This is a historical recipe that was served to Napoleon
Bonaparte on 14 June 1800, after the battle of Marengo
(Piedmont - Italy). The story is that the French troops were
cut off from their supplies. So the cooks had to improvise
with what food was available nearby. Napoleon liked this
dish so much that he wanted it served before every battle.
Most versions of this dish use tomatoes, mushrooms and
chicken. Other ingredients vary: cognac, white wine,
croutons, fried egg and even crayfish.
Whether Napoleon also had tomatoes on his plate is
doubtful. This product was not yet very popular as a
foodstuff at that time.
Usually, chicken Marengo is prepared as a stew. In this
version, the chicken is fried and the Marengo sauce is
prepared separately.
chicken Marengo
ingredients - info
boneless chicken legs
mushrooms
tomato puree
tomatoes
onions
stale bread
salt and pepper
thyme
rosemary
(truffle powder)
oregano
marjoram
allspice d'Espelette
white wine
cognac
chicken stock
olive oil
butter
plain flour
parsley
eggs
spring onions
Battle of Marengo - Louis-François Lejeune (1775-1848)
Spray the chicken legs with olive oil. Season with pepper, salt
and dried oregano. Place the meat in an oven dish with sprigs
of thyme and rosemary. Put the dish in an oven pre-heated to
200°C for 30 minutes. Now pour in a glass of white wine,
cover the dish with foil and cook for another 15 minutes at
185°C.
In the meantime, prepare the Marengo sauce. Cut a few
onions into half-moons and crush a few cloves of peeled
garlic. Fry both in some olive oil until the onions turn glassy.
Add half a litre of chicken stock, a couple of tablespoons of
tomato puree and a glass of white wine. Mix everything
together and let the sauce simmer for 15 minutes. Season with
pepper, salt and a pinch of allspice d'Espelette. Thicken the
sauce with a few tablespoons of maize starch dissolved in
white wine. Later, before serving, add a good splash of
cognac.
Cut a few large chestnut mushrooms into slices, spray them
with olive oil and fry them briefly over a high heat. Season with
pepper, dried parsley and, if available, truffle powder.
Peel a few tomatoes with a vegetable peeler, cut them into
slices and remove the seeds. Spray with olive oil, season with
dried marjoram and fry on both sides in a griddle pan.
Remove the crust from a few thick slices of farm bread and cut
them into croutons. Fry the croutons in olive oil. Make one
fried egg per plate and season with salt and pepper.
On the plate. A few spoonfuls of sauce topped with the fried
tomatoes, a few pieces of chicken, a handful of croutons, a
spoonful of fried mushrooms, a fried egg. Finish off with a
chopped spring onion.
This is a historical recipe that was served
to Napoleon Bonaparte on 14 June 1800,
after the battle of Marengo (Piedmont -
Italy). The story is that the French troops
were cut off from their supplies. So the
cooks had to improvise with what food
was available nearby. Napoleon liked this
dish so much that he wanted it served
before every battle.
Most versions of this dish use tomatoes,
mushrooms and chicken. Other
ingredients vary: cognac, white wine,
croutons, fried egg and even crayfish.
Whether Napoleon also had tomatoes on
his plate is doubtful. This product was not
yet very popular as a foodstuff at that time.
Usually, chicken Marengo is prepared as a
stew. In this version, the chicken is fried
and the Marengo sauce is prepared
separately.
chicken Marengo
Spray the chicken legs with olive oil. Season
with pepper, salt and dried oregano. Place the
meat in an oven dish with sprigs of thyme and
rosemary. Put the dish in an oven pre-heated
to 200°C for 30 minutes. Now pour in a glass of
white wine, cover the dish with foil and cook for
another 15 minutes at 185°C.
In the meantime, prepare the Marengo sauce.
Cut a few onions into half-moons and crush a
few cloves of peeled garlic. Fry both in some
olive oil until the onions turn glassy. Add half a
litre of chicken stock, a couple of tablespoons
of tomato puree and a glass of white wine. Mix
everything together and let the sauce simmer
for 15 minutes. Season with pepper, salt and a
pinch of allspice d'Espelette. Thicken the sauce
with a few tablespoons of maize starch
dissolved in white wine. Later, before serving,
add a good splash of cognac.
Cut a few large chestnut mushrooms into
slices, spray them with olive oil and fry them
briefly over a high heat. Season with pepper,
dried parsley and, if available, truffle powder.
Peel a few tomatoes with a vegetable peeler,
cut them into slices and remove the seeds.
Spray with olive oil, season with dried
marjoram and fry on both sides in a griddle
pan.
Remove the crust from a few thick slices of
farm bread and cut them into croutons. Fry the
croutons in olive oil. Make one fried egg per
plate and season with salt and pepper.
On the plate. A few spoonfuls of sauce topped
with the fried tomatoes, a few pieces of
chicken, a handful of croutons, a spoonful of
fried mushrooms, a fried egg. Finish off with a
chopped spring onion.
ingredients - info
boneless chicken
legs
mushrooms
tomato puree
tomatoes
onions
stale bread
salt and pepper
thyme
rosemary
(truffle powder)
oregano
marjoram
allspice d'Espelette
white wine
cognac
chicken stock
olive oil
butter
plain flour
parsley
eggs
spring onions
Battle of Marengo
Louis-François Lejeune (1775-1848)
