Marengo Chicken

How to prepare Marengo chicken . Today we got down to work with one of the  chicken recipes  with a history of French cuisine, Chicken a la Marengo .

It is a chicken stew in a sauce with beer and tomato, which is cooked over low heat for a little over 1 hour and results in a great dish, tasty and filling, especially if we accompany it with the mentioned eggs, bread and crabs.

On these upcoming Christmas dates it is likely that many of you will have the visit of your family. Many guests for various lunches and dinners, so the budget skyrockets.

I have thought of a cheap recipe, very tasty and most importantly, with a history to surprise your people. This rich, easy and above all inexpensive dish is perfect to look good and enjoy at the same time. In this recipe we have used mushrooms, although you can use seasonal mushrooms, the ones you like the most.

The recipe itself has no complications, it can even be done in advance, I would say, it must be. Well, you can enjoy Christmas food much more comfortably and without stress. It pairs perfectly with beer, since it takes part of it in the elaboration.

I have opted for the Casimiro Mahou collection of signature beers ,  due to its versatility it allows us to search for the most suitable moment to drink each one. Always with the most suitable pairing, which will be what allows us to extract all its aromatic potential and flavor. And so being able to fully enjoy them, which, ultimately, is what it is all about.

We have chosen to pair this recipe, the Casimiro Mahou extra beer for its intense flavor comes from a careful selection of malts and hops, such as Strissel Spalt, from Metz, the city from which Casimiro Mahou left for Madrid. A bright and amber colored beer. It features a fine and consistent bubble foam.

A gastronomic delight in memory of Napoleon. I leave you with this chicken stew , a delicious one that directly rivals the orange chicken stew , the cider chicken , our classic beer chicken , the famous chicken in pepitoria or the garden chicken .

Preparation of the Marengo chicken

1. In a large saucepan, heat the butter with 3 tablespoons of olive oil. When the butter is melted, add the chicken and brown well on all sides.
2. Once we have the chicken well browned everywhere we add the chives cut into julienne strips and 2 tablespoons of well-chopped parsley.
3. We fry for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
4. Add the flour and stir well with a wooden spoon so that the flour gets to cook. Season with salt and pepper.

Cooking and final presentation of the chicken stew

1. Add the wine and the cognac and let the alcohol evaporate for a few minutes before adding the chicken stock or water. We salt and cover the casserole.
2. Let the meat cook over medium low heat for 45 minutes.
3. After this time, peel and mash the tomatoes and add them to the chicken stew along with the peeled and rolled mushrooms.
4. We continue cooking with the casserole covered for 15 minutes and uncover. We try salt and if necessary rectify.
5. We continue the process 15 more minutes until the chicken stew is prepared.

You can see all the photos of the step by step of the Marengo chicken recipe   in this album.

Tips and curiosities about this recipe

• We can serve the chicken on the spot with some cooked potatoes, some baked potatoes, a little  white rice , a mashed vegetable and potato, etc. The  microwaved potatoes  that we have already prepared several times on the blog are also like a finger ring.
• As I always recommend with stews, it is better to prepare it in advance to serve it overnight, it earns a lot. This will establish the flavors and we will have a richer stewed chicken if possible.
• In 1800, on June 14, an important battle took place for Napoleon’s French, the Battle of Marengo . This day Napoleon, managed to make effective the withdrawal of the Austrians from much of the Italian territory, in a battle that was almost lost.
• Once the battle was over, it was time to feed and commemorate the event. The case is that Napoleon’s cook, due to the fleecing of his pantry. He had to go to the farms in the area in search of some type of food with which to prepare dinner for his boss.
• What he found was the origin of one of Napoleon’s favorite dishes. A recipe made with chickens, mushrooms, tomatoes, bread, wine and oil. With these ingredients he created what became known as Marengo chicken . In memory of the place of such an important victory.
• Indeed the original recipe, which is from Dunand, not from Carême is with a whole chicken. Escoffier talks about the Poulet Sauté Marengo with 10 slices of truffle and ends with crayfish, croutons and fried eggs a bit complicated today. Definitely an original mix for a meat dish.