Napoleon's Chicken Marengo

Submitted by Southern Lady

"Chicken Marengo has been subjected to its authenticity over the years and my personal determination is it’s a concept not a true recipe. It is said Chef Dunand prepared this dish for Napoleon by quickly soliciting ingredients from local farmers after the June 1800 Win against the Austrians in Marengo, Italy (which is said to become his "lucky" dish). In fact, that same evening N seized Gen. Kellerman’s dinner (not this dish), which had been donated by a local monastery. CD didn’t go to work for Napoleon until 1801 and was in Russia in June, 1800. N enjoyed chicken ala provencale often for breakfast, which could be the starter base to the CM recipe, C D recorded recipe in 1809. The use of mushrooms, truffles, garlic, black olives, white wine, seasonings, etc. have been other chef’s interpretation or personal preferences. Crawfish and French fried eggs were indeed part of the original recipe, but one or both have been left out or substituted throughout the years. I’ve written a recipe as close to the original, while making it 21st Century user friendly."

 

• Ready In: 1hr 5mins
• Ingredients: 15
• Serves: 4

ingredients

• 8 chicken pieces or 4 large chicken breasts
• 4.92 ml salt
• 1.23 ml black pepper
• 118.29 ml flour
• 59.16 ml olive oil (or enough to brown chicken)
• 1-2 garlic clove, minced
• 1 medium onion, chopped (optional)
• 236.59 ml tomatoes or 236.59 ml canned tomato, diced
• 177.44 177.44 ml cooking sherry or 177.44 ml sub with chicken broth
• 236.59 ml sliced mushrooms, fresh preferably
• 8-12 medium shrimp, cleaned (optional)
• 4 slice 1/2-inch thick bread for toast (French or Italian)
• 59.16 ml butter or 59.16 ml olive oil
• 14.79 ml parsley, chopped (optional)
• 4 eggs (optional)

directions

1. Salt and pepper chicken and pat in seasonings.
2. Heat olive oil to med-high.
3. Dredge chicken in flour and add to heated oil.
4. Brown on both sides, about 3 minutes each side.
5. Place browned chicken on papertowels
6. In same skillet, saute onions 10 minutes.
7. After five mins add minced garlic.
8. Add tomatoes, wine, and stir until bubbly.
9. Lower heat to a low simmer.
10. Return chicken pieces to skillet.
11. Simmer for 1 hour if using dark meat, 45 mins if using breasts.
12. Check chicken at 15 min intervals. If too dry, add 1/3 C Chicken Broth (or to your liking).
13. At first 15 min interval, taste sauce and S& P to your taste.
14. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
15. Add mushrooms and shrimp to simmering chicken at 50 mins or 35 mins, respectively, assure shrimp is simmering in sauce until just pink.
16. Butter slices of bread or drizzle olive oil and toast in preheated oven (3-5 mins).
17. Add one piece of chicken on top of a slice of toast, spoon sauce over chicken.
18. Add 2-3 shrimp on top or around chicken.
19. Sprinkle a little parsley on each serving (optional).
20. Fry eggs in olive oil or bacon grease, Sunny side up (eggs optional).
21. Place egg by side of chicken serving, S&P to taste.

Reviews

[hutt5asl]

This was so good! I made ours with fried egg instead of sunny-side up (shown in picture) because most of my family prefers non-runny yolks. ;) We love Chicken Marengo and this was a great variation!