1767, Jean Honoré de Trogoff joined the navy as a young officer. In 1793, having climbed all the ranks of the Royal Navy hierarchy, Admiral de Trogoff remains known for having delivered the French fleet to the English. This brilliant Breton sailor, born in the Tréguier region, had nevertheless distinguished himself with Kerguelen and by fighting for the independence of the United States. Declared an outlaw by the Convention, he took refuge with his 118-gun ship - Le Commerce de Marseille - on the island of Elba, where he died in strange circumstances that we will discuss. Another facet of the character interests us, on the ships where he was embarked as captain and then rear admiral de Trogoff would supervise all food purchase orders, and note them down scrupulously. So he will buy large quantities of crockery, dozens of dishes, sauce boats, chocolate pots, mills, cutlery and kitchen utensils that one would not expect to find on board. He will inventory the partridges, thrushes, poultry, hams, andouilles, eggs, brown sugar, capers, pasta, vegetables, condiments and sauces. It is no longer a ship but a starred vessel, it is not a warship but a catering ship! Not to mention the bottles of grand cru, flasks of alcohol, carafes and other Marie-Jeanne. The barrels of the ship are counted by the barrels of wine!
Under the sponsorship of the starred chef Pierre Gagnaire, the students of the Savary-Ferry vocational school in Arras have recreated these menus and faithfully worked on the dishes of the Revolution, reproduced in this book.
We will end the book with a meticulous investigation into the Toulon period and will call upon as witnesses to History: Thiers, Guérin, Dumas, Trousset, Puissant de Molimont, etc. We will rediscover forgotten archives, precise depositions, letters from Trogoff and his correspondents. We will evoke the true role played by Admiral de Trogoff in Toulon. Under the aegis of the French Navy, here is the little-known story of a gourmet admiral.
