Chicken & Eggs Marengo Philippines

Chicken Marengo

Chicken and Eggs Marengo-style

Ingredients:
1 chicken cut into pieces for frying
4 tablespoons olive oil
2 medium onions, chopped (optional)
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup cognac (or dry white wine)
3 tablespoons tomato paste
1-2 cloves of garlic, crushed
4 rounds of French bread
> 4 large shrimp in the shell
4 eggs
salt and freshly ground black pepper

Optional garnishes:
black olives
fresh parsley

Rinse and pat dry the chicken with paper towels.
Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat until hot.
Add chicken and quickly brown on all sides.
Season with salt and pepper.
If using onions add them and cook until until slightly browned.
Add the water, cognac, tomato paste, garlic, salt and pepper and bring to a high simmer.
Reduce heat, cover and simmer gently for 30 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink.
While the chicken is cooking, heat another small frying pan with the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil until hot, but not smoking.
Lightly fry the rounds of bread until slightly browned. Set them aside on paper towels.
One at a time fry the eggs in the hot oil and set them on or next to the bread croutons.
Add the shrimp to the hot oil and fry until they just curl up, about 1-2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

Assembly
Using a slotted spoon place chicken on serving platter.
Place the four croutons with eggs around the chicken and intersperse the shrimp between the eggs.
Spoon any sauce over chicken. Garnish with olives and parsley.
This can be kept warm, lightly covered with aluminum foil in a 250 F degree oven.