Image: Marie-Antoine Carême · Public domain
L'Art de la Cuisine Francaise
- Year
- 1833
- Era
- 19th century
- Origin
- France · Europe
- Language
- French
- Category
- French foundational
L'Art de la Cuisine Française au Dix-Neuvième Siècle stands as the crowning treatise of Marie-Antoine Carême, issued in five volumes from 1833 and completed posthumously by Plumerey. The work codifies the grammar of haute cuisine, systematising sauces, garnishes, and menu composition with an architectural rigour that shaped professional kitchens for generations. Complete sets, uniformly bound and with all plates intact, command a substantial premium over odd volumes.
Cooking from this book
Vol-au-vent
Signature dishThe vol-au-vent, a tall cylinder of feather-light puff pastry crowned with a lid and filled with delicate ragouts, is forever linked to Careme. He is widely credited with perfecting this airy case, whose name evokes pastry so light it might fly away on the wind. Within his five-volume treatise, it stands as a showpiece of the grande cuisine he codified for the nineteenth century, embodying his pursuit of architectural elegance at the table.
An editorial note on a dish associated with this book, written for The Coquinist. It is not a reproduction of the book's recipe.