17 Course Classical Menu

In 18th century AD, merchant/chef named Boulanger changed modern food service by selling dishes he called ‘restoratives’ – a word that is considered the prelude to the modern term, ‘restaurant’. Before this, food in France was controlled by guilds, and guest had little choice. That changed with Boulanger. The French Revolution of 1793 ended the monarchy and completely changed the fabric of French society. Many chefs, suddenly out of work, opened restaurants in and around Paris to support themselves.

Marie-Antoine Careme was a famous creator of wedding cakes, sugar sculptures and ice and tallow carvings. Fernand Point, who is credited with the line, “I will never trust a skinny Chef!”, was a master practitioner of light, naturally flavored cuisine. However, it was Auguste Escoffier (1847 to 1935), widely regarded as the greatest chef of his time, who is credited with the simplification of classical French Menu. Escoffier rejected the confuion and volume of the old menu, and infused a sense of order and diversity by carefully selecting and matching one or two dishes per course. These are dishes that would follow one another harmoniously, and that would delight the eater with their simplicity and delicacy. It is this sequence that we today know as the Classical French 17 Course Menu. They are…

1. Hors d'oeuvre (appetizer)
2. Potage (soup)
3. Oeufs (eggs)
4. Farineaux (rice & pasta)
5. Poisson (fish)
6. Entrée (entry of 1st meat course)
7. Sorbet (flavoured water)
8. Reléve (meat course)
9. Rôti (roast)
10. Légumes (vegetables)
11. Salades (salad)
12. Buffet Froid (cold buffet)
13. Entremet de sûcre (sweets)
14. Savoureaux (savoury)
15. Fromage (cheese)
16. Desserts (fresh fruits & nuts)
17. Cafe (coffee)