AUGUSTE ESCOFFIER: BIOGRAPHY, CONTRIBUTIONS AND WORKS - CULTURE VOCABULARY - 2025

Auguste Escoffier (1846-1935) was a 19th century French chef, responsible for designing a practical system that gave restaurants a 180 degree turn. His innovation turned restaurants into pleasant, efficient, healthy and productive spaces.

Escoffier was a character who marked a milestone in history for his passion for the world of gastronomy. His perfectionism and his dedication to systematizing the structure and rules of the kitchen managed to mark a before and after in the culinary universe. Since then the clientele had delicious dishes at their table, well presented, aseptic and at a good temperature.

The kitchen before Escoffier

The image of restaurants with their white-uniformed cooks preparing meals hygienically at their workplace is taken for granted today.

So much so that few dare to eat in a place where the kitchen does not look impeccable. But this idea of ​​restaurant cooking was far removed from reality before the 19th century.

In the days of the monarchy, lavish banquets were prepared by cooks dressed in any way. They did not wash their hands, drank alcohol, and smoked as a common habit while preparing food in order to endure the long and arduous day. This, coupled with the fact that the kitchen environment attracted crawling animals and rodents that coexisted with the work of the cooks.

It was Auguste Escoffier who turned the ordinary and routine food preparation into a true culinary art. He was in charge of establishing the regulations to be followed by anyone who wanted to be considered a good cook. Likewise, it established the care that should be observed in the work area.

Escoffier developed new techniques for the preparation and presentation of dishes. He bequeathed the knowledge acquired during his vast career to posterity through the publication of manuals, magazines and books on the subject.

Biography

Auguste Escoffier was born on October 28, 1846 in Villeneuve-Loubet, in eastern France. His father was a blacksmith and he wanted to be a sculptor, but when he was 13 years old, necessity led him to enter the world of cooking.

His first job was at Le Restauran Français, a place belonging to his uncle. There, in addition to preparing food, he learned the other tasks related to cooking. Among these new functions was the organization of the service or the selection and acquisition of ingredients.

He worked as a kitchen assistant in some other restaurants. Then in 1870, when he was 24, he was drafted into an army cook. At that time the Franco-Prussian war was underway, which led him to study canned food preservation.

Eight years later, after the war came to an end, Escoffier opened his own restaurant in Cannes called Le Faisan d'Or. This place became a renowned place. The French elite as well as the rest of the world came to the site to enjoy its exquisite dishes and good service.

Prestigious jobs

He married Delphine Daffis in 1880, with whom he had a daughter and two sons. After a while she met Cesar Ritz in Switzerland. With whom he teamed up to later direct the kitchen of what was the most luxurious hotel at the time, the Ritz. Its first headquarters opened in France in 1898.

This association marked an important advance in the world of tourism, since it combined comfortable accommodation with first-rate gastronomic service.

In addition, he was in charge of the kitchens of prestigious hotels, such as the Grand Hotel, the National Hotel, the Savoy Hotel and the Carlton Hotel. He also cooked in important restaurants such as Maison Chevet and La Maison Maire.

At 73, he temporarily moved away from the kitchens. However, he could not bear to totally withdraw from his beloved culinary world and continued to work in small hotels and restaurants near his home.

After 62 productive years of culinary career, -the longest known, he retired permanently from the gastronomic world in 1921.

Death

A few days after the death of his life partner, Auguste Escoffier, he died at the age of 89 at his home in Monte Carlo. He is currently remembered as one of the most illustrious chefs due to his contributions and discoveries that forever changed the world of cooking.

Contributions

High kitchen

Escoffier made “haute cuisine” more efficient, simplified and improved in many aspects, known in Spanish as haute cuisine, a philosophy created by Antoine Carême that ruled the culinary world of the time.

His style was characterized by efficiency and simplicity. This characteristic was present in the preparation of dishes, changing the elaborate garnishes for subtle preparations based on vegetables and simple plates.

Kitchen equipment structure

It also had an influence on the structure of the kitchen staff, since it organized the kitchen into crews, each led by a boss, which made food preparation a much faster and more effective process.

This reorganization of staff led to a positive change in the operation of the kitchen. Today it is still being put into practice, as the dishes arrive at the table more quickly without losing their high quality.

It added a new and dynamic touch to the service in which the waiter finished the preparation of the dish at the diner's table, whether it was chopping, flaming or pouring the sauces.

Changing paradigms

The number of dishes that normally make up a menu decreased. Instead of continuing with the traditional "French service", he opted for the "Russian service." Thus, the food arrived at the table in its order of appearance on the menu and each dish was served one after the other.

In its preparations, the excessive use of multiple ingredients was not sought, but the balance of flavors of those chosen for the preparation of the dish.

Kitchen rules

Concerned about hygiene, he made kitchens no longer located underground and developed detailed regulations for the handling and preparation of food.

In addition, it prohibited the intake of alcohol and the use of tobacco in the facilities, and provided its culinary staff with uniforms, promoting punctuality and good coexistence among them.

To replace the spirits, he supplemented his kitchens with a pleasant barley-based concoction, which he created with medical advice to ease the heat of the staff in the sweltering kitchen.

Appearance

Along with improved appearance, she preferred fine crockery, cutlery, glassware, and linens when presenting her dishes. Escoffier believed that these greatly enhanced the dining experience and the taste of food and wine.

Kitchen design

He designed the kitchens of the cruise ships “Hamburg-Amerika Lines”. These, later required her support again to inaugurate the imperial kitchens and elaborated the menu of the tragically famous ocean liner "Titanic".

Teaching

In addition, he also contributed in the field of teaching. He taught more than 2000 apprentices in various parts of the world. They hold up their teacher's name by running Michelin-starred restaurants.

Plays

Escoffier founded the magazine "L'Art Culinaire" in 1873 along with some friends. His first book was A Treatise on the Art of Working with Wax Flowers, published in 1886.

However, the publication with which he was successful was The Culinary Guide. This book was written with the collaboration of Émile Fetu and Philéas Gilbert, and it was released in 1902 with the help of his wife, who was a publicist.

With 5,000 recipes, today it is still the main reference of classic French cuisine due to its great contributions. In this publication, traditional recipes are compiled with some personal modifications. In addition, they are explained step by step, currently being a reference source for chefs in training.

He wrote six other culinary books, including Carnet d'Epicure and My kitchen, where he exhibits 2,000 other delicious recipes. A peculiar publication was his memoirs where he talks about his beginnings in the kitchen and his experiences when managing important culinary establishments.

He also collaborated in the writing of the prestigious Larousse gastronomique in 1934.

Recognitions

Escoffier changed the course of gastronomy with his outstanding contributions, apart from receiving numerous awards and going down in history, he had important assignments.

In 1920 he received the "Legion of Honor", the most important of the French awards. This is awarded to those who leave the name of the country high. In this way, he became the first Chef to receive it. Likewise, he was the first honoree of this branch with the appointment of "Officer of the Legion" in 1928 at the Orsay Palace.

Due to his visionary culinary reform and fame among high society, Auguste Escoffier was known as "the king of chefs and the chef of kings", even receiving praise from Emperor Wilhelm II himself.

He spread the culinary art to a great extent, both with the publication of books and magazines and with the training of new chefs, who would be the future of French cuisine.

He created a program of monetary support for retired cooks and social assistance for poor people. To help cooks who were in trouble, he also published in 1910 the Project of Mutual Assistance for the Extinction of Pauperism.

His philanthropic nature endeared him to many, especially the inhabitants of his hometown, Villeneuve-Loubet. There, they erected a monument in his honor.

The home in which he was born became a museum in 1957 and it houses more than a thousand menus, books, pictures, recipes, medals and other vestiges of his long and fruitful career.

Featured recipes

Escoffier was characterized by his selfless vocation to the culinary world. For his most distinguished and regulars he created personalized menus, with which he could please even the most refined palate.

Melba Peaches

In this way, some of its original dishes were named after diners or friends. Such is the case of its famous dessert "Melba peaches" made with peaches that rest on vanilla ice cream and bathed in raspberry sauce.

This postré was baptized with that name in honor of Nelli Melba, renowned soprano singer of the time. The distinguished chef, who was a lover of the arts, heard her perform on several occasions.

Others

Other dishes with which he paid homage to his loved ones were:

• Olga consommé (broth with aromatic herbs, beef, port and scallops).
• Chicken Jeannette (tastefully seasoned chicken breasts).
• The Réjane salad (made of potatoes, asparagus and truffles bathed in vinaigrette).
• The Lili filet mignon (beef medallions accompanied by vegetables and topped with a delicious wine-based sauce).
• Derby chicken (stuffed with rice, foie gras, truffles and cooked on the grill).
• The Suzettes crepes (drizzled with a citrusy orange syrup and liqueur).

Most of his creations had a female name, since his inspiration came from women. She herself admitted that her best creations were made for women.

Along with the invention of new dishes, he was in charge of modifying existing culinary classics, both French and international. He gave them his personal stamp: simplicity and balance.

He got rid of the ingredients he considered too many. So, he concentrated on the perfect balance of smells and flavors. In his opinion it must have been much more important than the way the preparation looked.

Legacy

Escoffier was a visionary who made a great and undeniable impact on the gastronomic world. He became one of the most important figures of his time. From his observation he realized the failures that occurred in the area of ​​his specialty.

His commitment to cooking was such that he did not smoke tobacco or consume alcohol to avoid alterations in his sense of taste. In addition, his morals did not allow him to do what his subordinates forbade.

Despite being an internationally renowned figure, Escoffier never stopped working hard and innovating in his creations. His inspiration was not fame, but the love of what he did, so he completely devoted himself to his kitchen until the last moment.

His contributions constituted the basis and impulse of contemporary gastronomy, which lasted over time. Her willingness to share her knowledge was evident in her books and other publications. In each of them she explained step by step each of her sublime recipes.

References

1. Garcia, P. (2014). Escoffier, the great coder of international cuisine. Montañés newspaper. Recovered in: eldiariomontanes.es
2. (2018). 18 facts you should know about Auguste Escoffier, the emperor of chefs. Tourist environment. Recovered in: entornoturistico.com
3. Inglessis, V (2014). Holistic cuisine: the life and contribution of Auguste Escoffier. The urban gourmet. Recovered in: elgourmeturbano.blogspot.com
4. (2007). Escoffier, emperor of cooks. El Universal.mx Styles. Recovered in: file.eluniversal.com.mx
5. Dueñas, D (2017) The Greats of the Kitchen: Auguste Escoffier. IGA Blog. Recovered at: iga-gastronomia.com