Descending On France 1780-Chapter 25 - 022 Versailles Rose

The next dish looks like white soup covered with a layer of celery.

Vanni quietly announces the dish name: "Cream of Frog."

Anning utters an "Oh," then scoops up a spoonful and places it in her mouth.

The first sensation is a bit strange, like room-temperature ice cream.

The frog legs are stewed until they are very tender, melting upon entrance to the mouth.

And completely without any frog bones, apparently, they have been removed beforehand.

As for the stuff that looks like celery, it is actually a lettuce-like vegetable. In short, the entire dish has a very odd texture.

While eating, Anning suppresses the strong desire to critique.

Luckily, the portion of this dish is not large, and it is quickly finished.

Just when she finishes, the servants come to clear away the empty dishes.

When Vanni brings the next dish, she dutifully whispers into Anning's ear: "Provence Stew."

Anning looks at a jumble of vegetables in the plate before her—mushrooms, eggplants, cucumbers, a medley of stewed veggies—and at first, doesn't know how to comment.

Isn't this just a simple stew?

A French local vegetarian dish?

But since Anning's arrival to this era, she's been eating bread; vegetable intake has been minimal, so topping up on some vegetable vitamins isn't a bad idea.

So, Anning begins stuffing herself with vegetables.

At this moment, the Duke's vexing son Char across the table is displeased: "I don't like Provence stew! I don't want to eat eggplants!"

Duchess: "If you don't wish to eat, then just watch, and wait for the next course."

Char: "I want to eat frog legs! I want to eat snails!"

Duchess stops scooping eggplant into her mouth and sternly scolds: "Enough! Snails are something only commoners eat."

Anning raises an eyebrow at the Duchess.

So, French nobility do not eat snails? Could it be that commoners unable to afford meat turn to snails as a substitute?

Is this unique to this time and space in France, or was it historically so?

Anning puzzles over this while devouring the mixed vegetables stew.

He finds the taste of the Provence Stew actually not bad.

After finishing the stew, Anning feels half full, concluding that the French cuisine of this era is different from the unsatisfying Western meals of the future.

The servants come along to collect the dishes again.

Then, the next dish is served. Vanni, still serving Anning, murmurs: "This is the main course, steak with red wine sauce."

The aroma of the steak wafts into Anning's nostrils, pity that he is already half sated and thus, not particularly hungry.

Everyone at the table begins to use their knife and fork, which Anning follows suit.

He cuts a small piece of the steak, only to find the meat inside is still pink—this steak might only be cooked to a rare degree.

Anning has never eaten steak so rare in his life.

But now, as the whole Duke's family is feasting on the near-raw dish, it wouldn't be polite for him to not eat, so Anning braces himself and stuffs the steak into his mouth.

There is no bloody taste like he imagined; the steak is actually quite delightful, tender in a way Anning has never experienced.

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Could it be that steak is like Guangdong's poached chicken, which also emphasizes on a precise degree of doneness—cooked, yet not overdone?

With this thought, Anning continues to sample the rare steak.

After the steak, it's time for dessert, and today's dessert in the Duke's household is a fruit salad. With the salad finished, a true French meal comes to an end.

Anning glances outside to find that, darn it, it was still light before the meal, and now post-dinner, it's pitch-black as ink—Western dining is indeed time-consuming.

The Duke wipes his mouth and looks at his daughter: "Christina, do you have any plans for tonight?"

Christina: "Dad, there's a ball at Versailles Palace tonight, do you think I should go?"

"Of course you should. It's best to attend a royal ball whenever you have the chance." The Duke glanced at Anning and added, "Let the civilian hero accompany you. That way, maybe there will be fewer suitors coming forward in the future."

Anning thought to himself, well, this is like using me as a human shield for your daughter.

Anning: "As a commoner, is it really proper for me to attend a court ball?"

No sooner had he spoken than Christina shook her head: "Not at all, actually quite a few commoners attend noble balls. At Madame Necker's ball last time, I even saw a secretary's wife who looked no different from a noblewoman."

It seems that the middle class in the cities of this era are really trying to emulate the lifestyle of the nobles.

Just wonder if the secretary's wife Christina mentioned had to go borrow jewels to attend the ball like the female protagonist in a certain novel.

Anning: "If that's the case, then I'll go have a look, but I probably don't have any suitable clothes for a court ball..."

Duke waved his hand grandly: "Don't worry about that; leave it to my butler. We have plenty of clothes at home."

Previously, the Duke was quite stingy with clothes, but now suddenly so generous – the title of civilian hero must indeed carry a lot of weight.

Christina stood up: "Then I'll go get ready. Mr. Frost, see you in a bit."

As Anning watched Christina in her dress, he thought to himself, you're still going to get ready? Wouldn't going like this be fine? You're already looking beautiful.

But the girl didn't pay any heed to what Anning was thinking and left the table with a giggle.

The Duke looked at Anning: "You go and change too."

The butler immediately stepped forward: "Mr. Frost, this way please."

Anning wiped his mouth, stood up, and nodded to the butler.

**

Versailles Palace is located in the suburbs of Paris, a considerable distance from the city center.

Anning sat in the carriage, looking at the dense night outside the window and muttered, "Not even a single streetlamp..."

Christina, sitting opposite, asked in confusion: "But this part of the road is in the wilderness, there are no households around, all royal hunting grounds, who would they light the lamps for?"

Anning: "For the rabbits?"

Christina laughed heartily.

At that moment, Anning saw lights through the carriage window.

"There are lights!"

"Must be close now, those are the lights of the Imperial Palace."

Then the coachman drew back the window to the carriage and reported softly, "We will soon arrive at Versailles."

Christina: "Got it."

Anning opened the window, and the sound of music wafted in.

Christina: "The ball has already started."

Anning: "Is it a problem that we're running late?"

"Not at all, it's quite common for people to arrive late to such balls, especially since Versailles Palace is so far from Paris."

Anning: "Won't the Royal Family feel neglected by you?"

Christina laughed: "What are you talking about? I'm the daughter of the Duke of Orleans, my father is always financing stories about the Queen's romantic escapades..."

Anning: "Right, your father has been neglecting the Royal Family all along."

Christina: "I heard the Queen has already thrown several fits over it."

"And you still come to the Queen's ball?"

"If I completely ignored the Queen's balls, that would truly be neglecting her," Christina said with a smile, "Besides, no matter how upset she is privately, at the ball she will always be all smiles."

Anning: "After all, your family is still part of the extended Royal Family."

"Not really, it's because the Royal Family owes my father money."

Anning: "So that's how it is!"