Lawrence democrat. (Lawrenceburg, Tenn.) 1884-1925, 1890-09-26
CHICKEN A LA MARENGo,
This Delicious Dish Is Prepared-A
Bit of Culinary History.

.E.E B1G OF culinary ustory'
Nearly every one is familiar with the
story of chicken la Marengo: How up
on the eve of that splendid victory the
chef of Napoleon, finding, his store of
butter becoming scanty, fried his chick
en- in, olive oil, and the Little Corporal,
probably elated with premonitions OF
his brilliant success, declared then and
there that such a supreme dish had
never been served to him before Few
people, however, know what a really
delicious dish a tender chicken fried in
olive oil makes. In Arabia and some
other Oriental countries where olive oil
is cheap it is used exclusively for fry
ing. 1t can be heated to much higher
temperature than lard or any animal
fat before it burns, and is therefore bet
ter adapted to cooking, but it is too ex-
pensive for general use in this way.
Cottonseed oil, substitute for lard
which has been offered, possesses all
the desirable qualities of olive oil for
frying, but unfortunately it has
a rank flavor that penetrates food
and hangs about the kitchen
long after the frying is done.
A mixture of beef fat and lard is the
best available frying fat we have.
Chicken q la Marengo is not fried dish
IN tne strlcO sense O. Che word. but q
sau'I : disil. In all saute dishes only just
enough fat is used to cook the food and
not have it burn. The pan is continu-
ally shaken as the name saute would in.
dicate, and the fat'is intended to season
the food being absorbed by it, Butter
is therefore usually used 1t requires
only a gill of oil to cook chicken in
this way, but the oil must be of the very
incest quality, the same that should be
used in mayonnaise dressing. Like
butter and an egg, olive oil must be be-
yond suspicion. 1t is exceedingly un'
pleasant to recall the quantity of rancid
oil that is regularly served at hotel ta'
bles and restaurants where the proprie
tor would not think of offering butter OF
any thing else in the same condition
He and the majority of his guests seem
in blissful Ignorance. 1t is difficult al
ways in summer to get sweet virgin olive
oil, but without it any dish Of chicken
la Marengo is spoiled.
Having procured young CHECKER
weighing about three pounds, cut it ur
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 sal
and pepper and dust it with flour. Pu
four tablespoonfuls of olive oil into {
spider large enough to hold half thu
pieces of chicken, without overlapping
Heat the oil till it is very hot; add ;
sliced shallot or a small onion, a few
pieces of parsley, sprig of thyme, anC
a bay leaf, and finally the, pieces o
chicken. Cook each one on one side til
it is half done and brown, then turn
on the other and cook it till done. !
will take about twenty-five minutes t.
cook spiderful of the chicken. Whel
the first spiderful is cooked add fou
e more spoonfuls of oil and another slicet
onion; heat it very hot and put in tn
rest of the chicken. AS soon as it is al
done, dish it and prepare the sauce
Add two tablespoonfuls of -four to tn
hot oil remaining in the spider and ad
Il slowly two cups of broth; boil it for to
minutes, stirring constantly, and strai
. it through a gravy strainer around tn
;, chicken, which should be on platte
u dished in a pyramid form. A dish {
boiled or of stewed mushrooms is
u delightful accompaniment of chicke
cooked in this way.-N. Y. Tribune.