Thursday 27 November 2014

fillet de sole à la Jeanette

'You have been to the Riviera before, Georges?' said Poirot to his valet the following morning. George was an intensely English, rather wooden-faced individual.
'Yes, sir. I was here two years ago when I was in the service of Lord Edward Frampton.'
'And today,' murmured his master, 'you are here with Hercule Poirot. How one mounts in the world!'
The valet made no reply to this observation. After a suitable pause he asked:
'The brown lounge suit, sir? The wind is somewhat chilly today.'
'There is a grease spot on the waistcoat,' objected Poirot. 'A morceau of Fillet de sole à la Jeanette alighted there when I was lunching at the Ritz last Tuesday.'
'There is no spot there now, sir,' said George reproachfully. 'I have removed it.'
'Très bien!' said Poirot. 'I am pleased with you, Georges.'
'Thank you, sir.'
Agatha Christie
The Mystery of the Blue Train (1928)

This book offers one of my favourite clichés.

Tommy also eats sole à la Jeanette in The Secret Adversary
Was it a Christie invention?

6 comments:

  1. Very likely she made it up - it's only surprising she kept the same spelling, I love the way she brings places and people back without bothering to check if she got it exactly right. Her nephew's wife changes her name, and then there's that mysterious Balkan country that the villains come from, that keeps changing its name. Admirable.

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    1. I'm just happy to have something in common with Poirot now, namely dinner down my front!

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    2. Actually a real dish made with a tarragon sauce. Jeanette Bertrandy - La bonne cuisine povencale.

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    3. Actually a real dish made with a tarragon sauce. Jeanette Bertrandy - La bonne cuisine povencale.

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  2. Oh, very good to know more about this - thank you!

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  3. I used this passage- and referenced your blog- for an edition of "Poirot gourmet," a foodie series I write up on my Poirot blog. :) https://poirotblog.wordpress.com/2018/08/15/poirot-gourmet-french-english-fusion-edition/

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