French · Chicken
Chicken Marengo
A historic French chicken dish featuring tender legs braised in tomato passata with mushrooms and olives. This Napoleonic-era recipe creates a rich, rustic sauce perfect served with pasta or mashed potatoes.
The Method
Instructions
First, heat a good glug of olive oil in a large flameproof casserole dish over medium high heat. Once the oil is shimmering, toss in the mushrooms and stir fry them gently. You'll want to cook them until they start to soften and release their lovely earthy aroma, which usually takes about 5 minutes. This step brings out such a wonderful depth of flavor, so don't rush it.
Next, nestle the chicken legs into the dish with the mushrooms. Let them cook for a few minutes on each side, just enough to get a nice golden colour developing on the skin. This little bit of browning adds a fantastic richness to the final dish, so be patient and enjoy that sizzle and smell!
Now, pour in the passata, making sure to scrape up any browned bits stuck to the bottom of the dish with your spoon , that's pure flavor magic right there. Crumble in the chicken stock cube and stir everything together, letting those savory elements mingle. Then, add the black olives; they'll give the dish a lovely briny kick. Season the whole pot with some freshly ground black pepper. Since the stock cube is already salty, there's no need to add extra salt at this point.
Once everything is combined, cover the casserole with a lid and reduce the heat to a gentle simmer. Let it cook away, undisturbed, for about 40 minutes. During this time, the chicken will become wonderfully tender, and all those flavors will marry beautifully. If you catch a whiff, it'll be hard not to start thinking about dinner!
When the chicken is tender and the sauce has thickened slightly, sprinkle a generous handful of freshly chopped parsley over the top. This adds a fresh, bright touch to balance the rich sauce. Serve your Chicken Marengo with either some warm pasta and a crisp salad, or go for a comforting mash and green vegetables , either way, it's going to be absolutely delicious and so satisfying.
Next, nestle the chicken legs into the dish with the mushrooms. Let them cook for a few minutes on each side, just enough to get a nice golden colour developing on the skin. This little bit of browning adds a fantastic richness to the final dish, so be patient and enjoy that sizzle and smell!
Now, pour in the passata, making sure to scrape up any browned bits stuck to the bottom of the dish with your spoon , that's pure flavor magic right there. Crumble in the chicken stock cube and stir everything together, letting those savory elements mingle. Then, add the black olives; they'll give the dish a lovely briny kick. Season the whole pot with some freshly ground black pepper. Since the stock cube is already salty, there's no need to add extra salt at this point.
Once everything is combined, cover the casserole with a lid and reduce the heat to a gentle simmer. Let it cook away, undisturbed, for about 40 minutes. During this time, the chicken will become wonderfully tender, and all those flavors will marry beautifully. If you catch a whiff, it'll be hard not to start thinking about dinner!
When the chicken is tender and the sauce has thickened slightly, sprinkle a generous handful of freshly chopped parsley over the top. This adds a fresh, bright touch to balance the rich sauce. Serve your Chicken Marengo with either some warm pasta and a crisp salad, or go for a comforting mash and green vegetables , either way, it's going to be absolutely delicious and so satisfying.
Pairs Well With
