history - chefs: Chef Vatel

Chef Vatel (1613 - 1671)

The truth of Chef Vatel’s life is as best patchy. From when he was born to his real name and origin.

It is widely accepted that he was born in what is now Switzerland, the son of a farm labourer and christened Fritz Karle Watel. (the ‘W’ in the Germanic languages of course being pronounced as a “V”) or some say his name was Jean-Francois Vatel

He was the Chef to Nicolas Fouquet, the French Superintendent of Finances, when the Prince of Condé managed to lure Vatel into his own services. It was in the Prince’s employ in the spring of 1671 that the event occurred that sealed Chef Vatel’s fate and put him forever into the culinary history books.

Though even without this singular, dramatic event his legacy would have been no doubt assured, for he is said to have created many dishes that survive to this day; like Crème Chantilly, said to have been created in 1661 for a banquet while he was the Chef for the Prince of Condé at the Chantilly Castle

In March of 1671, the word came from Versailles that King Louis XIV (the Sun King) would be accepting the Prince’s invitation and would be visiting the Prince with approx. 200 guests. Not an uncommon event in those days, but imagine the time and era we are talking about, no mass transit system to transport them or roads that were hardly user friendly. Even if there were four guests per horse drawn carriage that is 50 carriages, but that does not allow for each guests servants, ladies in waiting etc. Take that into account and the mind boggles and the enormity of the event the organisation involved and of course the catering needs.

The party arrived on April 23, 1671 and a hunting party was organised for the King in the early evening. Because of this Chef Vatel organised a light supper menu to be served, hardly light by today’s standard as the menu was :

Turtle soup

Creamed chicken

Fried Trout

Roast pheasant

Unfortunately there was approximately 75 more guests than anticipated, and Chef Vatel was said to have been highly embarrassed and upset by the fact he thought that some of the tables did not receive enough food. Some say his staff insured him all was well and no one noticed, some say the Prince himself congratulated and consoled Chef Vatel, others say that the Prince berated Vatel for the error.

Whatever the truth, imagine the pressure Chef Vatel was already under. Developing the menu, creating the dishes, ordering the supplies and ensuring their delivery on time, remembering we are talking of a time with no refrigeration etc for storage so it all had to be fresh and delivered the same day it was to be used. Then of course we must not forget the enormity of the task of cooking all the food; organising the staff, stoking the fires of the ovens, preping the food, etc

The pressure leading up to the event would have been enormous, it is speculated that Chef Vatel had not slept for days and days prior to April 23. So even before the ‘light supper’ he would have no doubt have been stressed to the max and at the point of exhaustion and ready for a nervous breakdown.

The next night a great feast was planned, the main dishes are listed below. But of course add to this any vegetables or other side dishes, plus a fish (sole?) dish had also been planned to be served by Vatel:

Anchovies Sevigne

Melon with Parma Ham

Lobster Quenelles With Shrimp Sauce

Vatel Duck Saluted in Madeira Wine

Leg of Lamb

Strawberry Bombe

Apparently Chef Vatel was there in the early hours (some say 4am but as clocks were not common place back then, how would one know?) when the fish delivery arrived. It was severely short of the actual order and requirements, just two baskets of fish arrived apparently instead of the twelve requested. Through a misunderstanding, Chef Vatel believed that, that was all there was, when in fact the merchant merely meant that all there was from his village.

Some say he wrote a brief note to the prince stating "The shame is too much to bear", some say he said it to an assistant, whatever the truth Chef Vatel retired to his room and committed suicide. He fixed his ceremonial sword to his door and plunged himself onto it, some legends say up to eight times!

The banquet went ahead of course, but as a mark of respect (which I believe is the very least they could have done) without the planned fish course. King Louis XIV praised him for his high sense of honour. Another guest; Marie de Rabutin-Chantal, Marquise de Sévigné is said to have wrote to her daughter: "The man protected his honour, of that one can be certain . . . The incident did, of course, spoil the party somewhat." The popular and accepted story of his demise comes from the letters of Marie de Rabutin-Chantal to her daughter

All very dramatic and in hindsight it may seem a bit of an overkill (pardon the pun), but again consider the times, consider the circumstances and the enormity of the pressure Chef Vatel would have been under. By the time of the fish incident his nerves would have been at breaking point, his stress levels immense and as happens, the human psyche can only take so much and it is often some thing small that tips a person over the edge.

Though thinking one had only enough fish for less than one quarter of the people for a banquet for King Louis XIV, can hardly be considered a small thing I suppose.

Chef Vatel died on Friday, April 24, 1671

NOTES
His life and dramatic death lately popularised in the film ‘Vatel’ starring Gérard Depardieu

Marie de Rabutin-Chantal, Marquise de Sévigné, was a pre-eminent letter writer in early modern Europe; her letters to family and friends were widely circulated and copied, prized for their witty style and for the gossip of Paris they contained

The following is a transcript of a letter sent by her to her daughter, that I found online at www.cambridge.org:

It is Sunday, April 26; this letter won't leave until Wednesday; but this isn't a letter, it's that which Moreuil has just told me so that I could repeat it to you, about what happened at Chantilly concerning Vatel. On Friday I wrote to you that he was stabbed: here are the details of the matter.

The King arrived Thursday evening; hunting, lanterns, moonlight, a promenade, the meal in a place carpeted with jonquils, everything that one could wish. Supper was served; there were some tables at which there was no roast, because there were several more guests than were expected. This affected Vatel; he said several times: "I have lost honor; this is a disgrace which I can't bear." He said to Gourville [another cook]: "My head is spinning, I haven't slept for twelve nights; help me give orders." Gourville helped him as best he could. The roast which had been lacking, not at the King's table, but at the twenty-fifth and twenty-sixth, kept coming back to his mind. The Prince went to his room and said to him, "Vatel, everything is going fine, nothing was ever as lovely as the King's supper." Vatel answered, "Sir, your goodness is too much for me; I know that there was no roast at two tables." "That's nothing at all," said the prince, "don't fret about it, everything is going fine."

Night falls. The fireworks fail, because of a fog over everything; they had cost sixteen thousand francs. At 4:00 AM Vatel was everywhere, but he found everyone asleep; he ran into a small purveyor who brought him only two loads of fish; Vatel asked him, "Is that all?" He answered, "Yes, sir." He didn't know that Vatel had sent to all the ports. Vatel waited a while; the other purveyors didn't come; his head felt hot, he thought that he would have no other fish; he found Gourville, and said to him: "Sir, I will not survive this disgrace; I have honor and a reputation to lose." Gourville laughed at him. Vatel went up to his room, stood his sword against the door, and passed it through his heart; but that was only at the third stab, for the first two weren't fatal: He fell dead. However, the fish started coming from all sides; they looked for Vatel to distribute it; they went to his room, they started banging, they broke down the door; they found him drowned in his blood; they ran to the Prince, who was in despair. The Duke cried; he had come from Burgundy only because of Vatel. The Prince said to the King with great sadness: "They say it was because of his pride"; people praised him greatly, they praised and blamed his courage.

The King said that he hadn't been to Chantilly for five years because he knew how much strain his visits caused. He told the Prince that he should only have had two tables, and not paid any attention to the others. He swore that he would not put up with the Prince's doing things like that any more; but it was too late for poor Vatel.

Gourville tried to make up for the loss of Vatel; it worked: they dined very well, they had their light meals, they supped, the took their walks, they hunted. Everywhere the scent of jonquils, everything was enchanted. Yesterday, which was Saturday, they did the same again; and in the evening the King went to Liancourt, where he ordered a midnight meal like the ones after fasts; he has to stay there today.

That's what Moreuil told me, so that I should send it to you. I throw my bonnet above the mill, and that's all I know of the story. [This was a standard ending to French fairy tales and other stories.] M. de Hacqueville, who was there, will no doubt write to you about it, but since my handwriting is more legible than his, I'm writing anyway. I've written a lot of details, but since I would want them in your place, I'm sending them to you.

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