Marie-Antoine Carême“The King of Chefs and the Chef of Kings”

Marie-Antoine Carême

“When we no longer have good cooking in the world, we will have no literature, nor high and sharp intelligence, nor

friendly gathering, nor social harmony.”First Celebrity Chef

Often called the Father of French Cuisine

Founder and architect of French haute cuisine

One of the most prolific food writers of the 19th Century

During his long career, he was chef for Talleyrand, Czar Alexander I, George IV and Baron Rothschild

The History of Marie-Antoine Carême

1. Abandoned by his parents in Paris in 1794 at the height of the French Revolution, he worked as a kitchen boy at a cheap Parisian chophouse in exchange for room and board.

2. In 1798, he was formally apprenticed to Sylvain Bailly, a famous pâtissier with a shop near the Palais-Royal.

3. He opened his shop, the Pâtisserie de la rue de la Paix, which he maintained until 1813.

4. Carême gained fame in Paris for his pièces montées, elaborate constructions used as centerpieces, which Bailly displayed in the pâtisserie window.

The History of Marie-Antoine Carême

5. He is credited with the inventions of grosses nougats and grosses meringues, croquantes, made of almonds and honey, and solilemmes.

6. He did freelance work creating pieces principally for the French diplomat and gourmand Charles Maurice de Talleyrand-Périgord, but also other members of Parisian high society, including Napoleon. While working on his confections at many private kitchens, he quickly extended his culinary skills to main courses.

The History of Marie-Antoine Carême

7. Carême was set a test by Talleyrand: to create a whole year’s worth of menus, without repetition, and using only seasonal produce. Carême passed the test and completed his training in Talleyrand's kitchens. After the fall of Napoléon, Carême went to London for a time and servedaschef de cuisineto the Prince Regent, later George IV.

8. He died in his Paris house on the Rue Neuve Saint Roche at the age of 48, due perhaps to many years inhaling the toxic fumes of the charcoal on which he cooked. He is remembered as the founder of the haute cuisine concept and is interred in the Cimetière deMontmartrein Montmartre. When he died in 1833, he was recognized as the greatest chef of his time, and his name was familiar to the rich and famous throughout Europe.

The History of Marie-Antoine Carême

9. He is also frequently credited with replacing the practice of service à la française (serving all dishes at once) with service à la russe (serving each dish in the order printed on the menu).

Gastronomical Contributions

Charlotte

The dessert Charlotte russe was invented by Marie Antoine Carême who named it in honor of his Russian employer Czar Alexander I. Russe being the French word for “Russian”.

Mille Feuille“Mille” means a thousand and “Feuille” means leaf or sheet.

Careme is also credited with inventing the French classic desert Napoleon Cake (Mille Feuille) while working as Napoleon’s chef. Napoleon like to eat Mille Feuille with strawberry favor, so it was named Napoleon cake. It has various flavours, from chocholate, strawbery, mango to berry.

Gastronomical Contributions

Grosses Meringues

“Grosses” means large.

Croquants

French for “crisp”.

Gastronomical Contributions

Grosses Nougats

A family of confectioneries made with sugar and/or honey, roasted nuts, whipped egg whites, and sometimes chopped candied fruit.

French Solilemme

Rich brioche-like bread.

Gastronomical Contributions

Created the Four Grandes Sauces of French Cuisine in the early 19th century.

1. Bechamel Sauce• Based in milk.

2. Espagnole Sauce• Derived from brown

stock.

3. Veloute Sauce• Veal stock with

blonde roux.

4. Allemande Sauce• Veloute thickened

with heavy cream and egg yolks.

Culinary Books

Le Maitre d’hotel français: traitè des menus à servir à Paris, à Saint- Pètersbourg, à Londres, et à Vienne (1820; “The French Head Waiter: A Selection of Menus to Serve in Paris, St. Petersburg, London, and Vienna”)

Culinary Books

Le Cuisiner parisien; our, la’rt de la cuisine française au dix-neuvième siècle (1828; “The Parisian Cook; or, The Art of French Cooking in the 19th Century”)

Culinary Books

Le Pâtissier Royal Parisien (1828; “The Royal Parisian Pastry Chef”)The Patissier Royal

Parisien, or treated elementary and practice of ancient and modern patisserie, the dessert of sugar, and cold starters and bases, followed by observations useful to the progress of this art.

Culinary Books

Le pâtissier pittoresque (1842; “The Picturesque Pastry Chef”)In Le pâtissier

pittoresque, he adroitly overcomes the limit of black-and-white, accompanying each drawing with a short description, mainly suggesting the best colour combinations to decorate his creations. Tender shades give the best results.

Gastronomical Contributions

Redesigned the chef whites; a shorter apron and the toque.