I searched for Sicilian marsala in the hope that I could cook marsala chicken authentically, but ultimately gave up. My bank manager was delighted, as the real deal does not come cheap.

One-pan chicken dishes are a delight to cook, and to eat. Think of Florentine chicken, a French-Italian hybrid of chicken breasts simmered with spinach in a creamy sauce, and finished with parmesan.

Marsala chicken is Italian-Sicilian and one of many variations of a scallopine dish -- thinly sliced chicken, veal or other meat that is first dredged in flour, then cooked in melted butter to which a cream sauce is added, and simmered until tender.

Marsala chicken is finished with marsala, the famed fortified drink from the region around the city of that name in Sicily. Brandy is added to the wine during fermentation, which adds complexity and the mystery that tantalises the palate when we taste something unusual.

Of course you can make this with actual marsala, if you are better than I am at sourcing it. But what to do in the absence of the coveted marsala? I had two options: wait for another day, after ordering marsala online, or go ahead and figure out a crafty cheat.

Being South African, the idea of a cheat version was obviously appealing, so I checked my liquor stocks and spotted a bottle of dry sherry. I always have a...