Chicken Marsala

Prepare the chicken - Pat the chicken dry with paper towels. Slice each breast in half horizontally, forming 4 chicken breast cutlets. Place between two large pieces of parchment paper and pound lightly to 1/4-inch thickness using a meat mallet or rolling pin. (Skip this step if using cutlets.) Remove the top sheet of parchment and transfer the chicken on the bottom piece of parchment to a large baking sheet.

Dredge the chicken - Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Place 1/4 cup flour in a shallow bowl. Scatter and dust both sides of each chicken cutlet with flour. Shake off any excess and transfer to a new piece of parchment. Roll up the flour-covered parchment and throw it away.

Cook the chicken - Set a large, preferably 12-inch cast-iron skillet or similar pan over medium-high heat. Add 2 tablespoons oil and 1 tablespoon butter. Once the butter has melted, add the chicken cutlets to the pan in a single layer. Cook until golden brown, about 4 minutes, then flip and cook 4 more minutes. Transfer to a serving plate and cover with foil.

Cook the vegetables and make the sauce - Add the remaining 1 tablespoon oil and the mushrooms to the pan and cook, stirring occasionally until golden brown, about 4 minutes. Add the garlic and the remaining 1 tablespoon of flour and cook until the garlic is fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the Marsala and simmer until reduced by half, about 1 minute, scraping up any browned bits from the pan. Add the broth and thyme and cook until slightly thickened, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the remaining tablespoon of butter and swirl to melt and combine. Remove from the heat.

Sauce the chicken and serve - Add the chicken back to the pan and spoon the sauce over, or pour the sauce over the chicken on its platter. Garnish with parsley, if using, and serve.