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Classical French Cuisine |
 
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French Classical French cuisine a concise guide
Why classical Classical French cuisine (also known as haute cuisine) the symbol of fine dining in the Western world.
Insights on classical
Classical cuisine is cooked in distinguished restaurants in many places in France, but it is mainly concentrated in and around Paris.
The world-acclaimed haute cuisine of France is essentially a system of cooking that has transformed regional dishes into elaborate ones fit for the most discriminating epicure.
According to its rules, nothing but the finest cooking ingredients, equipment, and talent should be employed. Recipes are exact and should be followed faithfully. Therefore, contrary to widespread opinion, being a haute-cuisine chef is not a truly creative profession.
Because the preparation of many of the sauces requires an economy of scale and much time (measured in days), haute cuisine is better suited for well-staffed restaurants than to homes.
History of classical
The traditional birth year of classic French haute cuisine is 1533, when Catherine de Medici moved from Florence to Paris to become the child-bride of the future King, Henri II. She was so appalled by the qualities and manners of the French table that, as part of her marriage agreement, she was allowed to bring an entourage of chefs from her homeland, where fine cooking was an art form. In due course, the imported talent introduced the Parisian courtiers to the glories that would soon develop into classic French cuisine.
In fairness to the French pride, it must be pointed out that good local cooking existed long before Catherine's arrival, as is partially substantiated by Taillevent's fourteenth century cookbook. Furthermore, Catherine merely precipitated and did not - as some food writers are fond of telling us - create classic French cuisine. If she had not done so, someone else would have performed the mission, because the time was right for the development of the latent French palate, farming skill, and kitchen expertise.
The other most potent influences on classic French cuisine include the eighteenth-century chef La Varenne, who wrote Le Cuisinier Francois, the gourmet Brillat-Savarin (1755-1826), author of The Physiology of Taste; the architecture oriented chef Careme (1784-1833), who is probably the leading candidate for the title of "the father of classic French cooking"; the chef Dubois (1818-1901) who is best noted for creating the previously described Selle de Veau a la Prince Orloff, and for helping to establish in France the Russian-style table service, where the diner receives the food already served on his plate, as opposed to serving himself from a selection of dishes. The chef Escoffier, (1847-1935), who helped simplify and put the final touches on the codification of haute cuisine in his cookbook, Le Guide Culinaire.
Classical French cuisine
Today classic French cuisine is slowly disappearing because of the increasingly prohibitive costs of the required ingredients - and the growing reluctance of talented youths to undergo lengthy, slave-like, and financially unrewarding apprenticeships.
Its critics say, "Good riddance" - who needs so many calories and such a high cholesterol count? They would be right, of course, if such cuisine were our steady diet.
Famous haute cuisine
A sauteed beef filet
steak served on a circular crouton, then garnished with a foie gras slice, a truffle slice, and, finally, a
Madeira sauce.
Made by poaching lobsters, removing the cooked flesh, then stuffing the empty shells with a mayonnaise-dressed vegetable mixture which is topped with lobster meat.The lobsters are artfully arranged on a platter, and elaborately garnished with such items as truffles and artichoke bottoms.
Stuffed with rice, goose liver, and truffles, then roasted and lavishly garnished with more truffles and foie gras.
The slices of a roasted saddle of veal are coated with Sauce Soubise, rice, and mushroom puree, and then reassembled on the saddle in their original position. The roast is then covered with Sauce Mornay and browned. This preparation exemplifies the ridiculous aspect of haute cuisine when taken to excess. The dish was created in the nineteenth century for the veal hating Prince Orloff. To disguise the veal flavor, the delicate meat was literally bathed with two relatively overpowering sauces. If one detests veal, why have it in the first place and if one likes it, why mask its flavor?
Best city for gourmets Paris is the top all around food city offering the Classical cuisine style. Criteria include cooking, food markets, cooking ingredients, cooking schools, beverages, dining and restaurants.
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I hope my Classical French Cuisine food & travel page helps you enjoy your vacation, tour or trip ©2008 HQP / Hillman Quality Publications
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