Napoleon's Surprising Impact on the Food World

..and the new movie about him....

Nov 16, 2023

Hi everyone,

Very soon, the new movie Napoleon, directed by Ridley Scott and starring Joaquin Phoenix, will be in the theaters. While reviewers are lauding “spectacular” battle scenes, the movie primarily portrays Napoleon’s rise to power and his relationship with Empress Josephine.

I have always found him fascinating and anxiously await seeing the movie. But one of the most surprising facts about him is that he is responsible for causing the invention of canning food!! Which shows another tactical creative streak of his quite apart from the art of empire and brand building.

How did this happen? History records that he was desperate to find a way to feed his huge army, especially when it invaded another country and food was withheld or not negotiable or supply wagons found it impossible to reach them. His troops were demoralized by lack of food and, obviously, they needed to be strong to fight and to be successful. So he came up with the idea of offering a cash prize to anyone in France that could solve his problem. This led to offering a Food Preservation Prize in 1795 of 12,000 francs to anyone who could show him a way to preserve food for long periods of time and make it portable.

Nicolas François Appert, a confectioner, won the prize for inventing a procedure to can foods, the same basic technique that our modern canning industry follows today. So thank you Napoleon and Nicolas.

Nicolas, known as the “father of canning”, explained that placing food in jars or cans and heating them to a temperature that kills bacteria and other microorganisms, as the jars/cans cool a vacuum seal is formed which prevents other microorganisms from getting in….hence the food would be safe to eat.

Back to Napoleon. He didn’t linger over food and he ate simply. However he liked hot food served hot. Note the picture below of one of Napoelon’s plate warmers. It is inscribed with the Imperial Coat of Arms of the First Empire and was made for him by Martin-Guillane Biennais, the Goldsmith to the Emperor. The interior cavity would be filled with hot water and a plate of food placed on top to keep it warm during the whole supper.

Watch video of an explanation of this Napoleon plate warmer.

Although it was said he was for the most part indifferent to food, there is a beloved French recipe alleged to be his favorite and, the recipe of which I featured in my cookbook, French Comfort Food.

Created to honor Napoleon’s victory over the Austrians at the Battle of Morengo in 1800, the original recipe for Chicken Morengo is said to have included crayfish, eggs and truffles as well as chicken and a dash of cognac.

Here is my interpretation, one that resembles how it tastes and looks when you find it on the menu in France. Maybe make it before you go to see the movie?!

Chicken Marengo

Serves 4

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour, plus flour for dredging chicken

1 1/2 cups dry white wine or Madeira

5 tablespoons cognac, divided

2 tablespoons tomato paste

1 teaspoon fine sea salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

1 teaspoon sugar

pinch ground nutmeg

2 slices bacon, coarsely chopped

12 boneless chicken thighs, skin on

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

1 large shallot, peeled and chopped

5 large cloves garlic, peeled and chopped

2 medium Roma tomatoes, coarsely chopped

20 cherry tomatoes

2 tablespoons coarsely chopped fresh basil and thyme

16 small button mushrooms

cooked wide noodles

Directions;

Whisk together the 2 tablespoons flour, wine, 4 tablespoons cognac, tomato paste, salt, pepper and nutmeg. Set aside.

In a large skillet, cook the bacon until crisp then add to a Dutch oven or large pot. Keep the bacon fat in the skillet.

Generously season the chicken with salt and pepper on both sides then lightly dredge in flour. Brown the chicken in the skillet in the bacon fat until golden brown, for about 3 minutes per side, then add them to the Dutch oven or large pot.

Add the olive oil to the skillet and cook the shallots and garlic for 3 minutes, then add to the pot.

Toss the tomatoes and whole cherry tomatoes into the pot and pour in the wine mixture. Whisk then add the herbs and mushrooms. Bring to a boil then reduce to medium-low heat and cook for 10 minutes. Check that the chicken is done to your liking and cook longer if needed. Just before serving, stir in the last tablespoon of cognac and serve over the noodles.

While his love, Josephine, was a celebrated hostess with an enviable wine cellar, Napoleon allegedly only drank Chambertin, a red wine from Burgundy, diluted with cold water. Seems like a perfect pairing with his favorite simple meal, roast chicken.

If you would like to learn more about Napoleon before going to see the movie, here are some suggestions:

Napoleon: A Life by Andrew Roberts