According to this legend, Napoleon enjoyed the dish so much he had it served to him after every battle, and when Dunand was later better-supplied and substituted mushrooms for crayfish and added wine to the recipe, Napoleon refused to accept it, believing that a change would bring him bad luck.
Ifølge denne legende nød Napoleon retten så meget, at han fik den serveret efter hvert eneste slag, og da Durand senere havde flere ingredienser til rådighed og byttede krebsene ud med svampe og tilføjede vin til opskriften, nægtede Napoleon at spise det, da han troede at det ville ændre hans krigslykke.