SC - La Varenne

[Daniel Phelps]

Was written:


>In my search for recipes for the Boar Hunt, someone on the list sent
>me a recipe or two from La Varenne, apparently a famous and
>influential French chef of the mid-17th century.
>
>I've been searching on the web for his book, the title of which is, i
>think, Le cuisiner francois or  Le cuisiner francais. So far, no luck.
>
>Anyone know where i can find more of his recipes?

A quick rummage through my collection suggests:

Try "The Grand Masters of French Cuisine; Five Centuries of Great Cooking
(from 1373 to 1873)"
Celine Vence and Robert Courtine, 1978,  G.P. Putnam and Sons orginally
published in France as "Le Grands Maitres de la Cuisine Francaise", 1972 by
Borgas

Of Francois-Pierre de La Varenne's recipes it has:

Soup, 1, Onion with milk
entrees, 2, Cheese Tart and Oyster Pie
eggs, 1, Eggs stuffed with Sorrel
fish, 3, Perch in white wine, Grilled Fish, Pressed Fish
meat, 3, Marinated loin of Roast Veal, "Epigram" Veal Nnuckle, Stuffed
Breast of veal
variety meats and charcuterie, 1, Fricasseed Calf's Liver
Poultry and game, 1, Backed Foie Gras
vegetables, 1, creamed spinich
desserts and sweets, 3, Marzipan pie, egg bread susanne, frangipane pie
drinks, 1, limonade

The recipes listed above are entirely redacted with no orginals either in
French or in direct English translation provided.  Oddly there is one
unredacted recipe in English translation for Capon pie provided, as an
example of his work, in thier short write up about him.

The full title of his book, published in 1651, is "Le Cuisinier francois:
Enseignant la maniere de bien appreter et assaissonner toutes sortes de
viandes grasses et maigres, legumes, patisseries et autresmets qui servent
tant sur les tables des Grands que des particuliers" or in English
translation "The French Cook: Teaching the Manner of Preparing and Serving
all sorts of Meats, Both Flesh and Fish, vegetables, Pastriesand other dishs
Served at the tables of the Great Lords as Well as those of Simple
Individuals".  According to them it is considered the first "modern" French
cookbook .

Also included in "Grand Masters" which may be of interest are recipes from
Taillevent, Menagier de Paris, Nostrodamas, Bonnefons (1654), Pierrede Lune
(1651), Escole Parfaite des Officiers de Bouche (1662), the unknow L.S.R.
(1674) Massilot, 1691, and Audiger (1692).  As the next entry dates from
1733 I judge the remainder to be well out of period.

Checking further I found a single recipe in "An Illustrated History of
French Cuisine" for Jugged Hare Lavarenne that could be reasonably be
expected to have come from him, the book is long on chat and short on
dicumentation.

I also found a single unredacted recipe of his in English translation for
asparagus in "On Food and Cooking" by Harold McGee as well as three sauces;
Sauce Robert, Flour liaison, and fragrant sauce.

I checked my copy of Larousse Gastronomique (LG).  It provides a short bio
and the following titles: Le Patissier francais (1653) Le Confiseur francais
(1664) Le Cuisinier francais (1651) L'Ecole des ragouts (1725).  Presumedly
the last published well after his death is some sort of compendium?  Oddly
LG lists in its bibliography attributed to him an additional book "La
Cuisine methodique (1662)

Hope this helps but I suspect, based in reading his bios, that many on the
list may feel that La Varenne is beyond the pale.

Let me know if I can be of further service.

Daniel Raoul
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