The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1890-10-29
CHICKEN A Ia MARENGO.
HOW This Delicious Dish Ia Prcparcd-A
Hit of Culinary History.

How This Delicious Dish Is Prcparcd-A
Bit of Culinary History.
Nearly every ono is familiar with tho
story OF chicken u Ia Marengo: How up
on the eve of that splendid victory tho
chef OF Napoleon, finding his store of
butter becoming scanty. fried his chick
on in olive oil, and tho Little Corporal,
probably clatcd with prcmonitions of
his brilliant success, declared then and
there that such u supreme dish had
mover been served to him before. Few
people, however, know what really
delicious dish a tcndcr chicken fried in
olive oil makes. In Arabia and some
othcr Oriental countries where olive oil
is cheap it is used exclusively for fry
ing. 1t can DO heated to u much higher
temperature than lard or any animal
fat before it burns, and is therefore bot
ter adapted to cooking, but it is too ex-
ponsive for general use in this way
Cottonseea oil, q substitute for lard
which has been offered, possesses all
the desirable qualities of olive oil for
trying, but unfortunately it has
a rank flavor that penetrates food
and hangs about the kitchen
long after the frying is done.
A mixture of bcef fat and lard is the
best available frying fat we have.
Chicken In Marengo is not a fried dish
In tho strict sense of the word. but
saute dish. In all saute dishes only just
enough fat is used to cook tho food and
not have it burn. The pan is continu-
ally shaken rs the name saute would in
dictate, and the fat is intended to season
the food being absorbed by it. Butter
thnrnfnrn N
only gill of oil to cook n chicken in
this way, but the oil must be Of the very
incest quality, the samo that should be
used in mayonnaiso dressing. Like
butter and an egg, olive oil must be be-
You'd suspicion. 1t is exceedingly un-
pleasant to recall the quantity Of rancid
oil that is regularly served at hotel ia
blcs, and restaurants where the proprie-
tor would not think of Offering butter or
any thing else in tho samo condition.
He and tho majority Of his guests seem
in blissful ignorance. IL is difficult al
ways in summer to get sweet virgin olive
Oil, but without it any dish of chicken
4 la Marcngo is spoiled.
Having procured young chicken
weighing about three pounds, cut it up
neatly, and carefully as for fricasee.
Lay the pieces in cold water for a few
moments, then wipe each one dry with
a kitchen towel; season each with salt
and pepper and dust IL with flour. Put
four tablcspoOnfuls of olive oil into a
spider large enough to hold half the
pieces of chicken, without overlapping.
Heat the oil till it is very hot; add a
sliced shallot or small onion, a few
pieces OF parsley, n sprig of thyme, and
bay leaf. and finally the pieces of
chicken. Cook each ono on one side till
it is half done and brown, then turn it
on the other and cook it till done 1t
will take about twenty-five minutes to
cook n spiderful of the chicken When
the first spiderful is cooked add four
more spoonfuls of oil and another sliced
onion; heat it very hot and put in tho
rest of the chicken. AS soon as it is all
done, dish it and prepare the sauce.
Add two tablespoonfuls of flour to tho
hot oil remaining in the spider and add
slowly two cups of broth; boil it for ten
minutes, stirring constantly, and strain
it through gravy straincr around tho
chicken, which should be on platter
dished in pyramid form. dish of
boiled or of stewcd mushrooms is n
delightful accompaniment of chicken
cooked in this way.-N. Y. Tribune.