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La Cuisine Classique
- Year
- 1856
- Era
- 19th century
- Origin
- France · Europe
- Language
- French
- Category
- French foundational
La Cuisine Classique, first published in 1856 by Urbain Dubois in collaboration with Émile Bernard, codified the principles of grande cuisine as practiced in the great aristocratic households of nineteenth-century Europe. Drawing on the authors' service in royal kitchens, the work systematised service à la russe, presenting elaborate menus, set pieces, and structured recipes that bridged Carême's legacy and the later reforms of Escoffier.
Cooking from this book
Pièce montée
Signature dishFew constructions epitomise La Cuisine Classique more than the pièce montée, the towering centrepiece of spun sugar, nougat, and pastry that Urbain Dubois and Émile Bernard championed as the crowning glory of grand service. Their book devotes lavish engraved plates to these architectural displays, reflecting the authors' years in aristocratic Russian and Prussian kitchens. The pièce montée embodies the volume's ambition: cookery elevated to sculpture, and the dining table reimagined as a stage for haute cuisine.
An editorial note on a dish associated with this book, written for The Coquinist. It is not a reproduction of the book's recipe.
