The ''Dîner des trois empereurs'' or Three Emperors Dinner was a
banquet
A banquet (; ) is a formal large meal where a number of people consume food together. Banquets are traditionally held to enhance the prestige of a host, or reinforce social bonds among joint contributors. Modern examples of these purposes i ...
held at
Café Anglais
The Café Anglais (, ''English café'') was a famous French restaurant located at the corner of the Boulevard des Italiens (n° 13) and the Rue de Marivaux in Paris, France.
History
Opened in 1802, the restaurant was named in honor of the Tr ...
in
Paris
Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. S ...
,
France
France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...
on 7 June 1867.
It consisted of 16
courses
Course may refer to:
Directions or navigation
* Course (navigation), the path of travel
* Course (orienteering), a series of control points visited by orienteers during a competition, marked with red/white flags in the terrain, and corresponding ...
with eight wines served over eight hours.
Overview
The Three Emperors Dinner was prepared by chef
Adolphe Dugléré
Adolphe Dugléré (3 June 1805 in Bordeaux – 4 April 1884 in Paris) was a French chef and a pupil of Marie-Antoine Carême.
Les Frères Provençaux
Dugléré was a ''chef de cuisine'' to the Rothschild family until 1848, and was manag ...
at the request of
King William I of Prussia who frequented the cafe during the
Exposition Universelle. He requested a meal to be remembered and at which no expense was to be spared for himself and his guests,
Tsar Alexander II of Russia, plus his son the tsarevitch (who later became
Tsar Alexander III), and
Prince Otto von Bismarck.
The name "Three Emperors Dinner" is something of a misnomer and apparently was applied retrospectively, as only Alexander II bore the title of Emperor at the time. Wilhelm I would not be proclaimed Kaiser (emperor) until 1871, whereas Alexander III would only ascend the Imperial Russian throne in 1881 after his father's assassination.
The cellar master, Claudius Burdel, was instructed to accompany the dishes with the greatest wines in the world, including a
Roederer champagne in a
special lead glass
Lead glass, commonly called crystal, is a variety of glass in which lead replaces the calcium content of a typical potash glass. Lead glass contains typically 18–40% (by weight) lead(II) oxide (PbO), while modern lead crystal, historically als ...
bottle, so Tsar Alexander could admire the bubbles and golden colour.
The banquet consisted of 16 courses with eight wines served over eight hours. The cost of the meal was 400 francs per person (over
€
The euro sign () is the currency sign used for the euro, the official currency of the eurozone and unilaterally adopted by Kosovo and Montenegro. The design was presented to the public by the European Commission on 12 December 1996. It consists o ...
9,000 in prices). The high price of the wines served contributed to the high price of the meal.
At 1 o'clock in the morning, Tsar Alexander is reported to have complained that the meal had not contained
foie gras. Burdel explained that it was not the custom in French cuisine to eat foie gras in June. The tsar was satisfied with the answer. Each emperor was sent a
terrine
Terrine may refer to:
* Terrine (cookware), a vessel for cooking a forcemeat loaf
* Terrine (food), a forcemeat similar to pâté
{{Disambiguation ...
of foie gras as a gift the following October.
The table used for the banquet and a copy of the menu is on display at
La Tour d'Argent
La Tour d'Argent (English: The Silver Tower) is a historic restaurant in the 5th arrondissement of Paris, France. It is located at 15 Quai de la Tournelle. It has a rating of one star from the ''Guide Michelin''.
History
The restaurant claims ...
restaurant in Paris.
Menu
The menu included the following, among the 16 courses:
''Potage impératrice'' consists of a
chicken stock
Stock, sometimes called bone broth, is a savory cooking liquid that forms the basis of many dishes particularly soups, stews, and sauces. Making stock involves simmering animal bones, meat, seafood, or vegetables in water or wine, often for an ...
thickened with
tapioca
Tapioca (; ) is a starch extracted from the storage roots of the cassava plant (''Manihot esculenta,'' also known as manioc), a species native to the North Region, Brazil, North and Northeast Region, Brazil, Northeast regions of Brazil, but wh ...
and finished with
egg
An egg is an organic vessel grown by an animal to carry a possibly fertilized egg cell (a zygote) and to incubate from it an embryo within the egg until the embryo has become an animal fetus that can survive on its own, at which point the a ...
yolk
Among animals which produce eggs, the yolk (; also known as the vitellus) is the nutrient-bearing portion of the egg whose primary function is to supply food for the development of the embryo. Some types of egg contain no yolk, for example bec ...
s and
cream
Cream is a dairy product composed of the higher-fat layer skimmed from the top of milk before homogenization. In un-homogenized milk, the fat, which is less dense, eventually rises to the top. In the industrial production of cream, this process ...
, to which
poached rounds of
chicken
The chicken (''Gallus gallus domesticus'') is a domesticated junglefowl species, with attributes of wild species such as the grey and the Ceylon junglefowl that are originally from Southeastern Asia. Rooster or cock is a term for an adult m ...
forcemeat,
cockscombs
A comb is a fleshy growth or crest on the top of the head of some gallinaceous birds, such as domestic chickens. The alternative name cockscomb (with several spelling variations) reflects the fact that combs are generally larger on cock birds t ...
,
cocks'
kidney
The kidneys are two reddish-brown bean-shaped organs found in vertebrates. They are located on the left and right in the retroperitoneal space, and in adult humans are about in length. They receive blood from the paired renal arteries; blood ...
s and green
pea
The pea is most commonly the small spherical seed or the seed-pod of the flowering plant species ''Pisum sativum''. Each pod contains several peas, which can be green or yellow. Botanically, pea pods are fruit, since they contain seeds and d ...
s are added.
''Potage fontanges'' is a
purée
A purée (or mash) is cooked food, usually vegetables, fruits or legumes, that has been ground, pressed, blended or sieved to the consistency of a creamy paste or liquid. Purées of specific foods are often known by specific names, e.g., apples ...
of fresh peas diluted with
consommé with the addition of a ''
chiffonade'' of
sorrel
Sorrel (''Rumex acetosa''), also called common sorrel or garden sorrel, is a perennial herbaceous plant in the family Polygonaceae. Other names for sorrel include spinach dock and narrow-leaved dock ('dock' being a common name for the genus '' ...
and sprigs of
chervil.
['' Larousse Gastronomique'' (1961), Crown Publishers (''Translated from the French, Librairie Larousse, Paris (1938)'')]
''Soufflé à la reine'' is a chicken
soufflé with
truffle
A truffle is the fruiting body of a subterranean ascomycete fungus, predominantly one of the many species of the genus ''Tuber''. In addition to ''Tuber'', many other genera of fungi are classified as truffles including ''Geopora'', ''Peziz ...
s
''
Sauce vénitienne'' is a
sauce
In cooking, a sauce is a liquid, cream, or semi-solid food, served on or used in preparing other foods. Most sauces are not normally consumed by themselves; they add flavor, moisture, and visual appeal to a dish. ''Sauce'' is a French word t ...
of
white wine
White wine is a wine that is Fermentation in winemaking, fermented without skin contact. The wine color, colour can be straw-yellow, yellow-green, or yellow-gold. It is produced by the alcoholic fermentation of the non-coloured Juice vesicles, ...
,
tarragon
Tarragon (''Artemisia dracunculus''), also known as estragon, is a species of perennial herb in the family Asteraceae. It is widespread in the wild across much of Eurasia and North America and is cultivated for culinary and medicinal purposes.
...
vinegar
Vinegar is an aqueous solution of acetic acid and trace compounds that may include flavorings. Vinegar typically contains 5–8% acetic acid by volume. Usually, the acetic acid is produced by a double fermentation, converting simple sugars to et ...
,
shallots and chervil, mounted with
butter
Butter is a dairy product made from the fat and protein components of churned cream. It is a semi-solid emulsion at room temperature, consisting of approximately 80% butterfat. It is used at room temperature as a spread, melted as a condiment ...
and finished with chopped chervil and tarragon.
August Escoffier
Georges Auguste Escoffier (; 28 October 1846 – 12 February 1935) was a French chef, restaurateur and culinary writer who popularized and updated traditional French cooking methods. Much of Escoffier's technique was based on that of Marie-Ant ...
(1907), '' Le Guide culinaire''
''Selle de mouton purée Bretonne'' is saddle of
mutton with a purée of
broad beans bound with
Breton sauce Breton sauce (fr. ''sauce bretonne'') is a French compound sauce consisting of a velouté base with julienned onion, leeks, celery heart and mushrooms, mounted with butter and cream. It has been referred to as a brown version of ''sauce soubise'', ...
.
''Poulet à la portugaise'' is whole chicken roasted with a covering of
adobo paste consisting of
tomato
The tomato is the edible berry of the plant ''Solanum lycopersicum'', commonly known as the tomato plant. The species originated in western South America, Mexico, and Central America. The Mexican Nahuatl word gave rise to the Spanish word ...
,
red bell pepper,
garlic
Garlic (''Allium sativum'') is a species of bulbous flowering plant in the genus ''Allium''. Its close relatives include the onion, shallot, leek, chive, Allium fistulosum, Welsh onion and Allium chinense, Chinese onion. It is native to South A ...
,
origanum,
paprika
Paprika ( US , ; UK , ) is a spice made from dried and ground red peppers. It is traditionally made from ''Capsicum annuum'' varietals in the Longum group, which also includes chili peppers, but the peppers used for paprika tend to be milder an ...
,
cayenne pepper,
brown sugar
Brown sugar is unrefined or partially refined soft sugar.
Brown Sugar may also refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media Films
* ''Brown Sugar'' (1922 film), a 1922 British silent film directed by Fred Paul
* ''Brown Sugar'' (1931 film), a 1931 ...
,
lemon juice, white wine, chicken stock and
olive oil
Olive oil is a liquid fat obtained from olives (the fruit of ''Olea europaea''; family Oleaceae), a traditional tree crop of the Mediterranean Basin, produced by pressing whole olives and extracting the oil. It is commonly used in cooking: f ...
, stuffed with tomato flavoured
rice
Rice is the seed of the grass species ''Oryza sativa'' (Asian rice) or less commonly ''Oryza glaberrima
''Oryza glaberrima'', commonly known as African rice, is one of the two domesticated rice species. It was first domesticated and grown i ...
.
''Pâté chaud de cailles'' is warm
pâté of
quail.
''Homard à la parisienne'' is
lobster
Lobsters are a family (biology), family (Nephropidae, Synonym (taxonomy), synonym Homaridae) of marine crustaceans. They have long bodies with muscular tails and live in crevices or burrows on the sea floor. Three of their five pairs of legs ...
cooked in
court bouillon
Court-bouillon or court bouillon (in Louisiana, pronounced ''coo-bee-yon'') is a quickly-cooked broth used for poaching other foods, most commonly fish or seafood. It is also sometimes used for poaching vegetables, eggs, sweetbreads, cockscombs ...
, cut into slices and glazed with
aspic, with a
garnish of tomatoes stuffed with a
macédoine of
vegetable
Vegetables are parts of plants that are consumed by humans or other animals as food. The original meaning is still commonly used and is applied to plants collectively to refer to all edible plant matter, including the flowers, fruits, stems, ...
s, dressed with a mixture of
mayonnaise
Mayonnaise (; ), colloquially referred to as "mayo" , is a thick, cold, and creamy sauce or dressing commonly used on sandwiches, hamburgers, composed salads, and French fries. It also forms the base for various other sauces, such as tartar ...
and aspic and garnished with sliced truffle.
''Canetons à la rouennaise'' is a dish of
roast
Roasting is a cooking method that uses dry heat where hot air covers the food, cooking it evenly on all sides with temperatures of at least from an open flame, oven, or other heat source. Roasting can enhance the flavor through caramelization ...
duckling
Duck is the common name for numerous species of waterfowl in the family Anatidae. Ducks are generally smaller and shorter-necked than swans and geese, which are members of the same family. Divided among several subfamilies, they are a form ta ...
stuffed with
forcemeat. The legs and breasts are removed, the legs are grilled and the breasts are thinly sliced and arranged around the stuffing. The remaining carcass is pressed in a poultry press to extract all the juices and is added to a
Rouennaise sauce
Rouennaise sauce (fr. ''Sauce Rouennaise'') is a Bordelaise sauce with the addition of puréed duck liver. This sauce is served with '' Canetons à la Rouennaise'', which was one of the dishes served at the famous "Dinner of the Three Emperors".A ...
, which is poured over the sliced duck.
(This dish is today the speciality of the house at ''
La Tour d'Argent
La Tour d'Argent (English: The Silver Tower) is a historic restaurant in the 5th arrondissement of Paris, France. It is located at 15 Quai de la Tournelle. It has a rating of one star from the ''Guide Michelin''.
History
The restaurant claims ...
''.)
''Ortolans sur canapés'',
ortolans (now a
protected species) on
toast
Toast most commonly refers to:
* Toast (food), bread browned with dry heat
* Toast (honor), a ritual in which a drink is taken
Toast may also refer to:
Places
* Toast, North Carolina, a census-designated place in the United States
Books
* '' ...
.
''Aubergines à l'espagnole'' is a dish of
aubergine shells filled with chopped aubergine, tomato and
ham and a
gruyère gratin.
''Cassolette princesse'', (a.k.a. ''Cassolette argenteuil''), A
cassolette A ''cassolette'' (from the diminutive form of the French word ''cassole'', a small container) is a small porcelain, glass, or metal container used for the cooking and serving of individual dishes. The word also refers to dishes served in such a cont ...
with a border of
duchesse potatoes and an
asparagus filling in
cream sauce
In cooking, a sauce is a liquid, cream, or semi-solid food, served on or used in preparing other foods. Most sauces are not normally consumed by themselves; they add flavor, moisture, and visual appeal to a dish. ''Sauce'' is a French wor ...
.
''
Bombe glacée
A ''bombe glacée'', or simply a bombe in English, is an ice cream dessert frozen in a spherical mould so as to resemble a cannonball, hence the name ''ice cream bomb''. Escoffier gives over sixty recipes for ''bombes'' in ''Le Guide culinaire''. ...
'' is an
ice cream
Ice cream is a sweetened frozen food typically eaten as a snack or dessert. It may be made from milk or cream and is flavoured with a sweetener, either sugar or an alternative, and a spice, such as cocoa or vanilla, or with fruit such as str ...
dessert.
– Source:
Re-creation
Australia
Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...
n chef
Shannon Bennett
Shannon Bennett (born 23 November 1975) is an Australian chef and author. He is best known as the head chef of restaurant Vue de Monde at Melbourne's Rialto Tower. Bennett currently serves as the creative director at the restaurant and its pare ...
attempted to recreate the banquet in 2002. It took six months to plan and required some changes due to key ingredients and wines no longer being available. Even using the nearest modern equivalent ingredients and wines, the cost of the meal was
$7,500 per person. The
Australian Broadcasting Corporation
The Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) is the national broadcaster of Australia. It is principally funded by direct grants from the Australian Government and is administered by a government-appointed board. The ABC is a publicly-own ...
broadcast the documentary ''Three Emperors Dinner'' about the original banquet and the modern recreation in 2003.
See also
*
Banquet of Chestnuts
The Banquet of Chestnuts (sometimes Ballet of Chestnuts, Festival of Chestnuts, or Joust of Whores) was a supper purportedly held at the Papal Palace in Rome and hosted by former Cardinal Cesare Borgia, son of Pope Alexander VI on 31 October 1501. ...
*
List of dining events
*
Nobel Banquet
Gallery
References
{{Portal bar, Food, History, France
Dining events
French cuisine
1867 in France
High society (social class)
June 1867 events
Dinner