Poulet Marengo, chicken with crayfish, tomato & wine

Chicken, braised in wine and tomato, crowned with crayfish and a fried egg — the dish that Napoleon's cook conjured from what was at hand after the Battle of Marengo. Land and river, rustic and festive at once.

PoultryFish & Seafood Category

25 MIN Prep time

55 MIN Cook time

4 people Servings

Poulet Marengo, chicken with crayfish, tomato & wine

Preparation

Sear the chicken

Salt the chicken pieces and brown them in oil for 8 minutes until golden brown. Remove them.

Make the sauce

Sweat the onion and garlic, deglaze with white wine, add the tomatoes and stock and drop in the herbs.

Braise

Return the chicken and braise, covered, over low heat for 35 minutes.

Fry the garnish

Fry the mushrooms golden brown in butter, add the crayfish for 2 minutes and add everything to the chicken.

Serve

Arrange with the butter-fried bread slices and parsley.

Why this wine?

Our Gigue from LaSuite aux Conseillans is the wine for poulet Marengo: its juicy dark fruit suits the tomato sauce, and its fine tannin picks up the roasted flavours of the chicken. This Merlot-led red matures mostly in concrete or amphora; it has power and still stays fresh enough for the crayfish.

Good to know

Tips & insights

Brown the chicken pieces all over in olive oil before the tomato and wine go in.
With the white wine dissolve the browned bits completely, this gives the tomato sauce depth.
Add the crayfish or prawns only in the last minutes, so they stay juicy.
Fry the mushrooms separately in butter and fold them in at the end, so they keep their bite.
Lay the butter-fried bread slices on only when plating, so they stay crisp.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which wine goes with poulet Marengo?

A fruity red with fresh acidity that suits the tomato sauce without overpowering the crayfish. We drink our Gigue from LaSuite aux Conseillans with it, a Merlot-led red from the Bordeaux region with dark cherry fruit and finely polished tannins.

What can I use instead of crayfish?

Large shell-on prawns are the easiest substitute. Like the crayfish, they only go into the pan with the mushrooms for two minutes so they stay juicy.

Which wine goes into the sauce?

About 200 millilitres of dry white wine for deglazing. It lifts the pan juices and gives the tomato sauce acidity. It doesn't need to be expensive, but it should be good enough to drink.

What is traditionally served with poulet Marengo?

Slices of bread toasted in butter and fresh parsley, as in the recipe. Many old versions also add a fried egg. Some white bread for the sauce is all you need on the side.

The wine to pair