Auguste Escoffier is considered the father of French gastronomy with recipes such as the Belle-Hélène pear.

But more than flavors, the famous chef has also left behind major changes such as the creation of the kitchen brigade or charity dinners.

Bordeaux-style veal chop, French peas or even Melba peach ... Unmissable recipes that we owe to the famous French chef Auguste Escoffier, also called the "king of cooks, cook of kings".

Laurent Mariotte wished to pay tribute to this visionary with an international aura, by reviewing his history and his heritage in the program

La table des bons vivant, 

on Europe 1.

>> Find La Table des bons vivant in podcast and in replay here 

A humanist leader

Auguste Escoffier worked in the largest hotels, such as the Ritz or the Savoy, in London.

He invented most of the codes of luxury luxury cuisine.

But above all, the chef has always cared about the most disadvantaged and the little hands in the shadows, such as the cooks of small restaurants.

"A sensitivity that he owes in part to his modest origins but above all to the fact that he has known war", explains Yves Camdeborde.

"During the war, Escoffier had to adapt to the means at hand and to the raw materials he had. He therefore learned to rework the leftovers. For example, there was beef but it was reserved for the sick. He therefore only had horse left, which forced him, for example, to create a horse stew. "

Impressive creativity to avoid spoiling, the chef's trademark. 

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His other legacy is also on the side of the social struggles he led, well ahead of his time.

"With the project of mutual assistance for the extinction of pauperism, Auguste Escoffier says that the large hotels had a number of leftovers and that he had found a way to give them to the Little Sisters of the poor", explains Olivier Poels.

But be careful, there was no question of getting rid of the food roughly.

"He wanted the food to be reworked. It was a question of offering it with heart and meaning", explains Laurent Mariotte. 

Auguste Escoffier also created the first mutual mutual of cooks in Great Britain in 1903, or even designed the first charity dinners. 

Kitchen revolution

If Auguste Escoffier is also known, it is above all for his cuisine, his recipes which highlight French gastronomy, which can be found in the famous book to offer to any self-respecting cook, L '

Escoffier

.

In his time, he thus created a culinary revolution for the taste buds of his contemporaries, with his creations such as the Belle-Hélène pear or green asparagus (instead of the white ones).

A real revolution ... which also took place behind the stove.

Because Auguste Escoffier introduced the concept of brigade in the kitchens.

"He set up the famous kitchen brigade with a hierarchy, master sauciers, roasters, vegetables", details Laurent Mariotte.

"And that was to improve the working conditions of the cook. In this way, each one had a very specific task to perform and above all, it allowed to optimize the time so that the dishes come out more easily. " 

The legendary chef also demanded proper attire for everyone, stopping smoking in the kitchen as well as alcohol, far too present at the time since cooks could drink up to 2 or 3 liters per day. .

A rigor and a passion which made it possible to make the heyday of French gastronomy and to perpetuate a whole profession.