Easy Chicken Marengo

Legend says Napoleon’s chef threw together chicken Marengo on a Tuscan battlefield after the 1800 Battle of Marengo, using whatever the village had on hand: chicken, tomatoes, garlic, olive oil, and a glug of wine. Whether or not that’s true, this rustic French braise has stuck around because it works. Browned chicken simmered in a tomato-and-sherry sauce, simple as that.

Dredge the pieces in seasoned flour before browning. The flour creates the crust that gives color and flavor, and dissolves into the braising liquid later to thicken the sauce naturally. Skip the dredge and you get a watery sauce that needs separate thickening.

Don’t crowd the pan when browning. Chicken pieces need space around each one to develop a proper sear; piled-up pieces steam in their own juices and stay pale and gray.

The sherry is doing real work. Its nutty, dry depth is what separates Marengo from any other tomato-and-chicken braise. White wine subs in if needed (the recipe note confirms it), but sherry is the more authentic flavor. Spanish dry sherry or Italian Marsala both work beautifully.

Serve over egg noodles, polenta, or rustic bread to soak up the sauce. A green salad rounds out the meal.

Pro Tips

• Use bone-in, skin-on chicken pieces. Boneless, skinless gets dry in a 40-minute braise; bone-in stays juicy.
• Pat the chicken dry before flouring. Wet meat means the flour gums up and falls off in the pan.
• Deglaze the pan with the sherry first before adding tomatoes. The wine lifts the browned bits (the fond) into the sauce, where most of the flavor lives.
• Skim fat from the surface before serving. Long braises release oil that pools on top and makes the sauce greasy.

Variations

• Add 8 ounces of sliced mushrooms and 4 anchovy fillets to the braise for the more elaborate “Marengo classique” version.
• Top with a fried egg and croutons in the style of the original battlefield dish.
• Stir in a tablespoon of Dijon mustard at the end for extra depth and tang.