Buongiorno amici:
In the middle of June 1800, Napoleon Bonaparte’s troops were engaged in battle with Austrian forces near the small village of Marengo in Northern Italy. The battle was fierce, or so the legend has it, and Napoleon, of course, emerged victorious and hungry. He asked his chef to prepare a meal quickly, and the cook scoured the countryside looking for foods to prepare. He hurried around and discovered a chicken, olive oil, tomatoes, herbs, eggs, and crawfish. Within minutes, the chef prepared a quick sauté of the chicken with tomatoes, oil, and spices. He garnished the dish before serving it with a fried egg and crawfish. In my version, the chicken, cut into serving pieces, is browned in a little olive oil (I add a touch of butter to give it a richer flavor) on both sides. I prefer to add sliced mushrooms (some declare that truffles were among the original ingredients), seasonings, wine, tomatoes, and parsley and cook covered until done, about 10 minutes longer.
Ingredients for 4
One large 3-pound chicken cut into serving pieces. Don’t wash the chicken, avoid contaminants
Marine salt to taste, if desired, but kosher salt is also fine
Freshly ground pepper, to taste
Two tablespoons unsalted butter
Two tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 ½ cups thinly sliced mushrooms (about 1/2 pound)
½ cup finely chopped onion, use white skin onions, less crying
½ teaspoon finely minced garlic
One bay leaf
Two sprigs of fresh thyme or 1/2 teaspoon dried
½ cup dry white wine, the one you are drinking
2 cups cored and cubed red ripe tomatoes, or use canned tomatoes
¼ cup tomato paste
½ cup chicken broth, low sodium bought or make it yourself
Two sprigs of fresh parsley
Directions
Sprinkle the chicken generously with salt and pepper to taste.
Heat the butter and oil in a heavy skillet over medium-high heat.
Add the chicken pieces skin-side down. Cook until golden brown on one side, about five minutes. Turn the pieces and cook on the other side for about two minutes. Pour off the fat from the skillet.
Scatter the mushrooms over the chicken, and stir to distribute evenly. Add the onion, garlic, bay leaf, and thyme and cook for about 5 minutes. Sprinkle in the wine and scrape the bottom of the skillet with a wooden spoon to dissolve the brown particles clinging to the pan’s bottom.
You can now add the tomatoes, tomato paste, chicken broth, and parsley. Bring the sauce to a boil—cover and cook for 10 minutes. Serve with rice and a tossed green salad.
