I was keeping my eyes peeled for a place called King’s Market. I had read about it and knew it would be one of those cool little grocery stores with a zillion interesting items. It was closed-going to have to ride my bike back once I find out the hours. We did find another place that was on my “keep your eyes peeled” list-Flowers Seafood. Just a little blue house along the side of the road-but oh me oh my-fresh shrimp. During the season they cook up a little low country boil that you can buy, but of course they weren’t cooking for another two weeks.
Not the usual campground picture, I used an app called Snapseed to jazz it up !
It’s been fairly busy, but we haven’t met a lot of people, I think the bad weather is keeping them inside. It was sunny for a bit yesterday and we took advantage and sat on the beach for a long time and walked and walked. Hailey loves it-she’s even picking up shells and dropping them at my feet.
Isn’t it funny how campgrounds can affect you-some make you feel so present and so lively while others can make you feel dreamy and introspective. The weather makes up for feelings too-I have discovered I enjoy walking the beach more when it’s cold than when it’s hot. I like being bundled up a little and I really like coming back to Ruby and having a hot chocolate. Okay, I’m rambling now-it’s this campground affecting me.
So when I’m stuck inside I tend to cook more and when the weather is bad I tend to cook stick to your rib meals. That’s exactly what I’ve done this week.
Four servings
If you can’t get Marsala, substitute dry sherry. I serve this with wide noodles, but it’s also
good with rice or orzo.
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 1 1/2 pounds ), cut in half crosswise
salt
freshly ground black pepper
8 to 10 ounces button mushrooms, stems trimmed and sliced
3 tablespoons (total) olive oil
4 tablespoons (total) unsalted butter
2 large cloves garlic, peeled and minced
about 1/3 cup flour
1/3 cup chicken stock or water
1 teaspoon corn starch
2/3 cup Marsala wine (preferably dry)
1 1/2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
1. Put the chicken pieces between two sheets of plastic wrap, or in a sturdy ziptop
freezer bag, and pound them with a rolling pin until they’re 1/2inch,thick. Put the pieces in
a bowl and season well with salt and pepper. Set aside.
2. In a wide skillet, melt 1 tablespoon of olive oil and 1 tablespoon of butter over high heat
until the butter starts to sizzle. Add the sliced mushrooms, season with salt and pepper, and
cook – stirring occasionally – until the mushrooms are seared and cooked through, 6 to 8
minutes. Add the garlic to the mushrooms during the lastminute of cooking.
3. Scrape the mushrooms onto a plate and wipe the pan clean with a paper towel to remove
any bits of garlic. (If not, those bits will burn when frying the chicken.)
4. To sauté the chicken, spread the flour onto a plate and dredge half of the chicken pieces in
the flour, shaking off most of the excess. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil and 1 tablespoon of
butter in the pan. Add chicken pieces so they are in a single layer; don’t crowd them in the
pan. (If you have a very large pan, you can sauté them all in one batch. But I use a 10inch/
23cm skillet, and do them in two batches.) Sauté the breasts, turning them over midway during cooking, until they are browned on each side. (They don’t need to be completely cooked through at this point.) When browned, remove the chicken pieces to a separate plate and heat another 1 tablespoon of oil and 1 tablespoon of butter in the pan, and sauté the rest of the chicken.
5. While the chicken is cooking. Stir the corn starch into the stock or water until it’s
completely dissolved, then mix it with the Marsala.
6. When the second batch of chicken is done and removed from the pan, pour about onethird
of the Marsala mixture into the pan, scraping the pan with a wooden or silicone spatula
to scrape up the browned bits, then add the rest of the Marsala mixture, as well as the
mushrooms and chicken pieces.
7. Cook the chicken and mushrooms with the sauce over medium heat, turning the chicken
pieces over occasionally, to make sure they’re wellbasted in the sauce, until the chicken is
cooked and the sauce has thickened, about 5 to 6 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in
another 1 tablespoons of butter, the balsamic vinegar, and chopped parsley. Taste the sauce
and season with more salt, if necessary.
Serving: Chicken Marsala is best served with warm, with wide noodles or another pasta.
Mashed potatoes would work well, too.
Jim loved it-it’s almost like the poultry version of beef stroganoff but better. And it definitely sticks to your ribs on cold nights. The recipe is another one by David Lebovitz-try it, it’s not difficult or complicated to make and I’m sure you will love it.
Another example of Snapseed-the creek that enters the ocean just up the beach from us
Well the rain has stopped so I’m putting my hiking boots on and hitting the beach. Happy Trails my friends and safe travels.
Thanks for the recipe... sounds delicious! And that shrimp looks "marvelous"!
ReplyDeleteHope you enjoy it! We will be picking up some more shrimp before we leave!
Delete
ReplyDeleteSouth Carolina has beautiful State Parks on the beach! Hunting Island and Edisto Islands have beautiful campgrounds.
On your way north, there is a beautiful place to see in Charleston. It is called The Angel Oak Tree--a mammoth live oak in excess of 400-500 years old and stands 67 feet tall and measures 28 feet in circumference. From tip to tip it’s longest branch distance is 187 feet and produces shade that covers 17,200 square feet! It is an absolute must see for anyone who likes to marvel at what nature can do. Last year ended a six year fight to save the area from developers who wanted to build 600 apartments plus retail space on the rural site. James Island County Park is a beautiful county campground--with an off leash dog park!
Another beautiful State Park is at Huntington Beach State Park close to Myrtle Beach. It is one of our favorites! They have Atalaya there which is the picturesque, Moorish-style winter home of Archer and Anna Hyatt Huntington, philanthropist and sculptor who left the park and adjacent Boorkgreen Gardens as their legacy. They have beautiful nature walks in the state parks. If you want to see some absolutely beautiful wildlife pictures, visit: http://phillanoue.com/ His pictures are amazing and AWESOME!!
Two seafood places near Huntington Beach are in Murrells Inlet Seafood and Seven Seas Seafood Market. We always stop to get our seafood there.
I enjoy reading about your travels.