1½ pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts, pounded 1/4-1/2 inch thick
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon olive oil
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
1 (8-oz) package pre-sliced bella or button mushrooms, rinsed
1 medium shallot, minced
4 cloves garlic, minced
⅔ cup chicken broth
⅔ cup dry Marsala wine
⅔ cup heavy cream
4 sprigs of thyme, bound with butchers twine
2 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley, for serving (optional)

1 ½ pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts, pounded 1/4-1/2 inch thick 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour 1 tablespoon olive oil 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided 1 (8-oz) package pre-sliced bella or button mushrooms, rinsed 1 medium shallot, minced 4 cloves garlic, minced 4 sprigs of thyme, bound with butchers twine 2 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley, for serving (optional)

1. Place the flour, 2 large pinches of salt, and plenty of ground black pepper in a Ziploc bag.

2. Add the chicken to the bag; seal bag tightly with enough air for the chicken to move, and shake to coat chicken evenly. Set aside.

3. Heat the oil and 2 tablespoons of the butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. (Use a stainless steel pan or a well-heated cast-iron for the best browning. Nonstick will work too, but you won’t get that nice golden color on the chicken.)

4. Place the flour-dusted chicken in the pan, shaking off any excess first, and cook, turning once, until the chicken is golden and just barely cooked through, about 5 to 6 minutes total. Transfer the chicken to a plate and set aside.

5. Melt the remaining tablespoon of butter in the pan. Add the mushrooms and cook, stirring frequently, until the mushrooms begin to brown, 3 to 4 minutes.

6. Add the shallots, garlic, and a pinch of salt; cook for 1 to 2 minutes more.

7. Add the broth, Marsala, heavy cream, thyme, another pinch of salt, and a few more grinds of pepper; use a wooden spoon to scrape any brown bits from the pan into the liquid.

8. Bring the liquid to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium and gently boil, uncovered, until the sauce is reduced by about half, slightly thickened, and darkened in color, 10 to 15 minutes (you’re going for a thin cream sauce; it won’t start to thicken until the very end of the cooking time).

9. Add the chicken back to the pan, along with any juices that accumulated on the plate. Reduce the heat to low and simmer until the chicken is warmed through and the sauce thickens a bit more, 2 to 3 minutes. Serve, and sprinkle with parsley, if using.