Chicken Marengo

June 14: Battle of Marengo (1800)

Chicken Marengo was created by the personal chef of Napoléon Bonaparte after the French were victorious over the Austrians on the Italian battlefield near the village of Marengo. Using ingredients on hand at the time, the chef reportedly cut up the chicken with a sword and made a tomato sauce with leftover cognac (modern versions of this recipe use wine). Chicken Marengo then became known as Napoléon’s lucky dish.

We were not so lucky the first time we made Chicken Marengo. The chicken thighs were brown and beautiful on the outside—but they were still pink and not pretty on the inside! The recipe from a cookbook that we got at a used bookstore did not mention using a partially-cooked chicken to begin with. Since then, we have prepared Chicken Marengo by parboiling the meat first. Fortunately, the food is fabulous for us now!

Good luck in making Chicken Marengo to mark the Battle of Marengo.

Recipe

(Adapted from “Wonderful Ways to Prepare Chicken” by Jo Ann Shirley)

Ingredients

• 1 large chicken (we use skinless, boneless chicken breasts)
• salt, pepper and garlic powder to taste
• ½ cup flour, divided use
• ½ cup (1 stick) butter, divided use
• 1 cup chicken stock
• 1 cup tomatoes, chopped
• 1 cup mushrooms, sliced
• ½ cup olives, pitted and sliced (we omitted these)
• ½ cup white cooking wine

Directions

Parboil the chicken until slightly cooked. Let cool and cut into pieces. In a bowl, combine the seasonings (salt, pepper and garlic powder) with the flour. Dredge the chicken pieces in this mixture.

Melt 4 tablespoons of butter in a large pan. Fry the floured chicken in the melted butter until brown and the meat is cooked through. Remove with a slotted spoon and keep warm on a serving bowl. In the same pan, melt the rest of the butter, scraping up some of the browned bits.

Stir in 3 tablespoons of remaining flour (from dredging the chicken) and mix to make a gravy. Thin with the chicken stock until smooth and no longer lumpy. Add the tomatoes, mushrooms, olives and wine. Simmer for 10 minutes. Add a little water if the gravy is too thick. Pour this gravy-sauce mixture over the chicken. Serve hot.

Notes

• Serve Chicken Marengo with crusty bread (French or Italian), pasta noodles or rice.

Strawberry-Rhubarb Pie

June 9: National Strawberry-Rhubarb Pie Day

Highlander introduced Islander to strawberry-rhubarb pie during our newlywed years. The first time we went shopping for the ingredients, he put long red stalks of rhubarb in the cart. Islander thought he was going to make a vegetable pie out of red celery or chard!

Rhubarb is really a vegetable, but because it is commonly used in desserts, it has been legally labeled as a fruit since 1947. According to the Specialty Produce website: “It was the United States Customs Court in Buffalo, New York, that ruled rhubarb to be a fruit since it was used mainly as a fruit. This cost-effective act allowed imported rhubarb to pay a smaller duty than if it was a vegetable. Dubbed ‘pie plant’, pie was the only dish this tart treat was used for in early days.”

Like most people, Highlander combines rhubarb with another fruit, such as strawberries, to add sweetness to the pie (and many other desserts containing rhubarb). Now that rhubarbs and strawberries are in season, we make pie to welcome the summer as well as observe National Strawberry-Rhubarb Pie Day.

Recipe

(Adapted from Better Homes and Gardens All-Time Favorite Pies)

For the double pie crust

• 2 cups flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2/3 cup shortening (we used Crisco brand)
• 6-7 tablespoons ice cold water

Directions

In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour and salt. Cut in the shortening and mix until it resembles coarse crumbs. Gradually add the water to moisten the mixture. Blend gently until it forms a dough. Roll into a ball and divide in half.

On a lightly floured surface, flatten one of the dough halves into a disc. Roll out to fit the bottom of a pie pan.  Ease into the pan and trim excess dough to the rim. Roll out the second half of the dough to fit the top of the pie, leaving a little overhang. Set aside while preparing the filling.

For the strawberry-rhubarb filling

• 3 cups rhubarb, sliced into  ½-inch pieces
• 2 cups strawberries, sliced
• 1 ¼ cup sugar
• 3 tablespoon quick-cooking tapioca
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1 tablespoon butter or margarine

Directions

Prepare the rhubarb and strawberries by washing, drying and slicing them. Place in a large bowl. In a smaller bowl, mix the sugar, tapioca, salt and nutmeg.

Pour this mixture over the sliced rhubarb and strawberries. Toss well and let sit for 15 minutes. Assemble the pie by spreading the filling over the bottom of the pie crust. Dot with pieces of butter or margarine.

Carefully place the top crust over the filling. Fold the overhang of the edges over and flute it to seal. Cut slits over the top crust to vent. Cover the edges with foil or pie crust shields to prevent overbrowning. Bake in a preheated oven at 375 degrees F for 25 minutes.

Then remove the foil or pie crust shields and bake for another 25 minutes to brown the rest of the crust.  Remove the pie from the oven and place on a wire rack. Cool completely to allow the liquid filling to gel. Slice and serve with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream (optional). Sliced pie may be reheated in the microwave to desired temperature.

Notes 

• For a golden brown pie crust, brush a little milk on the top and sprinkle some sugar before baking (optional).
• Do not eat the leaves of the rhubarb as they are toxic.
• Search our blog for other pie recipes.

Gingerbread

June 5: National Gingerbread Day

Gingerbread is often associated with the autumn and winter seasons when gingerbread houses and gingerbread cookies are made. We appreciate all the creativity in constructing the colorful houses and decorating the cookies, but sometimes a simple slice of gingerbread suffices during other seasons.

National Gingerbread Day is observed twice a year (June 5 and November 21). We have made gingerbread muffins and macarons before but this post is for a deliciously dark, moist, spiced loaf. Try this traditional gingerbread recipe on either National Gingerbread Days.

Recipe

(Adapted from King Arthur Flour)

Ingredients

• 2 cups flour
• ¼ cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 ½ teaspoons ground ginger
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
• ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
• ½ cup (1 stick) butter, melted
• ¾ cup molasses
• ¼ cup water
• 1 egg
• 1 cup buttermilk

Directions

In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking soda, salt, ground ginger, cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg. Mix the melted butter with the molasses. Stir into the dry ingredients. Mix in the water until moistened.

In a separate bowl, beat the egg into the buttermilk. Pour this mixture into the gingerbread batter and blend well. Smooth it into a large (9x5x3-inches) greased loaf pan.

Bake in a preheated oven at 350 degrees F for 40-45 minutes, testing with a toothpick for doneness. Remove from the oven and cool in the pan. Remove from the pan, slice and serve.

Notes

• If buttermilk is not available, substitute it for one cup of milk mixed with a tablespoon of white vinegar or lemon juice.