East Aurora Advertiser

Column: Cooking with Hasselback: Marsala



Whenever I think of chicken Marsala, I fondly remember an evening spent with Frank Busseri and his wife Eva. Frank is one of the original Four Lads, a male vocal group from the 1950s and on. They had many million-selling tunes and traveled on tours extensively. My husband, John, began working with them in the 1980s and we have been fast friends ever since.

Frank has cooked chicken Marsala for us several times at his home, but this particular evening he was the guest chef at our house. Being an excellent cook, his dishes were prepared in the traditional Italian method, for the most part. He used all the traditional ingredients, but in different proportions than do most people. For example, he insisted on a really good bottle of dry Marsala and he used probably two-thirds of the bottle. He felt that this is no place to economize. There was very little left in the bottle after he finished and he also used an extra amount of garlic, which was Eva’s job to peel, chop and mince. She pretty much stands and chops garlic at the counter while Frank does the mushrooms, the chicken pounding, and the traditional dredge in flour. My job was to dash around in the kitchen getting things that Frank needed for cooking, while my husband John would tend to drinks and music. I usually put a salad together beforehand, so we were all set once the Marsala was ready. It is the very best when served immediately.

Frank liked to serve the dish with angel hair pasta and always made sure there was plenty of sauce. He always said to set the timer for three minutes and take the pasta out of the heavily salted water as soon as the bell rings. His sauce was so good that particular night, and when I saw that there was some sauce leftover in the pan, I put it in a freezer baggie, flattened it out and froze it. From that night, every time I make the Marsala sauce myself, I chip off just a tiny piece of Frank’s sauce to help me get that very same flavor by manipulating the proportions of the ingredients. I just keep adding some of this, some of that, until I get a flavor closer to his. 

Frank passed away a few years ago and I treasure that little bag of leftover sauce in my freezer. Sometimes when I go to a restaurant, I think to order chicken or veal Marsala, but I know it’s not going to be as good as Frank’s, so I can’t bring myself to do it.


Music icon Frank Busseri, a founding member of the popular 50’s/60’s group The Four Lads, creates his own version of chicken Marsala in Carol’s kitchen during a visit to East Aurora a few years ago. Submitted image

The following is a pretty traditional method for chicken or veal Marsala, but with a bit of Frank’s flair. As always, experiment with ingredient amounts to suit your family’s taste preference. Most of all, have fun.

You will need angel hair pasta, chicken breasts (or veal cutlets), shallots, mushrooms, butter, olive oil, garlic, flour, chicken stock, Marsala wine, fresh parsley, salt and pepper.

Peel and dice 2 to 3 shallots. Sauté for a few minutes in equal parts olive oil and butter.

Prepare about 1/3 pound, or a small carton, of mushrooms – baby Bella or button mushrooms are fine. Wipe them clean with a paper or cloth towel and slice. Add them to the shallots to cook for about five minutes. Remove the mushrooms and shallots from the pan and set them aside.

In a separate pan, sauté the garlic in butter, taking care not to overcook. I think Frank did the garlic in a separate pan so it would not be burnt and bitter.

Use a chicken breast per person, or two if they are small. Place breasts one at a time between plastic wrap and pound to a thickness of about 1/2 inch using a rolling pin or kitchen mallet. Season each breast with salt and pepper, then dredge in flour. Sauté on both sides in the pan used for the mushrooms and shallots. The chicken will cook quickly because it is pounded fairly thin. Do not overcook, when the chicken is golden brown, remove it from the pan and place it on a covered plate to keep it warm.

In the same sauté pan, add at least 2 cups of Marsala wine (Frank used more) to deglaze the pan and reduce to about half the volume of liquid. Add about 3/4 cup of chicken stock. Simmer until the liquid reduces to the desired thickness. Return the chicken, mushrooms and shallots to the pan and add the sautéed garlic. Simmer for a few minutes to warm.

Serve with a chopped parsley garnish over angel hair pasta which has been cooked in liberally salted boiling water for three minutes.

I love the idea of cooking with another person or in a small group. It is a wonderful activity to bind a friendship. It makes the meal so special and creates memories that will last forever.

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East Aurora/Elma writer, Carol Moore Hasselback can be reached at carolmhass@aol.com. She welcomes your questions or comments.

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