Description
Napoleon’s favorite chicken marengo showcases French culinary tradition with tender chicken, tomatoes, and mushrooms. Soldiers and home cooks alike appreciate this historic dish that connects French cuisine to battlefield memories.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 chicken (13 lb/5.9 kg), cut into serving pieces
- 2 tbsps butter
- 2 tbsps olive oil
- ½ cup finely chopped onion
- ½ tsp finely minced garlic
- 1½ cups (0.5 lb/226 g) thinly sliced mushrooms
- 2 cups cored and cubed red ripe tomatoes, or canned tomatoes
- ½ cup dry white wine
- ¼ cup tomato paste
- ½ cup chicken broth
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 sprigs fresh thyme or ½ tsp dried
- 2 sprigs fresh parsley
- Salt, to taste
- Freshly ground pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Seasoning Preparation: Thoroughly coat chicken pieces with salt and black pepper, ensuring comprehensive coverage.
- Searing Stage: Heat butter and olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until fat becomes hot and shimmering, then brown chicken pieces for 3-4 minutes per side to develop a rich golden crust.
- Vegetable Foundation: Remove chicken and in the same skillet, sauté mushrooms, onions, and garlic until they soften and release their aromatic essence.
- Herb and Liquid Integration: Return chicken to skillet, add bay leaf, thyme, and deglaze with white wine, scraping up caramelized fragments from the pan bottom.
- Tomato and Broth Incorporation: Mix in tomatoes, tomato paste, and chicken broth, ensuring chicken pieces are mostly submerged in the liquid.
- Simmering Process: Reduce heat, cover skillet, and allow dish to gently simmer for 25-35 minutes until chicken becomes perfectly tender and thoroughly cooked.
- Final Touches: Adjust seasoning with additional salt and pepper, then garnish with fresh parsley sprigs before serving hot.
Notes
- Perfectly Brown Chicken: Ensure your skillet is hot enough to create a beautiful golden crust without burning; this develops deep, rich flavors fundamental to the dish’s success.
- Manage Moisture Wisely: Let chicken pieces rest undisturbed during initial searing to prevent steaming and guarantee that gorgeous caramelized exterior.
- Herb Infusion Technique: Add herbs midway through cooking to maximize their aromatic potential and prevent burning, releasing their most complex flavor profiles.
- Wine Reduction Magic: Choose a crisp, dry white wine and reduce it carefully to concentrate flavors, transforming the sauce from simple to extraordinary.
- Prep Time: 35 minutes
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Sautéing, Simmering
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 5
- Calories: 400
- Sugar: 5 g
- Sodium: 350 mg
- Fat: 25 g
- Saturated Fat: 8 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 15 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 12 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 30 g
- Cholesterol: 90 mg