Chicken marsala with Pecorino mashed potatoes

Roughly dice the potatoes into centimetre cubes; they need not be uniform.

Cover with a minimal amount of water and bring to a simmer, not a boil; simmering gives a less gluey mash and small pieces cook faster.

Prep the garlic, shallot, mushrooms and chopped parsley; keep the garlic and shallot fine so the sauce stays smooth.

Simmer until very fork tender, not quite half an hour. Drain, saving the boil water.

Back on the heat, melt a big knob of butter in the pot, add half the garlic and cook a little.

Give the potatoes a preliminary mash with a little of the potato water, then pass through a sieve with a wooden spoon for a smooth mash.

Grate in Pecorino, stir in an egg yolk, and salt to taste. Microwave for a minute just before serving.

Remove the tenderloin from the chicken breast and slice the breast into three thin scallopini.

Cover and pound lightly, flattening only the thicker ends; pound the tenderloin more. Use the knife, not the mallet, to get them thin.

Season with pepper and salt on both sides and coat all surfaces in flour.

Heat the widest pan very hot with olive oil until shimmering and starting to smoke. Cook the chicken, thickest piece in the middle, until golden and releasing on the first side, then until the second side looks cooked, about four minutes in all; set aside.

Cook the mushrooms until they get some colour and noticeably shrink, adding oil if the pan seems dry.

Add the shallots for a minute until a little soft, then the rest of the garlic for 30 seconds.

Kill the flame, add dry marsala, then return to the heat and reduce while scraping the bottom clean until syrupy.

Add some potato water and reduce again until just starting to look syrupy.

Off the heat, gently melt in about half a stick of butter so the sauce thickens.

Return the chicken with the parsley, toss together and rewarm; hold over low heat until ready.

Plate the mash with two chicken pieces each and flood the plate with the sauce.