Trifter

Many of the dishes that use Marsala Wine will use it as a component of the sauce that will accompany the dish itself. Typically; if only being used as a sauce ingredient, the pan juices left over from the preparation and first round of cooking of the rest of the ingredients of the dish will be retained for use alongside Marsala Wine.

Marsala Wine Origins

Marsala Wine is a sweet or dry fortified wine (16% to 20%) of a deep shade of amber to dark red color with a very complex aroma that is produced in the region surrounding the Italian city of Marsala in on the island of Sicily.

Marsala Wine Types and Varieties

Marsala Wine comes in two basic types; Sweet Marsala Wine and Dry Marsala Wine.

Each type is available in a number of different varieties which are by convention classified based on the minimum length of time for which each particular variety of Marsala Wine has been aged. The length of time for which each variety of Marsala Wine is aged is as follows:

• Fine is typically aged for less than 1 year
• Other varieties such as Vergine e/o Soleras Stravecchio e Vergine e/o Soleras Riserva are aged for at least 10 years.

Marsala Wine Uses

Marsala Wine has long been a favorite in French and Italian cooking. In the United States Marsala Wine has long been used by Italian restaurants where it is widely used in both Veal Marsala and Chicken Marsala.

Marsala Wine-based dishes generally demand that whatever the meat being used it must be coated in flour before being braised in a mixture of Marsala Wine, butter, olive oil, mushrooms, and spices. Additionally; in the case of Chicken Marsala, the chicken breasts halves will usually be pounded prior to being coated in flour.

Marsala Wine Cooking Techniques

Reduction – These sauces are generally based around reduction cooking techniques (i.e. simmering the sauce to evaporate off much of the initial water in order to often produce a rather thick syrupy sauce).

Marinade – Marsala Wine is also often used as a component of the marinade for those Marsala recipes that require marinating for any length of time.

Substitution – Yet another use for Marsala Wine in cooking that is particularly popular today is to substitute Marsala wine in dishes that call for the use of red wine (port for example) in general.

Final Cooking Stage – With the rest of the dish 99% cooked and still in the pan Marsala Wine may be added to the dish, gently stirred in and allowed to simmer for about 4 minutes with occasional stir to prevent the sauce and other ingredients from sticking to the bottom and sides of the pan. This a technique used most often whenever the meat is dusted with flour.

Marsala Wine Sauces

Preparation of a Marsala Wine-based sauce involves the reduction of the Marsala Wine with onions, shallots and a little garlic to a nearly syrupy state.

Only then are the mushrooms, pepper, Italian seasoning and various herbs added to the mix.

Marsala Wine Recipes

Other recipes that incorporate Marsala wine include:

Chicken Marsala, Lamb Marsala, Risottos, Veal Marsala, Veal Scaloppini, and numerous rich Italian desserts to name but a few