I suspect that the foaming may have been from store-bought stock, but it's hard to say. I also can't say whether or not you reduced the Marsala enough. It should reduce by at least half before you add the stock. Simmering (rather than boiling) will also help the sauce to reduce gently and would likely prevent any foaming. You might find it helpful to review the lesson on Pan Sauces in the Cooking School. Cheers!

You could but you need to make sure you form some good sucs before taking the breasts out of the pan. And, since the pieces are small, they can quickly overcook. It is better to set them aside and make the pan sauce as they rest. They can finish cooking when you incorporate them back into the sauce. One thing you can do ahead of time so the chicken isn't sitting for longer than it needs to is to reduce the stock by half in a separate pot. That way, you won't have to wait for it to reduce in the pan as you are making the sauce. Also, if you haven't done so, the lesson on Pan Sauces in the Cooking School has plenty of information on putting these types of sauces together. Cheers!

@Kimberly

I believe it is from the store bought stock, it lacked that gelatin look from the homemade stock. I also still had the heat on medium/medium high so that was probably contributing to the foam as well.

I called a couple meat markets nearby and will attempt to make my own stock this upcoming weekend! Thanks!

I was wondering if boneless chicken thighs could be mixed with chicken breasts? I am finding that since I now buy whole chicken instead of individual parts for the stock making process, that I am accumulating too many chicken thighs in my freezer.

Thanks

Sure, you can. It will, of course, be different but thighs can be deboned, pounded into an even thickness and pan fried. Try it out and see if you like it. You can also try making other dishes that require thighs - there are many recipes on the site. Just search for "thigh" in the search bar and you will find plenty of results/ideas. Cheers!

Thank you.

I decided to try this recipe with 2 chicken breasts & 2 chicken thighs. The chicken breasts definatley looked better. They were more symmetrical and loftier. However, I did get a darker/more appealing sear with the chicken thighs. For a casual home dinner, I think the thighs are just fine. However, if I were entertaining, I would only use the breasts for this recipe.

I was surprised that I liked this dish as much as I did. In general, I am not a fan of Marsala wine. I purchased an inexpensive ($8.00) California brand that I did not find very palatable -- but the salesperson at Whole Foods market, as well as my husband, assured me that it was. Somehow, the flavors came together in the pan sauce.

I will definitely make this again!

Great job experimenting! Yes, the thighs because of the darker meat won't look as pretty. Glad you tried it out to see for yourself. Cheers!

I like how it says 'simple' 'easy' and '20 minutes.' I had none of these as it was 5pm when I started, went to the local market to pick up ingredients, came home, and when through the process having already gone through the video lesson and reviewed. It was 9pm when I was finished and sat down to enjoy this wonderful meal. The main things I struggled with is how long the meat took to cook (I cut the breasts in half but they were probably still too thick - can I cut them laterally so they are thinner too and still get sucs?) and the longest was the process of building the sauce as reducing took so long I swore I would go out and buy a kitchen stool tomorrow. I didn't want to turn up the heat too much and used the 'bubbly' appearance that I saw in the video. The result was wonderful, but that '20 minutes' is really something I would like to achieve someday... not going to happen while I am learning though.

Thank You Rouxbe, I will make this meal again and again.

First off, let me say congratulations on what sounds like a successful dinner. Take a moment and realize that you have already come a long way Ken.

Now, as for the dinner taking you longer than the recipe called for. First off, the time on a recipe is almost always an approximation. There are so many variables to consider. Obviously the more one makes a dish or the more skilled they are in the kitchen the quicker they will be. The same goes for all of us really. For example, today I made some dolmades and it was the first time I had done so. The first batch took me considerably longer than the second batch that I made. Even though both batches had different flavorings etc. I was just more comfortable with the process, after already making them once. You get into a rhythm.

As for whether or not you can cut the chicken smaller. Almost always the answer to this question will be yes. There are less rules in the kitchen than you may think Ken. Don't be afraid to try things out. Experiment next time with smaller or thinner pieces. This chicken for instance, is very thin (it's the one from the marinating lesson).

Now, as for the sauce taking a long time to reduce, this will depend on how reduced it was to begin with. If it was still quite liquidy then yes, it will take longer to reduce. Again, don't be afraid to turn the heat up a bit. Just keep an eye on it. Alternatively, you can reduce some of your stock in advance and save it for making quick sauces.

Hope this helps. Cheers!

Thank you Dawn, I am encouraged to try it again, with adjustments as you recommend. I did order a nice comfortable kitchen stool however as I have much more learning to do.