WEEK 2 LESSON 5THE ERA OF ESCOFFIER & RITZ

WEEK 2, LESSON 5 2

CONTENTSIntroduction .....................................................3

Questions to Consider ...............................3.5

Escoffier's Influence .......................................4

From Apprentice to Army Chef ...................5

Escoffier & Ritz ................................................6

Exploring 'Le Guide Culinaire'...............7–12

Into Modernity Pt. 1, II ...........................13, 14

Emperor of Chefs & Legacy ..................15, 16

“LA BONNE CUISINE EST LA BASE DU VÉRITABLE BONHEUR.”

Good food is the foundation of genuine happiness— Auguste Escoffier

WEEK 2, LESSON 5 3

It is the year 2011, at the grand opening of Chicago’s newest, trendiest restaurant, Next. The brainchild of the famed chef practitioner of molecular gastronomy, Grant Achatz, Next represents a completely new concept for the culinary world. The restaurant mixes food with theatrics; you don’t simply walk in or even make a reservation, no, for this meal you actually buy a ticket weeks in advance for a specific night and time (and these tickets sold out fast). The meal itself is the same multicourse sensation every night of the season, transporting the diner across time and space to a specific milieu.

What is the theme for this first season, that will test Achatz’s new concept?

Paris 1906, Escoffier at the Ritz

“The first menu at Next needed to make a statement,” wrote Achatz. “Even though the recipes we were recreating were over a century old, the thought process and philosophy of Escoffier was very much the same as we embrace at Alinea,” Achatz’s first restaurant. “By starting Next in Paris, 1906 we honored one of the greatest chefs of all time and in the process showed ourselves and our guests just how far—or not—cooking has evolved in the last one hundred years.” Who was this man who is still treating and surprising diners to this day?

INTRODUCTION SOMETHING TO CONSIDERHow did army chef Escoffier react under fire (literally)—and keep his soldiers well fed under siege?

Why did Escoffier’s restaurants become “ritzy” haunts for the celebrities of his day?

What did Escoffier do to help his workers at a time known for the suffering of laborers?

How did Escoffier stand up to one of the most powerful men in Europe—and what did it get him?

Why, among all the chefs in history, is Escoffier still taught today?

WEEK 2, LESSON 5 4

ESCOFFIER'S INFLUENCEAuguste Escoffier defined the culinary culture of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. He changed the face of haute cuisine to reflect the frenetic pace of the modern era, and in doing so made it more accessible to the masses. He replaced the unwieldy service a la Francaise (all dishes served at once) with the more streamlined service a la Russe (courses served one at a time). He popularized the a la carte menu, which allowed diners to choose their meals rather than just eating whatever the chef had prepared that day. He classified the five Mother Sauces that all other sauces derive from. He reformed the restaurant industry and established the career chef as a professional and an artist. He furthered French cuisine’s reputation as the greatest in the Western world—a reputation that persists to this day.

Auguste Escoffier, Édouard Herriot,1928

WEEK 2, LESSON 5 5

FROM APPRENTICE TO ARMY CHEFIn his youth, Escoffier wanted to be a sculptor or painter, but his father insisted that he learn a more practical trade, so at the age of 13, in 1859, Escoffier was sent to Le Restaurant Francais to apprentice as a chef under his uncle. After completing his apprenticeship, he found a job at the prestigious Paris restaurant Le Petit Moulin Rouge as a sauce chef. However, his career as a chef took a dramatic turn when France declared war on Prussia in 1870 and Escoffier was conscripted as an army chef. Though the Siege of Metz was disastrous for the French army, it challenged the young Escoffier to prove his adaptability as a chef. He used plum jam in the place of sugar when there was no sugar left, for instance, and cooked with salt from the salt water used in the city’s tanneries. By the end of the siege, the city’s supply of fresh food had completely run out. The experience taught Escoffier the importance of preserved food, which later led him to become an outspoken advocate for canning.After the conclusion of the war, Escoffier took a job as chef for a colonel’s country estate. However, he quickly grew bored with pastoral life and returned to Le Petit Moulin Rouge, this time as chef de cuisine. During his time there, he served a host of important people, including Edward, Prince of Wales (later King Edward VII of England), actress Sarah Bernhardt, and Prince Galitzin of Russia. In 1878, he left Le Petit Moulin Rouge to manage La Maison Chevet, a catering company.

French Soldiers in the Franco-Prussian War 1870-1871

SOMETHING TO CONSIDERWhen was Escoffier forced to think creatively to feed people ?

WEEK 2, LESSON 5 6

ESCOFFIER & RITZIn 1884, Escoffier met César Ritz and began a partnership that would bring both of them to the forefront of their fields. Ritz was a hotelier whose talent for service equalled Escoffier’s talent for cooking—his philosophy was that “the customer is always right” (a phrase he coined). Ritz’s extravagant hotels became so famous that the word “ritzy” came to mean “luxurious.” After five years of managing the Grand Hotel in Monte Carlo, Ritz and Escoffier were hired by the owners of the Savoy luxury hotel, on the verge of bankruptcy, to manage the hotel and its kitchens. The two of them reversed the hotel’s fortunes and made it the place to be for the rich and famous, who came to see and be seen. Among them was opera singer Dame Nellie Melba, the namesake for Melba Toast and Peach Melba.

In 1897, Ritz and Escoffier’s efforts to start a hotel chain of their own got them fired from the Savoy, but within two years the team had opened their first two hotels (the Ritz in Paris and the Carlton in London), both of which became wildly successful. Escoffier would work at the Carlton for several years, inventing countless new dishes and serving the political and cultural elite of Europe.

Savoy Luxury Hotel

WEEK 2, LESSON 5 7

EXPLORING 'LE GUIDE CULINAIRE'Take a look at a selection of Escoffier's recipes from Le Guide Culinaire. How did Escoffier use personalities and events the day to inspire his creativity?

All of the recipes in this section use the numbering still found in Le Guide.

Pêches Melba (Peach Melba)

Nymphes à l' Áurore (Nymphs at Dawn)

Bombe Néro

Suprêmes de Volaille Jeannette

Consommé Zola

Peach Melba Upclose Shot

WEEK 2, LESSON 5 8

PÊCHES MELBA

This extravagant dish was created for the Australian opera singer Nellie Melba, a longtime patron of Escoffier. Escoffier wanted to celebrate Melba’s performance in the Wagner opera Lohengrin, which prominently featured a magical swan in its first act. As such, the original presentation of this ice cream dessert featured a delicate ice sculpture of a swan. Some have suggested that this dish inspired the American ice cream sundae.Skin ripe peaches, then poach in vanilla syrup. Wait until the peaches are cold, then arrange on a bed of vanilla ice cream. Coat dish with raspberry purée.

Martin Chiffers Peach Melba

Nellie Melba

August Von Heckel Lohengrin

(PEACH MELBA)

8

WEEK 2, LESSON 5 9

NYMPHES À L’ÁURORE (NYMPHS AT DAWN)Escoffier came up with the evocative name of this dish to hide the main ingredient - frogs’ legs - from the English patrons of a banquet, as England and France famously disagree over this delicacy. Escoffier did share the secret with the banquet’s guest of honor, Edward, Prince of Wales (the future King Edward VII of the UK), who was well known for his love of French culture and especially French food. Edward appreciated the ruse, and continued to request Escoffier’s “nymphs.”

Poach well-trimmed frogs’ legs in white wine and allow to cool in the liquid. When cooled, drain the frogs’ legs and dry with a clean cloth. Coat each of the legs with white chaud-froid sauce with a dash of paprika.

Take a deep square dish or bowl and set a layer of clear champagne-flavored fish aspic jelly within. Next, place the frogs’ legs on to interspersed with leaves of chervil and tarragon. Completely cover legs with more of the jelly, and allow to set in a cool area.

Serve iced.

Edouard VII 1894

Nymphs at Dawn

WEEK 2, LESSON 5 10

BOMBE NÉROThe origin of this famous Escoffier dish is clouded in mystery. Most suggest it was probably named for a contemporary play in London about the Roman emperor Nero. If so, the flame-lit dessert likely references the legend that Nero played on his fiddle while the city of Rome burned to the ground.

Take a dome-shaped mould and line it with caramel-flavored vanilla ice cream, then fill with vanilla mousse and truffle-shaped chocolates approximately the size of hazelnuts.

Next, turn out the bombe on a round Punch Sponge Biscuit of the same size around and set both in the middle of a dish. Use a thin layer of Italian meringue to cover the whole product. Place on top a small baked pastry case lined with apricot jam, and pipe more of the meringue around the sides. Quickly glaze in a hot oven.

After removing from the oven, pour a small amount of hot rum into the pastry case on top of the bombe. Light the rum as the dish is taken to the table.

The Fire of Rome, 18 July 64 AD' by Hubert Robert, 1733-1808 CE.

Nero Glyptohek Munich

Bombe Néro

10

WEEK 2, LESSON 5 11

SUPRÊMES DE VOLAILLE JEANNETTEThis dish was named not for a woman but for a ship, the USS Jeannette, which was lost in the pack ice of the Arctic in 1881 while most of its crew perished. Escoffier first heard of the disaster a decade later when the Norwegian explorer Fridtjof Nansen stayed in the Savoy while preparing to follow the ill fated Jeannette. Escoffier was so taken by the romantic story that he composed this dish, to be presented completely encased in a block of ice! If Nansen thought the meal in poor taste, he said nothing, and his own expedition in 1893 met with great success.

Take two cold poached chicken breasts with the skin removed and cut each breast into four slices. Trim the slices to achieve an oval shape, and coat the slices with a white chaud-froid sauce. Decorate with blanched tarragon.

Set a layer of chicken aspic jelly 1 cm thick at the bottom of a deep dish. Arrange slices of parfait of foie gras in the dish, and place a slice of the chicken on each slice of fois gras. Cover the entire dish with

more of the jelly and allow to set.

Serve the dish on a block of sculpted ice.

Portrait Fridtjof Nansen 1888

Suprêmes de Volaille

USS Jeannette

WEEK 2, LESSON 5 12

CONSOMMÉ ZOLAEmile Zola was a French writer whose novels often lingered on the dining habits of both the poor and the middle class. Zola stayed for a time at the Savoy Hotel in London and, being known as quite a gourmand, took great pleasure in speaking with the esteemed chef. Escoffier wrote that Zola preferred simple country fare, as reflected in this simple consommé, garnished with gnocchi containing Zola’s favorite Piedmont white truffles.

Take two liters of Consommé Croûte au Pot and garnish with gnocchi. The gnocchi should be made of chou paste and filled with grated Parmesan cheese and grated white Piedmont truffles. Cook immediately before serving. Serve with grated Parmesan cheese on the side.

Portrait of Émile Zola Nadar

Potato Gnocchi Red Mustard Foie Gras Consomme

12

WEEK 2, LESSON 5 13

INTO MODERNITY, PT. IEscoffier lived most of his life in La Belle Epoque, on the tail of the Second Industrial Revolution, in a world that had just become “modern.” New inventions produced huge factories, and the factories produced a class of wealthy business owners. Efficiency was the ideal that businessmen like Henry Ford strove for, and that philosophy permeated popular culture: people viewed idleness as a luxury and saw eating as a drain on what precious little time they had. In response to the growth of this philosophy, Escoffier streamlined haute cuisine, stripping away many of the excesses of the past while still retaining the craftsmanship and artistry of his predecessors, such as Antonin Carême.

One of Escoffier’s most important innovations was the brigade system, inspired by his time in the French Army, dividing the kitchen into an efficient hierarchy. This allowed for much faster cooking and serving more guests at once. Escoffier also dispensed with many of the more elaborate presentations of traditional haute cuisine—in the second edition of Le Guide Culinaire, he removed inedible garnishes from all recipes, instead using food as decoration, and reduced the complexity of the garnishes themselves, making the appearance and flavor of the dish itself more important. Later in his life, he studied new methods of preserving food and advocated for modern innovations such as canning. He was the first to can tomatoes, and contributed to the invention of the bouillon cube.

SOMETHING TO CONSIDERAlthough, Escoffier did not in-vent canning, he was an early supporter of the process!

Eiffel Tower, 1888

WEEK 2, LESSON 5 14

INTO MODERNITY, PT. IIEven though his clients were mostly well-to-do performers, nobles, and businessmen, Escoffier was keenly aware of the growing class divides that had emerged from the Industrial Revolution. In 1910, he published an essay discussing how to address the plight of the poor, who at the time labored in factories under harsh conditions for long hours with little compensation. He argued that laborers should have a government-issued pension to provide for them in their old age. In his own work, he set up pensions for his staff, and ensured that they were cared for in case of accident or illness. He lamented that the government couldn’t follow a similar policy, because all of its money that could be used to help the working class was being spent on the massive arms race between the great powers of Europe. Escoffier warned in his essay that this arms race would soon lead to “the most absurd and terrifying of all wars.” World War I would prove him right.

SOMETHING TO CONSIDERHow did Escoffier support the working class?

a) He set up pensions for his staff.

b) He encouraged workers to join the army and gain military pensions.

c) He lobbied for a minimum wage.

Industrial Revolution 1900 working-class

WEEK 2, LESSON 5 15

THE EMPEROR OF CHEFSEven if they were aware that war was imminent, the great powers of Europe preferred to pretend that their “armed peace” would last. In 1913, Escoffier gave a banquet for Kaiser Wilhelm II of Germany on the ocean liner Imperator. The Franco-Prussian War was still fresh in French and German memory, but the hosts and the guests put aside (or at least hid) their enmity for the duration of the feast. The Kaiser met with Escoffier personally after the banquet to thank him. According to several newspapers, he told Escoffier:

“I may be the Emperor of Germany, but you are the Emperor of Chefs.”

Escoffier, rather than just taking the compliment, showed his courage by daring to give the most powerful man in Europe some diplomatic advice! Escoffier told the Kaiser that he hoped to see France and Germany reconcile, and the Kaiser responded that he hoped that as well, but that there were many people who thought differently. Just a year later, World War I broke out.

Imperator LOC

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ESCOFFIER'S LEGACYPerhaps the most important part of Escoffier’s legacy was that he made the chef ’s profession respectable. Before Escoffier, chefs were simply people who prepared food for a living. A few chefs were held up as great artists, but most of them were considered to be tradesmen at best and domestic servants at worst. In Escoffier’s brigade system, chefs became professionals, held to a standard of skill and technique. The system spread throughout the restaurant industry from the elite hotels and restaurants he managed, meaning that not just haute cuisine but all restaurant and hotel cooking adopted Escoffier’s professional approach.

Present day Kitchen at Delmonicos, 2016

IMAGE SOURCESPhoto of Auguste Escoffier courtesy of Wikimedia Commons and licensed under Public Domain.

Photo of Auguste Escoffier, Édouard Herriot, 1928 courtesy of Wikimedia Commons and licensed under Public Domain.

Photo of French soldiers in the Franco-Prussian War 1870-71 courtesy of Wikimedia Commons and licensed under Public Domain.

Photo of Savoy hotel courtesy of Wikimedia Commons and licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported.

Photo of a peach melba licensed through Adobe Stock.

Photo of Peach Melba Recreated at The Savoy by Martin Chiffers Executive Pastry Chef 2012 courtesy of Wikimedia Commons and licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported.

Photo of Nellie Melba courtesy of Wikimedia Commons and licensed under Public Domain.

Painting of August von Heckel Lohengrin courtesy of Wikimedia Commons and licensed under Public Domain.

Photo of Edouard VII 1894 courtesy of Wikimedia Commons and licensed under Public Domain.

Photo of a frog legs (Nymphs at Dawn) licensed through Adobe Stock.

Photo of Nero Glyptothek Munich 321 courtesy of Wikimedia Commons and licensed under Public Domain.

Painting of The Fire of Rome by Hubert Robert, 1733–1808 CE of Wikimedia Commons and licensed under Public Domain.

Photo of a baked Alaska (Bombe Néro) licensed through Adobe Stock.

Photo of Fridtjof Nansen 1888 courtesy of Wikimedia Commons and licensed under Public Domain.

Photo of Supreme de Volaille Jeanette licensed through Thinkstock. Photo of USS Jeannette (1878) courtesy of Wikimedia Commons and licensed under Public Domain.

Photo of Émile Zola Nadar courtesy of Wikimedia Commons and licensed under Public Domain.

Photo of Potato Gnocchi Red Mustard Foie Gras Consomme licensed through Thinkstock.

Photo of an open can licensed through Adobe Stock.Photo of Eiffel Tower 1888 courtesy of Wikimedia Commons and licensed under Public Domain.

Photo of Industrial Revolution 1900 working-class courtesy of Wikimedia Commons and licensed under Public Domain.

Photo still of the present-day kitchen at Delmonico's courtesy of https://delmonicoskitchen.com.

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