Made with fruity Marsala wine, a Marsala sauce works in several dishes, but the classic use is on top of chicken or veal. You can also use it for pastas or other meat or fish dishes. There are various ways to prepare Marsala sauce, but most meat dishes require the meat to be seared, then removed from the pan. The sauce is cooked in the pan with the meat juices. The sauce usually thickens during the cooking process, but sometimes you may find your sauce is too thin and watery. Thickening the Marsala sauce is a simple, straightforward process.
When the Marsala sauce has begun to boil, reduce the heat to medium and simmer it. The liquid should reduce by one-half.
Combine 1 teaspoon of cornstarch with 1 teaspoon of water in a small bowl for each 1 cup of sauce. Stir well to combine the cornstarch and water.
Pour the cornstarch mixture into the sauce slowly, and stir. Turn up the heat to medium-high, and when the sauce is about to boil, reduce the heat and let the sauce simmer for 2 to 3 minutes until it has thickened.
Tip
You can use regular flour, but it won't thicken the sauce as much. Season the sauce after you've added the cornstarch and it is simmering.
Warning
Do not overcook the sauce, as it will reverse the effect of the cornstarch.
References
- The Cook's Bible: The Best of American Home Cooking; Christopher Kimball
- RecipeTips.com: Marsala Sauce
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Jessica Davis has been a professional writer since 2005. She has worked in various media outlets, writing for a bricklaying trade publication, several research companies and her favorite: a major entertainment company in Washington where she produced scripts and online content. Davis earned a bachelor's degree in print journalism.