How to Make Chicken Napoleon – A Classic French Dish

Chicken Napoleon is a delicious classic French dish that is surprisingly easy to make at home This recipe transforms simple ingredients into an elegant, restaurant-worthy meal

A Brief History of Chicken Napoleon

While the exact origins of Chicken Napoleon are unknown, it likely emerged in the early 19th century, around the time of Napoleon Bonaparte’s reign over France. According to legend, Napoleon enjoyed eating a chicken breast topped with liver pâté and a fried egg after his military victories. Chefs created this dish in his honor, using ingredients that would have been available at the time.

The original Chicken Napoleon was simpler than modern versions, consisting of pan-fried chicken cutlets topped with a liver spread or pâté and a fried egg. Over time, the dish evolved by adding ingredients like mushrooms, ham, cheese, and Mornay sauce. These luxurious toppings transformed the humble chicken cutlet into a lavish, decadent dish befitting an emperor.

While Chicken Napoleon fell out of fashion for a period it experienced a revival in recent decades as part of a renewed interest in classic French cuisine. Today it remains a staple on the menus of upscale French bistros and is a show-stopping dish for home cooks to master.

An Elegant Yet Easy French Classic

Chicken Napoleon is a tasty and impressive dish made from simple ingredients. It’s basically just chicken, egg, and a creamy sauce. But the mix makes flavors and textures that are very complex and feel very expensive.

The different temperatures and textures in Chicken Napoleon are part of its appeal. The cool, creamy sauce and egg go well with the hot, crispy chicken. With the smooth liver pâté and velvety sauce, the crunchy breadcrumbs go very well together. Every bite offers new sensations and satisfying contrasts.

While the finished dish looks elegant, Chicken Napoleon is surprisingly easy to prepare at home. Most of the cooking time centers around pan-frying the chicken. The assembly takes just minutes, making this an achievable weeknight dinner. It also adapts well to make-ahead methods. You can bread and fry the chicken, then refrigerate it and the sauce for final assembly the next day.

How to Make Classic Chicken Napoleon

Making restaurant-quality Chicken Napoleon at home is easy if you follow a few simple steps:

Ingredients

• 4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts
• 2 eggs, divided
• 1⁄4 cup flour
• 1⁄2 cup breadcrumbs
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 6 ounces chicken liver pâté
• 8 ounces button mushrooms, sliced
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 3 tablespoons flour
• 1 1⁄2 cups milk
• 1⁄4 cup Parmesan cheese
• Salt and pepper to taste

Prepare the Chicken

• Pound the chicken breasts to 1⁄4-inch thickness. Season them with salt and pepper.
• Beat 1 egg in a shallow bowl. Set up breadcrumb and flour dredging stations.
• Dredge the chicken in flour, dip in egg, then coat with breadcrumbs.
• Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Pan fry chicken cutlets for 2-3 minutes per side until golden brown. Set aside.

Make the Sauce

• Melt butter in the skillet then sauté mushrooms for 5 minutes.
• Whisk in 3 tablespoons of flour and cook for 2 minutes.
• Slowly whisk in milk, scraping any browned bits off the bottom of the pan.
• Simmer for 5 minutes until thickened to make a béchamel sauce.
• Stir in Parmesan and season with salt and pepper.

Assemble the Dish

• Place one chicken cutlet on each plate and top with a heaping tablespoon of liver pâté.
• Spread mushrooms over the pâté and top with another cutlet.
• Pour sauce over the chicken.
• Fry the remaining egg and place on top of each Napoleon stack.
• Garnish with chopped parsley before serving.

There you have it! With just a few simple steps, you can make this fancy Chicken Napoleon that looks and tastes like a gourmet treat. The thick sauce soaks into the crunchy chicken, making every bite taste great. Make it for a special event at home or to impress your guests. This classic French dish is sure to become a new favorite.