted chocolate over 2 sheet of acetate and place another sheet of acetate over each sheet. Then place a heavy chopping board on top to create a thin layer and place in freezer for 10 min. 

• Using a pastry cutter the size of the inside of the flower pots, cut out 18 discs (You will need 3 discs per pot)

• For the marsala cream, whisk the egg and sugar til light and fluffy.

• In another bowl, whisk the marcapone, whipping cream and marsala until soft peaks form. Fold the cream mixture into the egg mixture in a few addition.

• Place 5 tblsp of the cream mixture in a small sucepan and squeeze out excess water. Add to the pan and warm till just enough to melt the gelatine. Whisk this mixture back into the bulk of the marsala cream. 

• Place all the sponge finger in a flat tray. Mix the coffee and marsala. Drizzle some on top and allow to soak for about 1 min. Turn over the finger and drizzle the remaining coffee mixture over. 

• To assemble, place a disc on the bottom of each pot, add some sponge finger, marsala cream. Place another chocolate disc on top then some more marsala cream, another chocolate disc on top and top with a final layer of marsala cream. Chill in fridge for at least 2 hours 

• Sprinkle the soil on top of each tiramisu flower pot to cover the surface. 

• "plant" the basil or mint leave on top and serve!!