Few people have experienced as meteoric a rise in fame as Andoche Junot , the Duke of Abrantes. Born in 1771, by the age of eighteen he had fathered eleven illegitimate children; at twenty he was a general serving under Napoleon; and at twenty-two he was appointed Governor of Paris, a position he held until his death at the age of forty-two. According to a letter written by his valet, Jean Boitelle, during his twenty year tenure Abrantes "had sixty-two different mistresses, embezzled over two hundred million livres and ate at least one magnificent meal every day".

Famous more as a gourmand than a gourmet, Abrantes entertained lavishly and was often to be found in the better known taverns and restaurants of the city. Restaurateurs and tavern-keepers all knew that it would be considered "inappropriate" to present the governor with a bill. When it came to the table in his own home, Abrantes was fastidious, insisting that only the best and most expensive delicacies were to be served. Because he took special pride in the freshness of the food that would be served his guests, he took enormous pleasure nearly every day in accompanying one of his servants to the market to oversee the purchase of the fruits and vegetables that would be used in his kitchens.

Despite his flamboyant life style, Abrantes was much admired by the common people of the city. He may have been an embezzler but he made sure that the price of bread, cheese and wine remained low. One habit that particularly won the hearts of the people was that every Thursday morning, regardless of how bad the weather might have been, he would leave his house at five a.m. From there, he made his way by foot to the banks of the Seine where he would fish alongside the poorest peple of the city for gudgeon, the delicate sweet water fish that were then so abundant in the river. The duke would catch eight fish, pack up his equipment and, to the applause of the people, return home. Once there he went directly to the kitchen where he would personally prepare the fish for a breakfast that was invariably shared by his mistress of the moment.

For six years the famed chef Richard was head of the Abrantes kitchens and it was he who dedicated this dish to his employer.

Tournedos Abrantes

2 Tbsp. olive oil

4 slices eggplant, peeled and cut into slices 1 centimeter thick
1/4 cup + 2 tsp. butter
4 medium potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2 centimeter dice
4 tournedos
salt and paprika to taste

1/2 cup sweet red pepper, peeled and diced
3 - 4 Tbsp. tomato sauce
2 Tbsp. onion, chopped coarsely

With 1 Tbsp. of the oil brush both sides of the eggplant slices. Place the slices under a hot broiler and grill on both sides until nicely browned. Set aside to keep warm.

In a heavy skillet heat 2 Tbsp. of the butter and in this saute the potatoes until done through and nicely browned on the outside.

Season the tournedos to taste with salt and paprika. In a separate heavy skillet, while the potatoes are cooking, heat together 2 Tbsp. of the remaining butter and the remaining oil and in this saute the tournedos over a high flame to ensure that they will be nicely done on the exterior but remain pink inside.

In a third skillet melt the remaining butter and in this saute the red peppers briefly. Add 3 Tbsp. of the tomato sauce and heat through, adding the remaining tomato sauce if necessary to coat all of the red peppers.

When the tournedos are done, remove from the skillet and set them aside to keep warm. In the skillet in which the tournedos were cooked, saute the onion until just beginning to brown. Add the red pepper and tomato sauce mixture and heat through.

To serve, place each tournedo on an eggplant slice, pour over the red pepper-onion mixture and serve garnished with the potatoes. (Serves 4).

© Daniel Rogov