| On the first evening of the king's visit (April 23) a light supper
Turtle soup,
Creamed chicken fried trout
Roast pheasant
About 75 more guests turned up than had been expected, and Vatel was embarrassed as he felt that some of the tables did not receive enough roasts. His staff assured him that no-one else had noticed, and all of the guests were happy, but he was still most upset.
In the early hours of the next morning, a consignment of fish was expected, but when only a few baskets arrived, Vatel became distraught - no doubt already anticipating the shame of not feeding the king well enough. He went to his room, wrote a note saying "The shame is too much to bear", fixed his sword in the door frame, and stabbed himself (eight times according to some reports). Shortly after his body was discovered the rest of the fish arrived.
The meal went ahead as planned, except for the omission of the fillet of sole as a mark of respect.
The menu was:
Anchovies Sevigne
Melon with Parma Ham
Lobster Quenelles With Shrimp Sauce
Leg of Lamb
Vatel Duck Saluted in Madeira Wine
Strawberry Bombe
Adaptation by Janet Clarkson and Stephen Block |
