Pollo alla Marsala — Butter-Mounted Marsala, Mushrooms, Golden Chicken

Place each chicken breast between two sheets of plastic wrap and pound to about 1.5 cm even thickness. Season well with salt and black pepper on both sides.

Spread the flour on a plate. Dredge each breast lightly in flour, pressing to adhere, then shake off all excess. The coating should be thin, not caked.

Heat the olive oil and 15g of the butter in a large, heavy skillet over medium-high heat. When the butter finishes foaming, lay in the chicken and sear 3–4 minutes per side until deeply golden. Transfer to a plate — the centres will still be pink. Do not overcrowd; work in batches if needed.

Reduce heat to medium. In the same pan, add the shallots and cook 2 minutes until softened and starting to turn translucent.

Add the garlic and cremini mushrooms. Cook 5–6 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the mushrooms release their moisture and begin to brown at the edges.

Raise heat to high. Pour in the dry Marsala — it should sizzle hard immediately. Using a wooden spoon, scrape up all the browned fond from the pan bottom. Reduce the Marsala by half, about 3–4 minutes.

Add the chicken stock and thyme sprigs. Return the chicken and any resting juices to the pan. Simmer on medium, spooning sauce over the breasts occasionally, until the chicken reaches 74°C at the thickest point and the sauce coats a spoon, about 8–10 minutes.

Transfer the chicken to a warm serving plate. Remove the thyme sprigs. Take the pan fully off the heat and add the remaining cold butter cubes a few at a time, swirling or whisking constantly until the sauce is glossy and emulsified.

Spoon the mushroom sauce over the chicken, scatter the chopped parsley on top, and serve immediately.