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Finding the Forgotten Feast

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Turkey Marsala

turkey marsala recipe on the plate
Photo by Holly A. Heyser

I miss Marsala. I ate it a lot in restaurants while growing up, usually with thin veal cutlets. When veal went out of fashion, I ate it with chicken. And when Holly brought home a wild turkey, I decided to make turkey marsala with the breast meat. This recipe also works really well with pheasant or chicken breasts.

A classic Marsala requires Marsala wine (duh!), which you can get in most liquor stores. There is no substitute, although I suppose you could use Madeira or or a white Port.

It also requires mushrooms, of whatever sort you can obtain. I used hedgehog mushrooms in the picture above, but I’ve used all sorts of mushrooms for this over the years. Other than that, the only trick is to have thin cutlets.

Here’s how: If you are using turkey, use the thinner portion of the turkey breast – the part farthest from the wishbone. Why? It’s thinner. If you use the portion closer to the wishbone, you will need to slice the breast in half width-wise to get a thin enough piece to start pounding. You use whole chicken, pheasant or grouse breasts.

Cut portion-sized pieces and place one in between sheets of wax paper. Using medium force — about what you’d exert knocking on someone’s front door — pound the turkey breast with a rubber mallet, meat pounder, or even an empty wine bottle.

How thin? Depends on your preference. Restaurants serve Marsala very thin, but I like it less mashed, unless I am dealing with a very old bird; you’ll know by the spurs on its feet: if they’re long, it’s an old bird.

Serve your turkey marsala with smashed potatoes, white rice or crusty bread, and maybe a salad or something green. A medium-bodied red wine is a perfect accompaniment.

turkey marsala recipe on the plate
Print Recipe
5 from 2 votes

Turkey Marsala

This recipe works with any light meat cutlet: chicken, veal, pork, pheasant, you name it. Any mushroom will work, but I like to use whatever wild one is in season at that moment. 
Prep Time20 mins
Cook Time15 mins
Total Time35 mins
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Italian
Servings: 4 people
Calories: 339kcal
Author: Hank Shaw

Ingredients

  • 3/4 to 1 pound of skinless turkey breast
  • Salt
  • 1 cup flour
  • 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, finely chopped
  • 2 smashed cloves of garlic
  • 1 pound chopped fresh mushrooms any kind
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1/2 cup Marsala wine
  • 1/2 cup chicken, turkey or wild game stock
  • Parsley for garnish

Instructions

  • Once the turkey or pheasant breast has been pounded, salt it well and set aside until it comes to room temperature, about 15 minutes.
  • In a large saute pan, heat the butter and olive oil over medium-high heat until the butter froths. Add the smashed garlic and turn the heat to medium-low. Meanwhile, dredge the turkey in flour.
  • By now the garlic should be browned. Do not let it burn! Remove it and add the turkey or pheasant cutlets. Turn the heat to medium and fry gently. Don't kick the spurs to it, or the breading will burn. After 2-3 minutes, depending on how thin you pounded the cutlets, flip and cook another 1-2 minutes.
  • When the meat is cooked, remove it to a paper towel. Turn the heat to high and add the mushrooms. Saute these until they begin to brown, about 4-5 minutes. Add the Marsala, rosemary and the stock. If there are any burned bits on the bottom of the pan, scrape them up with a wooden spoon. Let this boil down until it gets syrupy, which should take 2-4 minutes. As soon as it gets syrupy, put the cutlets back in the pan and swirl around to coat. Turn over and do the same on the other side. Serve at once.

Nutrition

Calories: 339kcal | Carbohydrates: 32g | Protein: 13g | Fat: 15g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Cholesterol: 33mg | Sodium: 74mg | Potassium: 434mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 190IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 11mg | Iron: 2mg
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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Avatar for Barney EwingBarney Ewing says

    February 6, 2015 at 6:01 pm

    Hank
    I made this tonight with a wild turkey breast from last spring, served it with colcannon.
    I’m nearly speechless right now, as are my guests.
    Thanks
    Barn

    Reply
  2. Avatar for Ron lentzRon lentz says

    December 22, 2014 at 6:10 pm

    Just made it tonight with pheasant that I aged 3 days before cleaning and butchering. My girlfriend stabbed me in the heart with her comments. She said she liked it better than duck! I have to admit, it was delicious but better than duck? Ugh. I used button mushrooms because that’s what I had. But I made my own pheasant stock and the rest of the recipe was exactly as written. Thank you Hank. Another great success based on your sharing what you know.

    Reply
  3. Avatar for Eric ReinertsonEric Reinertson says

    June 30, 2014 at 4:09 pm

    Great recipe but you made me guess when to add the rosemary. I added it with the Marsala & stock. Did I guess right? Tasted great anyway…

    Reply
    • Avatar for Hank ShawHank Shaw says

      June 30, 2014 at 4:13 pm

      Oops! Yes, you guessed right. I fixed it in the recipe. Thanks!

      Reply

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Hank Shaw holding a rod and reel in the American River

Hi, my name is Hank Shaw; I’m a James Beard Award-winning author and chef. I started this site back in 2007 to help you get the most out of all things wild: fish, game, edible wild plants and mushrooms. I also write cookbooks, have a website dedicated to the intersection of food and nature, and do a podcast, too. If it’s wild, you’ll find it here. Hope you enjoy the site!

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