Marie-Antoine Carême

Marie-Antoine Carême (8 June 1784 – 12 January 1833) was a French chef and an early practitioner and exponent of the elaborate style of cooking known as haute cuisine, the "high art" of French cooking. Carême is often considered as one of the first internationally renowned celebrity chefs.

Early life

Carême was born in Paris, France, in 1784. He was abandoned by his parents during the French Revolution and took a series of kitchen jobs before apprenticing himself to a famous pâtissier.

Career

Carême gained fame in Paris for his pièces montées, elaborate centrepieces made from pastries and sugar. He was soon employed by Napoleon Bonaparte's foreign minister, Charles Maurice de Talleyrand-Périgord, who recognized his talent and employed him as his chef.

Carême was known for his ability to create large and intricate sugar sculptures, which were at the time a major component of haute cuisine. He also developed the concept of mother sauces, which are the foundation of many sauces in French cuisine.

Carême wrote several books on cookery, including L'Art de la Cuisine Française (The Art of French Cooking), which is still considered a foundational text in French gastronomy.

Legacy

Carême's impact on French gastronomy and the culinary world at large is immeasurable. His development of the mother sauces is still taught in culinary schools today, and his books continue to be a source of inspiration for chefs worldwide.

See also

• French cuisine
• Haute cuisine
• Mother sauces

References

• L'Art de la Cuisine Française, Marie-Antoine Carême
• The King of Chefs and the Chef of Kings, Ian Kelly