Gourmet Italian

photo credit: @sahxic < twitter

There is a common misconception about this Italian Chicken dish – Pollo alla Marengo.  The story almost always appears when you read a recipe for Chicken Marengo.

There is a city in Italy, just south of the Piedmont region, called Marengo.  This is where Napoleon defeated the Austrians in the early summer of 1800.  Napoleon felt it was bad luck to eat before a battle, so the story goes that he was starving after defeating the Austrians.  He supposedly told his Chef, Dunan, to scrounge up whatever he could from the locals and make him a fabulous meal.  Dunan returned from his “scavenger hunt” with chicken, tomatoes, garlic, eggs and a few crayfish.  With that, he created Napoleon’s signature victory meal – Chicken Marengo.

Also known as Pollo al Mattone, this flavorful gourmet Italian chicken dish originated in Tuscany many years ago.

Of the many Italian chicken recipes out there, this one is unique.  I saw Emeril make this a few years ago, and last week Guy Fieri made it on his show.  What makes this method so fabulous, is that when it is done it will be a gorgeous bronze color with a super crispy garlic/herb skin and succulent, moist meat with an amazing flavor.