At a 1988 conference devoted to studies of French military hisory, Marc Ferro, who was Director of Studies in Social Sciences at the Ecole des Hautes Etudes in Paris uttered the hope that "no one would ever write a collective history of our generals, for so many of them have been idiots, clowns or incompetents that such a history would make all Frenchmen look just a bit silly".

Few French generals better fit Ferro's description than Charles de Rohan, the last Prince of Soubise and a general in the French army during the reign of King Louis XV. Among the dubious honors that Soubise collected, none is more outstanding than in more than eighty encounters with various enemy armies, he never won a single battle. In fact, in a career that lasted more than forty years, it is estimated that 16,000 soldiers and officers in his command died in combat and that he lost more than 800 artillery pieces, 2,600 horses, 240 donkeys and 6 camels to the enemy.

Despite his many and obvious failings as a military leader, Soubise is considered a hero by most Frenchmen, for when he took to the battlefield he set off, in addition to carrying the usual tools and accoutrements of war, with a wagon train of kitchen and dining equipment and the very best of foods and wines. Equally important, he was always accompanied by his personal chef Marin, one of France's best known chefs. On one occasion, when overrun by the Prussians at Rossbach, the general lost nearly 600 of his troops but earned the respect of all France by saving his chef and his batterie de cuisine. On another occasion, after a five day retreat from a battle he had lost, he sent a messenger to the commanding general of the Prussian army and requested a 24 hour cease-fire so that his chef would have time to cook several pheasants that he had found that morning. The commander of the other army agreed and the opposing generals dined together that night.

Soubise was the last male in his family, so upon his death theamily line and title faded into oblivion. Despite this, the family name lives on, because one of his chefs devised the mixture known as "Soubise", a mixture so useful that in addition to being used as a garnish to many dishes it is also used in making more than 35 different sauces. Whether the original combination was first made by Marin, the chef who followed him from battlefield to battlefield over the years or by Constant, the head chef at the family chateau under more peaceful circumstances is not known.

Soubise

1/4 kilo onions, chopped
1/2 cup butter
2 cups thick Bechamel sauce
salt, white pepper and nutmeg
1/4 cup sweet cream
Place the onions in generous amount of boiling water and let boil for 5 - 6 minutes. Drain well. In a skillet heat 1/4 cup of the butter and in this gently cook, but do not brown the onions. Add the Bechamel sauce, season with salt, pepper and nutmeg and simmer gently for several minutes, stirring often. Rub through a sieve, pressing with a wooden spoon. Reheat the puree, add the remaining butter and the cream and mix thoroughly. If not using at once, dab the surface with butter and keep warm in a bain-marie (double boiler). (Yields about 2 1/2 cups).

Baked Potatoes Soubise

6 large baking potatoes, in their jackets, washed and scrubbed
2 Tbsp. butter, melted
salt and pepper
1 recipe Soubise (see above)
3 Tbsp. butter
breadcrumbs as required

Brush the potatoes with the melted butter and sprinkle lightly with salt. In a very hot oven bake the potatoes for 20 minutes and then quickly prick the skin once with the tip of a fork and continue to bake until the potatoes are nicely done (45 - 50 minutes in all). Cut open the top of the potatoes and scoop out 2/3 of the pulp. Rub the pulp through a sieve and mix with the Soubise. Season well with salt and pepper and add the butter, mixing in well. With this mixture fill the potatoes. Sprinkle over with the breadcrumbs and place under a hot grill just to brown. Serve piping hot. (Serves 6).

Stuffed Artichoke Hearts Soubise

12 artichoke hearts (ideally fresh but may use frozen or tinned)
juice of 1 lemon
1/4 cup butter
2 1/2 cups Soubise (see recipe above)

Drop the artichokes into 2 1/2 cm. of boiling water to which the lemon juice has been added and simmer, covered, until the heartsare nearly tender (16 - 20 minutes). (If using frozen artichokes, cooked for 6 - 8 minutes and with tinned artichoke omit this step). Drain well.

In a skillet melt the butter and in this cook the hearts until tender (4 - 6 minutes). Drain and fill the hearts with the
Soubise. Serve hot as a vegetable or as a garnish. (Serves 4 - 6).

© Daniel Rogov