Vatel, François

Vatel, François (fräNswä' vätel') [key], fl. 17th cent., French chef, famous in the time of Louis XIV. Mme Marie de Sévigné, in her letters, speaks of him as the chef of the prince of Condé and says that on a Friday, when the king was coming to dinner and the fish failed to arrive in time, Vatel committed suicide. The authenticity of this story is doubtful.

The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th ed. Copyright © 2007, Columbia University Press. All rights reserved.

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