Eat like Bugatti’s founder with this breakdown of the extravagant meal he would serve guests every holiday

• French automaker Bugatti is known for multi-million dollar cars that produce stratospheric amounts of power.
• But its founder, Ettore Bugatti, also had a passion for food and cooking.
• He specially prepared a holiday menu for his guests and served it to them every year.
• Visit Business Insider’s homepage for more stories.

Bugatti’s founder, Ettore Bugatti, wasn’t someone just interested in cars. He was, apparently, multi-dimensional and loved food. Who not among us?

Most of the things you read about Ettore comment on his engineering and design prowess when it came to cars, but he also invented a pasta machine, created his own cutlery, and kept horses and chickens, according to Bugatti.

Ettore found joy in cooking and spent his time trying out recipes. He was also big on table settings and decorations – going as far as to sketch and draw arrangements, presumably so that they could be replicated in the future. 

Also: “Instead of flowers, he used opulent baskets of exotic fruits – a symbol of luxury and sophistication,” according to Bugatti.

Though Ettore never got around to starting his own restaurant, his friends did about 100 years ago. When it opened, the restaurant was named Clos Sainte Odile, located in Obernai, Alsace, France. It was a place where they could hang out and enjoy good food together.

Today, it is called La Fourchette des Ducs. Under chef Nicolas Stamm, has two Michelin stars and seats 16.

During the winter, restaurant director Serge Schaal surrounds guests with works of art by Marc Petit and uses crystals and Spindler’s marquetry as a nod to the 1920s and Ettore Bugatti’s own personal taste.

Ettore had a special menu he served his guests during the Christmas and holiday seasons. Christmas has since come and gone, but the menu still looks to be a wonderful winter spread, consisting of a soup, a duck main course, and a strawberry dessert. 

Since it sounds like it'll be a long winter for all of us this year, you can find the recipes below. 

Starter - Minestrone à la Ettore Bugatti

Ingredients (for four)
Shallots, spring onions, celery, leek, potatoes, fennel, carrots, runner beans, courgettes, 125 g each
Vegetable stock, 1250 ml
Chives, 50 g
Parsley, 50 g
Rosemary, 25 g
Thyme, 10 g
Oregano, 10 g
Diced tomatoes, 100 g
Salt, pepper, sugar, olive oil, white balsamic vinegar

Preparation
Finely chop the shallots, sauté in olive oil and add vegetable stock - simmer at a low temperature. Cut the potatoes and add to the stock, simmer for five minutes. Add the finely chopped vegetables, cook for another three to five minutes and add the herbs. Season with salt, pepper, sugar, and a teaspoon of white balsamic vinegar. Serve the minestrone in soup bowls and sprinkle with the diced tomatoes and parsley.

Main course - Glazed breast of duck with truffle purée and cassis sauce

Ingredients (for two)
Two small duck breasts, 150 g each
Honey, 85 g
Potatoes, 250 g
Cream, 35 g
Butter, 15 g
Truffle oil, 3 g
Black truffle, 10 g
Red port, 150 ml
Cassis liqueur, 50 ml
Red onion, half
Salt, pepper, nutmeg
Olive oil

Preparation
Sear the duck breasts in olive oil on both sides, then bake in the oven for about eight minutes at 130 degrees Celsius. Boil the potatoes until soft and press them through a potato ricer while still hot, then fold in the butter and cream and season with salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Add the truffle oil. For the sauce, peel the onions and cut into fine rings. Sauté in olive oil and deglaze with port wine and cassis liqueur. Reduce the sauce over a slow heat until creamy, add the butter. Arrange the duck breast and other ingredients attractively on a plate and grate the black truffles over the purée.

Dessert - Strawberry gratin

Ingredients (for four)
Strawberries, 500 g
Cream, 250 g
Milk, 100 g
Egg yolk, 4
Sugar, 50 g
Brown sugar, 35 g
Half a vanilla pod
Mint leaves for garnishing

Preparation
Wash and slice the strawberries, divide the slices between four glasses. Bring the cream and milk to a boil together with the sugar and vanilla pod. Once boiled, mix some of the milk cream with the egg yolk and then add it to the rest of the boiling cream. Stirring constantly leave on the stove top for one minute. Pour the cream mixture over the strawberries, sprinkle with the brown sugar, and place in the oven for 10 minutes at 240 degrees Celsius top and bottom heat. To serve, place the glasses on saucers and garnish with the mint leaves.