Some Notes on the History of the French Cuisine. Carlos Mirasierras.pdf


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Some Notes on the History of the French Cuisine. From the Middles Ages to late 20th century. Carlos Mirasierras

During the 18th and 19th centuries, French
cuisine assimilated many new food products
from the New World. Although it took a long
time before they were adopted, records of
banquets show Catherine de’ Medici serving
sixty-six turkeys at one dinner. The dish
called cassoulet was born from the discovery
of haricot beans in the New World, which are
central to the dish’s creation, but had not
existed outside of the New World until its
discovery by Christopher Columbus.
17th century – early 18th century
Haute cuisine has its foundations during the
17th century with a chef named La Varenne.
As author of works such as Le Cuisinier
françois, he is credited with publishing the first true French cookbook. His book
includes the earliest known reference to roux using pork fat. The book contained two
sections, one for meat days, and one for fasting. His recipes represented a change
from the style of cookery known in the Middle Ages, to new techniques aimed at
creating somewhat lighter dishes, and a more modest presentation of pies. La Varenne
published another book on pastry in 1667 titled Le Parfait confiturier (republished as Le
Confiturier françois), which similarly modernized and codified the emerging haute
cuisine standards for desserts and pastries.
During the reign of Louis XIV, in 1691, chef
François Massialot wrote Le Cuisinier roïal et
bourgeois. The book contained menus served
to the royal courts in 1690. Massialot worked
mostly as a freelance cook, and was not
employed by any particular household. He and
many other royal cooks received special
privileges due to their association to the
French royalty. They were not subject to the
regulation of the guilds; therefore, they could
cater weddings and banquets without
restriction. His book is the first to list recipes
alphabetically, and he perhaps was a
forerunner in creating the first culinary
dictionary. It is in this book that a marinade is
first seen in print, with one type for poultry and
feathered game, and a second is for fish and
shellfish. No quantities are specified in the
recipes, which suggests that Massialot was writing for trained cooks.
The successive updates of Le Cuisinier roïal et bourgeois include important
refinements, such as adding a glass of wine to fish stock. Some definitions were also
added to the 1703 edition. The 1712 edition, re-titled Le Nouveau cuisinier royal et
bourgeois, was enlarged to two volumes, and was written in a more elaborate style
with extensive explanations of all the techniques described. Additional smaller
preparations are also included in this edition, which lead to lighter preparations, and the
appearance of a third course to the meal. Ragout, a very important course in today's

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