Babette's Feast (Babette's Gæstebud)) | 1987
Exiled Parisian chef Stéphane Audran manages to bring unwanted gastronomic pleasure into the lives of an austere Danish religious community by cooking the mother of all banquets.
Filmed in Vendsyssel, the northernmost island of Jutland, Denmark. Filming at Dragsholm Castle, Dragsholm Allé 1, 4534 Hørve, near the coast; and at Mårup church at Lønstrup. The church stands on a coastal dune, which is in imminent danger of crumbling into the sea.
The military scenes were shot at the garrison town of Næstved, 50 miles southwest of Copenhagen, Sjaelland – the home of the Royal Guard Hussars.
The preparation of the food was actually supervised by Jan Pedersen of La Cocotte restaurant, in the Glostrup Park Hotel, Hovedvejen 41, Copenhagen. You could at one time have ordered the menu from the film here, but sadly no longer. Maybe, though, they could give you some pointers.
Begin with turtle soup, then blinis (Russian pancakes served with caviar), quail in ‘coffins’ (don't worry – that's just puff pastry) served in truffle sauce, salad and cheeses. Finish with rum-soaked spongecake and such exotic – for 19th century Denmark – fruits as pineapples, bananas and oranges. Oh, and don't forget the wines.
