Chicken Marengo
From the kitchen of CarlyFrench braise named after a Napoleon battlefield: chicken legs simmered in tomato passata with mushrooms and black olives. One pan, 50 minutes, mostly oven-time. Spoon over pasta or buttered mash and the rest of the kitchen does itself. Use a heavy lid. Thin lids let moisture escape and the chicken turns stringy.
Bone-in chicken legs braise low and slow in a gently reduced tomato sauce loaded with mushrooms and olives. The skin colors fast, the meat turns silky, and the sauce gets just rich enough without cream or flour. This is the kind of French comfort food that tastes like someone spent hours in the kitchen, but you're done in under an hour.
- Prep
- 5 min
- Cook
- 50 min
- Total
- 55 min
- Servings
- 4
- Difficulty
- easy
Ingredients
4 servings
- 1 tbspolive oil
- 11 oz(300 g)cremini or chestnut mushrooms, sliced
- 4bone-in chicken legs (drumstick + thigh)
- 1 1/8 lb(500 g)tomato passata (or smooth tomato sauce)
- 1chicken stock cube
- 3 1/2 oz(100 g)kalamata or black olives, pitted
- 2 tbspfresh parsley, chopped
- 1 to tastefreshly cracked black pepper
Instructions
Heat the olive oil in a large flameproof casserole or Dutch oven over medium-high heat.
Add the sliced mushrooms. Stir-fry 4 to 5 minutes until they soften and any released water has cooked off.
Pat the chicken legs dry with paper towels. Season with pepper (skip the salt; the stock cube and olives bring plenty).
Push the mushrooms to the sides. Add the chicken legs to the pan, skin-side down. Cook 4 minutes per side, just to color the skin and pick up some fond. Don't worry about cooking through; that happens in the simmer.
Pour in the passata. Crumble in the stock cube. Stir gently to distribute.
Add the olives. Stir once.
Bring the pan to a simmer. Cover with a tight-fitting lid.
Cook on low heat 40 minutes, until the chicken is tender at the bone and the sauce has reduced slightly. Stir once or twice to make sure the bottom doesn't catch.
Taste and adjust pepper.
Scatter the chopped parsley over the top. Serve straight from the pan with pasta, mashed potatoes, or crusty bread for the sauce.
Tips from the kitchen
- Pat the chicken dry before it hits the pan; any moisture blocks browning and will steam the skin instead of crisping it.
- Don't stir the sauce constantly. A stir or two during the 40-minute braise is plenty; let the bottom layer caramelize a little and scrape it up at the end for deeper flavor.
- Bone-in, skin-on legs stay juicier and more forgiving than breasts. The meat pulls cleanly from the bone when it's done, and you know you've nailed it when there's no resistance.
Variations
- Swap the olives for capers or a handful of fresh thyme to shift the flavor toward Provence.
- Stir in a splash of red wine after searing the chicken for a deeper, earthier sauce.
- Use pearl onions instead of olives, added about 20 minutes into the braise so they stay whole and tender.
- Skip the stock cube and use a splash of chicken stock plus a pinch of salt; it gives you more control over sodium and lets the tomato shine.
Make ahead and storage
Refrigerate in an airtight container up to 3 days. Reheat gently on the stovetop over low heat, covered, until warmed through. Freezes well for up to 2 months; thaw in the fridge overnight before reheating.
Substitutions
- chicken legs to bone-in thighs or a whole cut-up chicken. Thighs alone work fine; whole chicken pieces add wings and breasts but need shorter braise time (25 minutes for breasts).
- passata to 1 large can (28 oz) crushed tomatoes. Crushed tomatoes are chunkier; passata is smoother. Either works; both are pantry staples in the US.
- black olives to kalamata olives, capers, or 2 chopped anchovies. All bring brininess. Anchovies dissolve into the sauce and most people don't taste them; they just taste richness.
Pairs well with: Wide pappardelle or buttered mashed potatoes, A glass of pinot noir, beaujolais, or a southern French rose, Crusty baguette for the sauce