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Veal Marengo

Ready in 2 hrs 10 mins

Recipe by Marie-Danielle 

Veal Marengo, according to a popular myth, was first made after Napoleon defeated the Austrian army at the Battle of Marengo, south of Turin, Italy. The supply wagons were too distant, so Napoleon's chef foraged in the town for ingredients and created this dish from whatever he could get his hands on. According to the legend, Napoleon enjoyed the dish so much he had it served to him after every battle. The original recipe included egg, but we'll give that a miss here since our version is just too delicious without it!

Preparation Time

10 Minutes

Cooking Time

2 Hours

Ingredients for Veal Marengo

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Currently displaying quantities in US Imperial Measurements

To serve 6:

3¼ lb Veal
2 tablespoons Olive Oil
2 oz Butter
2 Onions
2 Shallots
8 oz Mushrooms
2 tablespoons Plain flour
2 tablespoons Tomato concentrate
5 fl oz White wine (roughly equal to one glass)
1 small bunch Parsley
1 Bouquet garni
  Salt & Ground pepper

How to Cook Veal Marengo

  1. Trim any fat off the meat and cut into cubes about 1½" (4cm) wide. Finely chop the parsley sprigs. Peel the onions and shallots. Finely chop ONE onion and the shallots and mix together with the parsley. Slice the second onion.
  2. Heat a large casserole dish, cocotte or Dutch oven. Add the oil and butter and quickly brown the meat. Add the chopped onions, shallots and parsley and sprinkle over the flour. Turn the heat down to low and stir until the flour begins to change colour to blonde (not too brown).
  3. Roughly chop the tomatoes and add to the dish. Add the wine then season with salt and freshly-ground black pepper. Add the bouquet garni then cover the pot and cook very gently for 1½ hours (turning the mixture once or twice during cooking).
  4. After 1½ hours, stir in the tomato purée (concentrated tomato paste). Cut the mushrooms into bite-size pieces and add to the pan. Allow to cook for a further 30 minutes.
  5. Remove the bouquet garni and any obvious tomato skins and serve hot with lovely creamy Champ
MARIE-DANIELLE'S HOT TIP:
Though it's not in any other recipes I've seen, I add a couple of dozen pitted green olives about 15 minutes before the dish is cooked. It adds a nice tang to this sumptuous recipe.
 
MARIE-DANIELLE'S WINE RECOMMENDATION:
A nice light rosé is the perfect accompaniment for Veal Marengo. I recommend a nice Château Bonnet Merlot/Cabernet Sauvignon Rosé. This is rosé made in a truly classic style with rose-pink colour, medium body, fruity flavours yet a dry finish. It is simple, food-friendly and exactly what you would hope for from a modestly-priced rosé.