Chicken Marengo Recipe - Pollastri alla Marengo

Chicken Marengo is said to have been first prepared for Napoleon on the eve of June 14, 1800, following his victory over the Austrians near the Piemontese town of Alessandria, using whatever his cook was able to scrounge. This is probably why no two recipes are alike, and many are quite fanciful. Giovanni Vialardi's is actually quite tame by modern standards, and this is probably because he compiled it just a few decades after the battle took place.

Prep Time: 25 minutes

Cook Time: 40 minutes

Ingredients:

• See Below

Preparation:

Clean two chickens and cut them into 6 pieces each, in other words three from the breast, the thighs, and the backs, plus the wings and the drumsticks, which should be boned.

Put the pieces in a pot with a quarter cup of oil and a half cup of unsalted butter [you can, if you want, reduce the amount of fat], and add to them 2 onions, a carrot, and a stalk of celery, all sliced finely.

Cook until the meat has colored and the onions are golden, then stir in 2 tablespoons of flour and 2 cups of broth or water, check seasoning, and simmer until the meat is tender than the sauce is reduced. Transfer the birds to a heated platter, degrease the sauce and either strain it or blend it, pour it over them meat, and serve.

Yield: 4-6 servings chicken Marengo.

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