When Napoleon Bonaparte took Josephine de Beauharnais as his bride he also took on her entire family, no mean chore, as the Beauharnais clan boasted quite enough near lunatics to make life exceedingly difficult - even for an emperor.

Two of Josephine's uncles gained enormous satisfaction in spending huge sums of money in restaurants and bordellos, even if they had to embezzle the cash they so enjoyed. Jean-Paul, a cousin of Josephine's, earned a special reputation not so much because he specialized in seducing married women, but in arranging his liaisons so that he would sooner or later be caught in the act by a jealous husband. It was his habit to then challenge the cuckolded husband to a duel, and then to dispatch of them with one or more thrusts of the sword with which he was so proficient. Jean-Paul was rumored to have slept with nearly a thousand women. It is said that he sent 125 of their husbands to their final resting places.

If there was a saving grace to the family it was Fanny de Beauharnais, Josephine's aunt. A friend wrote that "Fanny was equally devoted to good eating and good sex, and was willing to take either wherever she found them". The Goncourt brothers wrote that "even though Fanny would welcome any capable male into her bed, even into her eighth decade she maintained a special place in her heart and her bed for 16 year old boys."

What made Fanny so charming, were not her sexual proclivities, but her efforts at writing. Possessed of literary pretensions that far outstretched her talents, Fanny suffered a series of catastrophes at the Comedie Francaise and her books were, at best, objects of sometimes polite and sometimes not-so-polite humor.

Despite her literary tragedies, Fanny maintained a solid reputation as a hostess and gastronome. Even though she enjoyed boasting about her "sexual agility", Fanny once wrote that "although I am far from averse to the charms of the bedroom, I cannot help but prefer those of the well-set picnic table." On one occasion, Fanny arranged a Sunday lawn luncheon for three friends. The repast consisted of two jellied pheasants from Tuscany, a pate de foie gras made especially for her in Strassbourg, two game pies from Aix-en-Provence and several bottles of Spanish sparkling wine.

It is of no small interest to note that while Napoleon was in exile he forbad Josephine to visit him. He did, however, receive regular visits from Fanny and it is reported that the two became fast friends.


The following dish was dedicted to Fanny in 1864 by one of the chefs at Paris' famed Bofinger restaurant. The restaurant, which has in recent years been restored to its former glory, still offers the dish on a regular basis.

Tournedos a la Beauharnais

For the sauce:
1 Tbsp. shallots, chopped
1 sprig of thyme
1/4 bay leaf
3 Tbsp. tarragon, chopped
2 Tbsp. chervil, chopped
1/4 cup each vinegar and white wine
2 eggs, beaten lightly with 1 Tbsp. water
1/2 cup butter, cut into 1 cm pieces
1/2 tsp. lemon juice (optional)
pinch cayenne pepper
salt and pepper to taste
1 small pat of butter

For the tournedos:
1/2 cup butter
24 new potatoes, peeled
1 tbsp. parsley, chopped finely
4 tournedos (medallions of fillet of beef)
salt and pepper to taste

Prepare the sauce: In an enameled saucepan combine the shallots, thyme, bay leaf, 2 Tbsp. of the tarragon and 1 Tbsp. of the chervil. Add a pinch each of salt and pepper, pour over the vinegar and wine and bring to a boil. Continue to boil until reduced by two-thirds. Let cool.

To the saucepan add the eggs and, over a low flame, beat until the eggs begin to thicken. Immediately begin to add the butter, in small pieces, whisking constantly. Correct the seasoning with salt and pepper and, if desired, lemon juice and cayenne pepper. Strain the sauce and add the remaining tarragon and chervil. Dab with fresh butter and keep warm in a double-boiler.

Prepare the main dish: In a flameproof casserole heat 5 Tbsp. of the butter. To this add the potatoes. Season with salt and saute until the potatoes are nearly tender. Transfer to an oven that has been preheated to medium-hot (190 Celsius/400 Fahrenheit) and cook until the potatoes are golden in color and are done through, shaking the casserole periodically during cooking. Sprinkle over with the parsley.

Season the tournedos with salt and pepper. In a large skillet heat the remaining butter to the point of fragrance and in this rapidly saute the tournedos so that they will be nicely browned on the outside and remain pink inside. Transfer to a preheated serving platter and garnish with the potatoes. Spoon over a bit of the Beauharnaise sauce and serve the remaining sauce separately. (Serves 4).

© Daniel Rogov