French cuisine is marked by the use of fresh ingredients either from farmer’s markets or grown freshly from one’s garden. Seldom would one find a French recipe that requires little to no fresh ingredients. However, prior to the storming of the Bastille in 1789, this simply was not the case. The diets of the common man generally did not include any fresh ingredients whatsoever. Peasants and poor farmers diets consisted of mainly grains and loaves of bread. During the years of 1788 and 1789, grain crops were failing miserably, causing an increase in expense to grow the crops thus causing an increase in purchasing foods that contained grain. Having the ability to buy bread during this time period marked social status and the common man was starving. In addition to the lack of grain, Parisians during this time decided to stray away from medieval traditions of cooking on open fires which masked the tastes of the fresh ingredients. (Bean 369)

 

A new tradition of cooking was developed by Parisians called “haute cuisine.” Haute cuisine literally translated means, “of high class.” This new way of cooking originated in aristocratic households and was, at first, limited only to the elite class. George Auguste Escoffier is considered to be the founder of haute cuisine. (Franklin 2017) The creation of haute cuisine consisted of the kitchen being divided into five separate stations: garde manger, entremettier, rôttiseur, saucier, and pâttissier. Each station includes a chef that specializes in a different type of food. The garde manger consists of the chef who only handles cold dishes whereas the rôttiseur handles roasts, grilled, and fried items. The entremettier prepares the starches and vegetables and the saucier creates the soups and sauces to accent those dishes. Lastly, the pâttissier is responsible for creating the desserts and pastries, but not the bread. (Franklin 2017) Through the use of haute cuisine, chefs are able to create dishes of their specialty in a relatively quicker manner than a chef who struggles cooking a certain kind of dish. Since the cooks were able to make the dishes in less time, they were able to serve more people and therefore, make more money. Through the use of fresh ingredients and haute cuisine, French cuisine was able to transform from a bland, grain-based diet, to a cuisine based on freshly grown ingredients and herbs.

A French saucier finishing his dish.

During the nineteenth century, the French highlighted fine-dining as a result of the creation of haute cuisine. At this time in history, cuisine became more than simply eating a meal; it became a luxury. (Tiersten 858) Haute cuisine chefs tried to develop this new technique as more of an art form rather than just an alternate way to cooking. “To do so they formed organizations (the Société des Cuisiniers Français was the most prominent), launched trade journals and instructional journals for the wider public, founded a culinary school, and mounted food competitions, conferences, and exhibitions.” (Tiersten 859) Essentially, the elite class wanted this style of cooking to become a norm for everyone, including the common man. Also during this time, the French would use spices to hide flavors they found to be inferior (Mennell 1226) Implementing these aspects did make the cooking techniques of haute cuisine more common but mainly only the upper classes were seen using techniques affiliated with haute cuisine.

Some of the most famous dishes that accent the use of fresh ingredients are clafoutis, coq au vin, beef bourguignon, and ratatouille. Clafoutis is a French dessert with a flan-like texture that originated in southern, central France in the seventeenth century. The dish is believed to have been introduced by a woman named Catherine de Medicis. (Hogman 1995) Catherine married the French ruler, King Henry II and baked this recipe for her husband frequently. King Harry II was most thrilled about this recipe because it included cherries they would grow and their servants would pick freshly for them. If they wanted to change the recipe, they would also use freshly grown, blueberries or pears, depending on the season. Cherry Clafoutis is one of the most popular variations of this dish. The cherries are lined at the bottom of baking dish and the batter is poured directly on top. Sprinkling sugar on top of the cherries at the bottom of the dish adds a sweetness to the tart cherries but some people prefer their clafoutis to be tart rather than sweet. Additionally, you may add Confectioner’s sugar or mint on top of the dish to add extra garnish.

Julia Child preparing clafoutis.

Coq au vin is a popular French dish that includes fresh chicken, wine, lardons, mushrooms, and garlic to add additional flavor. This dish is often served for more elegant dinners because it tends to be fancier. Additionally, this dish is paired greatly with Pinot Noir wine. In this recipe, the chicken is stewed slowly in red wine which gives the chicken a nice, juicy flavor. This dish also features fresh ingredients including, onions, carrots, bay leaves, thyme leaves, garlic cloves, and parsley. Coq au vin was one of the dishes created by a chef who worked underneath George Auguste Escoffier, the founder of haute cuisine.

Beef bourguignon translated means, “Burgundy beef.” This dish is similar to coq au vin except beef is used rather than chicken. The process of creating the dish is virtually the same. Similarly to the coq au vin, the beef is braised in red wine and then the fresh vegetables and herbs to add superfluous flavor. Traditionally the beef is served atop a fresh slice of French bread.

Ratatouille appears to be a fan favorite among the French and cultures across the globe. Featuring the many vegetables, this dish is particularly popular among vegetarian and vegan diets. The word ratatouille comes from the word “touiller” which means, “to toss food.” Essentially, the vegetables are tossed around to create a flavorful and colorful dish. Presentation plays a large role in this dish because if the vegetables are tossed carelessly, the ratatouille will not have the appropriate appearance required by this dish. Typically, the recipes of this dish will incorporate variations of zucchini, tomatoes, red and green bell peppers, onions and garlic.

Outside of the major cities in France, the geography and landscape consist of farm land and abundant green grasses. The soil is richer which allows for the fresh ingredients to grow and flourish. Having access to fresh ingredients at any time allows the French to eat a healthier, more wholesome diet. (Gatley 2014) Additionally, it has been shown that men will help the women with the cooking in addition to them working in the garden. For centuries, the women were in charge of tending to the garden while also being responsible for cooking the meals for their family. After the creation of haute cuisine which implanted the use of more fresh ingredients, men were more likely to help with the garden and cooking. The landscape of France allows for fresh ingredients to grow plentifully and for the people to have unlimited access to such ingredients.