a dish invented one evening of battle for Bonaparte

Marengo is in Italy

In our pantry today, there is a great French recipe: veal marengo. Marengo in Italy, in Piedmont. One of the villages of the city of Alexandria known for its cathedral, its citadel… This is where the battle of Marengo took place, on 26 Prairial Year VIII, in other words on June 14, 1800. The French armies against the imperial armies and one of the greatest victories of General Bonaparte who would later become Napoleon.

Invented one evening of battle

It is said that on the evening of the Battle, when everything was destroyed, even the kitchens, Bonaparte had a craving. He asks his chef, Dunant, to make him a dish. And Dunant is struggling to find something to grate. He managed to find a chicken that he sautéed in olive oil with a few tomatoes, garlic, a few fried eggs, crayfish and bread croutons. And our future emperor loves it! He will often ask his cook for marengo chicken, before it is replaced by veal deemed better. Today, marengo veal is cooked with veal cut into pieces that are placed in a casserole dish and browned, then a carrot, cut into slices, garlic and shallot cut at the end piece, when the vegetables are transparent we add a little flour, we then put tomato concentrate, then water and wine, we simmer for 1h30 on low heat and a quarter of an hour before serving we add a bit of mushroom. as Rosa Lewis said, “you have to put your heart into the kitchen”. You can also cook the fabulous veal marengo there!