Paul bokus died. Biography of Paul Bockus

    Paul Baucus is the oldest and most titled of modern culinary stars. It is considered the founder of a modern kitchen concept. In February, he turned 86, but he still looks at life with humor. In addition to food, as befits a real Frenchman, he is well versed in wines, women and hunting.

Paul Bockus. As soon as he does not call him craving for loud metaphors of the press - a living legend, emperor of French cuisine, father and culinary classic, president of haute cuisine. He is compared with Pierre Cardin in the fashion world and Charles Aznavour on the stage. A biennial culinary contest named after him “Golden Bokus” is equal in importance to the Olympic Games among cooks, and his prize is considered akin to Oscar.

Undoubtedly, Paul Baucus is a whole phenomenon in the international restaurant life of the last half century, without it there would have been no modern cuisine. All of her newfangledness, lightness, subtlety, fantasies with ingredients, even the requirement for freshness of products - everything came out of Bokyuz school, from his Nouvelle Cuisine - “new cuisine”. But it was so long ago and so firmly entrenched in modern practice that it became the usual order of things, and it is hard to imagine today that once everything was wrong.

Who is he? Meter Paul Baucus, the most famous celebrity in world culinary and a favorite of journalists, in his 86s who believes that he is too early to sit down for his memoirs?

His life philosophy can be fit into one phrase, and it is called "the art of living." For Paul Bokyuza - it means enjoying life - from delicious food, good wine, women, favorite hunting. Work is in the same row because it is also a favorite ...

"How do I feel about alcohol? It's all about proportions. And then, cognac is a special, noble drink. The pleasure you get from him is comparable to a pleasant journey, admiring wonderful landscapes. ”

He was lucky three times: little   that he was born in France, the trendsetter of gastronomic fashion, he was born into a family of hereditary chefs and from the age of 8 already knew what he would devote his life to. It doesn’t matter that five years before his birth, in 1921, his grandfather sold their restaurant near Lyon, and with it a family brand with a half-century history, the more alluring the goal in front - to return the lost name, the stronger the desire to achieve it.

This goal was set immediately, and he went to her, not yet knowing that it would be only intermediate in the series of heights, prepared for him by a fortunate fate. The stability of culinary genes in the Bokyuz family is also evidenced by the fact that, having returned from the first torn world war and having lost his family business, Paul’s father started everything from scratch: he got a job as an ordinary cook in Lyon, and then opened his own restaurant.

His son Paul, having inherited his father’s obstinacy and determination, begins his independent career at the age of 15, but not under the wing of his parents in a family institution - he settles in as a student at the famous restaurant Claude Marais in the Lyon restaurant Soierie. And even if at first he was trusted only with the purchase of products on the market - in a short time he would comprehend this first step of his training perfectly.

World War II interrupts Paul’s training, and as a young man, he volunteers for the front. The famous Frenchman will always remember this period of his life with pride and awe. And there is a reason: the Cross "For Military Merit", a severe wound in 1944, participation in the Victory Parade in Paris in 1945. After the war, he rushes to study with special zeal. Its refuge is La Mere Brasier restaurant: between cooking, he manages to wash the dishes, milk the cows and look after the garden. He is still very young: he is only 19.

Fernand Point, his future ally in the “new French cuisine,” becomes his main and final teacher. Paul Baucus returns to his father’s restaurant in 1961. He already has a lot of experience, and in his soul - a thirst for success. The first year of work brings results: the restaurant earns its first Michelin star. The opening of the year is among the cooks and the young restaurateur himself. And this title itself is for him only the beginning in a series of insignia that have fallen after him - titles, titles and awards.

  “What is the secret of restaurant success?” You can’t even call them secrets ... rather, conditions. The place may be running. Design
to rest. Or maybe a charming hostess. Or a great cook. If you put it all together, you get a successful restaurant. But, most importantly, of course, for any such institution, and I do not cease to repeat it - first-class products. Haute cuisine is made only from quality products! ”

A year later, a second star is added to his institution's piggy bank, and another two years later - a third star. Since then, the title of a three-star restaurant in his restaurant at the Collange Bridge has been proudly carried for 46 years.

1966 year. The bocus at the zenith of fame.   He does what he has been going all these years: after 45 years, the old grandfather's restaurant returns and what he considered the greatest value for himself is his name. The restaurant is called the Collange Abbey. And he saves a family plate for them with the father of the main restaurant - “Tavern at the Collonge Bridge”, or simply “Bokyuz”, as they will call him later. Since then, for the next 45 years, huge letters “Paul Baucus”, illuminated by lights, visible in the night sky from afar, as a symbol of wealth and prestige, have risen on its roof.

Its famous owner does not hide that this establishment is not for average prosperity, but there is still no end to visitors - they are recorded in Bokyuz weeks in advance. But a talented culinary specialist would not be called a living classic if it had not become a classic what else forty years ago it was called the culinary revolution. And it was he who made this revolution.

In the 70s of the last century, Bokyuz, together with a group of avant-garde chefs, created a “new kitchen”. It replaced the complex and elaborate classics with its abundance of fatty, fried, with heavy sauces and marinades, with long cooking of each dish.

"New Kitchen" preached the maximum freshness of ingredients and their minimum heat treatment, simplicity of recipes, the use of light sauces. And she opened up endless possibilities for the cook’s imagination: in search of a new taste and sound of dishes, one could safely compose the most unusual ingredients.

“By mixing carrots with chocolate, you will not get a new dish. In any dish, the “skeleton" must remain unchanged, everything else is built on it. The dish must be recognizable, that is, the "skeleton" must be visible ... And if you compare the kitchen with music, it should be understandable. "

Although the founder himself sometimes jokes that there was no special innovation, talented chefs just gathered and began to make good cuisine, and at the same time, advertise themselves.

The symbol of the “New Kitchen” was black truffle soup in a cup covered with a hat of puff pastry. It is considered the hallmark of the Bokusa restaurant and served under the name “E.G.V. Soup”, in honor of French President Valerie Giscard de Esten, for which it was prepared in 1975. And the reason for this was the award of the French culinary order of the Legion of Honor in the Champs Elysees.

The main merit of Bokyuz was not so much in creating a new idea, but in its promotion, propaganda. Revolutionary traditions were picked up by hundreds of his talented students and spread all over the world. And today, the "new cuisine" has long become a classic in the global restaurant business. Now, new trends excite the minds of modern culinary specialists.

How does the master Bokuzy feel about this? Very calm. It doesn’t matter what kind of cuisine the institution adheres to, the master believes, the main thing is that the cook is good, then the restaurant will be full of guests.

And so that there was something to strive for colleagues, the famous culinary specialist came up with a competition for them under his own name. Since 1987, culinary schools in different countries have met every two years for the right to possess the Golden Bocus. The prestige of the competition is so high that, in fact, it can be considered culinary Olympic games.

“For many years of the competition, we have developed our own assessment methods, and they are quite objective. The works of the contestants are “tried” by 24 reputable jury members from different countries. These are special people - with a developed taste, or, as I call them, with a "gentle sky". Be sure they know how to taste good. Their taste organs possess a memory for the subtlest taste nuances and their quality. ”

The creation of the “haute cuisine society” also dates back to the seventies. Along with Bokyuz, it included his 12 "three-star" fellow cooks. The principles here are the same as in the “new kitchen”: naturalness, naturalness of products, simplicity of recipes. And only two small additions from a purely “haute cuisine” - attention to the design of dishes, high aesthetics of appearance and ... price. To the popular question of journalists, what exactly is “haute cuisine”, the joker and wit Bockus is not lost: it is when in nothing - in a plate, and everything - in the bill.

In 1980, he becomes the owner of a winery in Beaujolais and gives his name to the brandy of cognac, with the presentation of which he even came to Moscow. Paul Baucus, not only the holder of three Michelin stars and the Legion of Honor, but also twice the “Cook of the Century” - this title was awarded to him in 1989 and in 2011.

Despite his advanced age, the "cook of the century" is full of energy. By his own admission, he only moderated his appetite for food and sex, and for the rest he continues to live to the fullest: he works in his restaurant, travels around the world, speaks on television, conducts public work, which is enough for the honorary president of the School of Culinary Arts in Ekkuli and President of the European Culinary Association Euro Toques.

Despite the many written   them books, recipes in them a little. But each of them is a masterpiece. In detailed step-by-step actions, one can feel the accuracy and thoroughness of the master, the unhurriedness of the priesthood over far from cheap dishes.

In his books, as in life, intimacy is inseparable from food. There is much in common between cooking and sex, the famous Frenchman believes, one and the other enjoys it.

The great optimizer of life, he can say with full confidence: "I have lived it for good reason." He turned the kitchen into a noble art. He brought novelty not only to food, but also to the life of those who cook it, making the whole world admire the magic of their hands.

“I am a happy person, because I rarely stay alone. Perhaps this is how you should build your life - so that people who are always pleasant to you are always with you. ”


“There is nothing mysterious or magical in my recipes, just following them is enough.” This is how Paul Baucus addresses his readers in the preface to his book, My Best Recipes. She first saw the light of day in France more than a quarter of a century ago, then several years ago she was reprinted and, finally, this year she appeared in Russian translation at Astrel Publishing House.

According to the author, of the many books he wrote this was most successful. And it’s easy to understand why. Bokus himself calls this essay "a small textbook of simple food." When the most famous chef of the twentieth century brings such simple everyday recipes, this cannot but be a success. Unlike the flagship restaurant of Bokyuz, l’Auberge du Pont de Collonges, where an ordinary person finds it difficult to get — you need to sign up for many months, and the prices are very high — Bokyuz’s cuisine from this cookbook is more than accessible.

Bokuse is considered the founder of the "new" French cuisine. Presumably, the term nouvelle cuisine was first applied to dishes that Bockus and several other French chefs prepared for the first flight of the Concord supersonic passenger plane in 1969.

Then this cooking made a sensation with its simplicity in comparison with the complex classical cuisine of France. After more than four decades, it is obvious that the Bokusa cuisine is the real French classic, perhaps only freed from the excesses of previous eras.

In this sense, the word “textbook”, which Paul Bockusz uses in relation to his book, looks quite appropriate. Because the main thing in a good kitchen is the technique of cooking dishes and the severity of the choice of products. The rest does not matter whether you cook in Chinese or Italian: the French culinary school has been and remains the best in the world.

The simplicity called for by the 86-year-old French chef is the wisdom of the cook who saw everything, tried everything and brought up several generations of famous students. A few years ago I happened to be in Moscow at the Bokyuz master class. Over the years, I have also met with some of the chefs in the Rhone-Alpes region, where Bokus works. The Truagro brothers are all people with their own handwriting and their own ideas about haute cuisine. But, watching how they cook, it is impossible not to be amazed at the sharpness of movements, the masterly mastery of the technique of processing products. This is the same French school.

Bokuse shares some of his secrets in the book. For example, he confesses his love for a cast-iron pan, of those used by the French peasant women at the time when he himself began to cook (in Lyon they say that a generation of great Lyon cooks inherited tricks and recipes from their mothers). He also writes that he prefers a gas stove with an electric oven. When I chose a stove for my country house, I mistakenly ordered just that (and I wanted it with a gas oven). Now you can flatter yourself that this is the choice of Bokyuz.

History remembers the great chefs of the past. Antoine Karem, Karoy Gundel forever wrote their names on the pages of her invisible book, others perished irrevocably. The chefs of the new generation -, - have everything you can only dream of, and only time will tell which of them will be remembered a hundred years later. But there are among our contemporaries those who you can absolutely say about: they deserved their place in the pantheon during their lifetime. After all, cooks come and go, and gastronomy is eternal. It was to her that Paul Baucus, a classic of French cuisine, devoted his life.

Monsieur Bocuse was born in 1926 in a family of hereditary chefs, and from the very beginning it was clear what fate awaited the boy who entered one of Lyon's restaurants as an assistant cook. Five years before the birth of Paul, his grandfather, Joseph Bokyuz, sold the family restaurant, and at the same time the right to use the Bokyuz sign, which the grandson could return only after many years.

But more on that later.

Indeed, through the youth of Paul Bokyuz, like other people of that era, the Second World War passed with a bloody stroke. Now it has become fashionable to accuse the French of how quickly they surrendered France and of the fact that most of them did not support the Resistance, feeling fine in the conditions of occupation.

One way or another - but Paul Baucus after the outbreak of the war joined the army as a volunteer, fought and was seriously injured in Alsace. Salvation came to the future great chef in the person of American doctors from a field hospital. “I always say that American blood flows in my veins because the Americans did a blood transfusion to me,” admitted Bockus.

The main merit of Bokyuz is the creation of a “new kitchen”, which replaced the classic “cuisine classique” - elaborate, complex, high-calorie. Bokyuz and colleagues began to build their kitchen according to completely different principles, which were formulated by reputable restaurant critics Henri Guo and Christian Millau:

  • Refusal of excessive complication in cooking.
  • Cooking time for fish, seafood, game birds, veal, green vegetables and pastes is significantly reduced in order to preserve the natural taste.
  • Dishes are prepared with as fresh products as possible.
  • The rejection of large menus in favor of shorter ones.
  • Refusal to use strong marinades for meat and game.
  • Refusal to use heavy sauces thickened with flour - such as Spanish or bechamel - in favor of flavoring dishes with fresh herbs, high-quality butter, lemon juice and vinegar.
  • Inspiration is found in regional dishes instead of classic dishes.
  • Application of new technologies and modern equipment: Bokuzy even used (oh, horror!) Microwave ovens.
  • When preparing meals, cooks began to pay close attention to the dietary needs of guests.
  • Advocates of nouvelle cuisine are extremely inventive and constantly create new combinations and combinations of products.

As you can see, almost everything that the “new kitchen” rests on (except for very narrowly specialized moments) has long become quite familiar with the mainstream - but in the middle of the 20th century, this approach to restaurant cuisine, which contrasted sharply with home cooking, was a curiosity.

The term "new kitchen", incidentally, was also first used by Henri Guo, who described dishes prepared by Bokus and his colleagues for the first flight of the Concorde airliner in 1969. Six years later, in 1975, for a reception at the Champs Elysees, Bokuyus first made truffle soup, which later became his signature dish: black truffle soup, covered with a puff pastry hat, is still served in the Bokyuz restaurant called “EGV Soup” in the honor of the President of France Giscard Valerie d'Estaing, who was present at the reception. Everyone can touch the gastronomic secrets of the Champs Elysees for 80 euros.

The merit of Bokyuz was not so much the creation of the concept of a “new kitchen” as its active dissemination. Many of his students, grown up in the “new kitchen”, became famous chefs who introduced this tradition in their countries, and ““, created in 1987, became the most prestigious award awarded annually to cooks from around the world. Bokus himself was also not bypassed with all sorts of insignia - just mention the highest French award, the Order of the Legion of Honor. On March 30, 2011, the Culinary Institute of America awarded Paul Bocuse the title "Cook of the Century."

Ordinary mortals can touch the creations of the maestro in his restaurant L’Auberge du Pont de Collonges, which is often called simply “Baucus”: in 1966, Paul Baucus still bought a family brand that was once sold by his grandfather. The restaurant, now the mainstay of French cuisine, Michelin awarded 3 stars in 1965, and since then it has not left the top of the gastronomic Olympus.

Many critics, however, argued that such a special attitude was a kind of curtsy towards the merits of the great chef, not reflecting the real bar held by the restaurant - but who would dare to take the star from Bokyuz itself? .. Despite the high prices, “Bokyuz” was recorded many days in advance. For those who can not afford such an expensive pleasure, Bokuse opened in Lyon, which the maestro considered the gastronomic capital of France, a brasserie network with more affordable prices.

At an advanced age it is difficult not to be a conservative, especially since the Bokyuz approach, once revolutionary, has long become a classic. The maestro was calm about new trends in cooking, believing that if the restaurant is open and full of guests, the chef does everything right, regardless of the cuisine he offers. However, about Ferrand Adria, who is considered the creator of the modernist approach to the kitchen, Bokus said that he was just a cook.

And this, probably, lies the whole philosophy of the most titled cook of our time: in order to reach heights, you do not need to be the creator of anything. It’s enough to just be a cook.

On January 20, 2018, Paul Bokusa did not die - the great chef, who had been suffering from Parkinson's disease for several years, died in his restaurant.

On this occasion, the French Minister of the Interior, Gerard Collon, tweeted: “Monsieur Paul was France. Simplicity and generosity. Craftsmanship and the art of living. The pontiff of grocery stores has left us. May our chefs in Lyon and in all corners of the world take care of the fruits of his passion for a long time. ”

In the fashion world. Suffice it to say that it is Bokyuz in 1989

1765

1921 1925 1926

1941 1944

In the restaurant business, and in culinary excellence, Paul Baucus is comparable to the fashion world. Suffice it to say that it is Bokyuz in 1989   year was awarded the title "cook of the century."

In the XVIII century, on the banks of the Sona, in the town of Collonges aux Mont dʻOr, near Lyon, the miller's family lived. The miller’s wife, cooked deliciously and willingly treated everyone who lives in the district with her cooking. Visitors to the mill and local boatmen stood at her table, and all those who came to the mill to grind grain. This legendary millwoman was the great-great-grandmother of modern super cook Paul Bokyuz. It was the beginning of her restaurateur activity as a innkeeper and marked the beginning of the Bokyuz dynasty. Historians date the beginning of the Bokus dynasty 1765   the year in which the most famous became, undoubtedly, the one who today is called the modern patriarch of French cuisine - Paul Baucus.

For more than 100 years, the mill restaurant has existed. In the 19th century, the mill was destroyed - the Paris-Lyon-Marseille railway was being built - and the Bocuse family had to move to the farm, which was once owned by the monks of Il-Barb, where they continued their restaurant business.

Generations later in 1921   year, the grandfather of Paul Bokyuz, Joseph suddenly decided to sell a family restaurant on the Saon River, and with it the family name "Bokyuz Restaurant". The remaining “without a name” is Paul Baucuse's father, Georges, in 1925 he married Irme Rouille, the daughter of restaurateurs who owned the Hotel du Pont de Collonges. there in 1926   and the future chef of the century was born.

But there would be no history of the dynasty, if not for the genes. It was Paul’s father who continued the dynasty of restaurateurs and became the first to glorify the Bokyuz surname in the field of gastronomy. Having returned from the fronts of the First World War, he completely surrendered to the most peaceful of professions, having worked as a cook in the best restaurants in Lyon, and eventually opened his own institution.

Apparently heredity did not pass by the future genius of culinary. Paul also followed in the footsteps of his father, but unlike many other offspring of the great dynasties, he did not begin to receive a profession under the supervision of his father. Paul Baucus received his first experience in the field of gastronomy at the age of 15 at Claude Mare, in the Lyon restaurant “Soari”. True, he was not yet allowed to the stove, but what he was doing (he helped to buy food) was no less responsible. It was 1941   year. The war interrupted the practice of the grocery store and the future restaurateur. With the outbreak of World War II, he volunteered for the front. During the battle in Alsace, Bocuse was injured, after which he received a blood transfusion in an American field hospital. Having reclaimed in the fields of World War II and received in 1944   year, the Cross "For Military Merit", he returned and continued to study culinary art with mother Brazier, in the institution "La Mer Brazier" (La Mеre Brazier), located on the pass of La Luer.

Here, the young apprentice not only learned the basics of skill, but also looked beyond the garden, milked cows, washed, stroked. After several years, he became a student of the famous chef Fernand Poin and studied at the restaurant "Pyramid" in Vienne. In terms of cuisine, few establishments at that time could compete with the Pyramid and La Mer Brazier.

I have to say a few words about Fernande Point. Fernand Point - a French chef, is considered the father of modern French cuisine. His famous La Pyramide restaurant, founded after the First World War and awarded three Michelin stars, was trained by a whole generation of French chefs, including Paul Baucuse, Alain Chapelle, Louis Utier, Georges Perrier and the Truagro brothers. It was in this restaurant that the fashion for light sauces, miniature vegetables and other features of the “new cuisine” was born.

AT 1961   Bokyuz continued his family business, returning to his father’s restaurant. He brings his 20 years of experience and talent to his father’s restaurant. His hard work was not in vain. In the same 1961 The father’s restaurant, where Paul Baucus worked, receives the first Michelin star, and Paul himself receives the title “Discovery of the Year” among cooks. A year later, the number of Michelin stars at the restaurant doubles, and in 1965   The year of the career of Paul Bocuseus is crowned by the third cherished star.

At the zenith of fame and professional maturity, In 1966   Bokyuz decides to buy back the family name "Bokyuz", which was unacceptably sold by his grandfather, and lost for the whole 45 years. Paul called the old restaurant "Abbaye de Collonges" in memory of the monks of Il-Barb. The menu of his gastronomic “inn” is crowned with the words of Van Gogh: “How difficult it is to be simple.”

AT 1970 Bokyuz, together with like-minded people, was one of the founders of the “new cuisine” (nouvelle cuisine), which focused on the quality and naturalness of products and low calorie dishes.

AT 1975   Paul Baucus was awarded the Legion of Honor. On this occasion, a solemn presidential reception was held at the Champs Elysees, at which truffle soup prepared by Bocuse was served. The dish is called V.G.E. - in honor of the President of France Valerie Giscard d'Estaing, who participated in the reception (the name was the initials of his name: Valery Giscard d`Estaing). Since then, truffle soup has become one of the main dishes in the maestro's personal restaurant.

AT 1987   In the year he established the international culinary competition “Golden Bocuse” (Bocuse d`Or), now considered the most prestigious international competition of haute cuisine. FROM 1987   This biennial competition is considered the unofficial world championship among cooks. And the Golden Bocus award is comparable in magnitude with the Oscars and Olympic gold.

AT 1989   The respected French restaurant guide Gault Millau awarded Bocuse the title of "Chef of the Century."

AT 2003   Bokyuz visited Moscow, where he introduced the cognacs Paul Bocuse.

The work of the tireless and charismatic “cook of the century”, who also has a bright sense of humor to all his merits, does not stop for a second either at the end of the 20th century or at the beginning of the 21st. Baucus speaks on television, writes books, his sculptural image of authorship by Daniel Druet is exhibited in the Parisian “Grevin de Paris”. Four restaurants are opening under Lyceum Bokusa in Lyon: “North”, “South”, “East” and “West”. Fields of Bokusa are elected Honorary President of the School of Culinary Arts in Ekulli, President of the European Culinary Association Euro Toques, in 2004   year awarded the title of Commander of the Legion of Honor.

Under his name, Bokus founded the Culinary Institute, and at the same time does not stop working in his restaurant, he has many students who themselves become celebrities - take at least Eckart Witzigmann, the first German chef awarded three Michelin stars.

One of the most legendary chefs of the century is Paul Baucus. Despite the fact that all his recipes are extremely simple and accessible even to people who are not too creative in the field of culinary, and the dishes are somewhat peasant-rich, all this certainly applies to haute cuisine. The best recipes of Paul Bokyuz, his biography and career are in our article.

Dynasty

Paul Baucus, a fifth generation cook, has been continuing his restaurant business since his great-great-great-grandmother, who was not only beautiful, but also extremely well prepared. The family had a mill, and there she opened a tavern in the middle of the eighteenth century. The guests liked to visit this establishment, the food that was offered to boaters, peasants who came with their grain to the mill, and residents of the surrounding villages was hearty, simple and unusually tasty.

The tavern during the first hundred years turned into a restaurant, which suddenly appeared on the way of the railway from Paris to Marseille. The building was destroyed. But the family business was already so strong that it was able to continue on the Saon River, where the monks of Il-Barba previously lived. So came 1921 - a time of radical change. Paul Baucus was not yet born when his grandfather decided to sell not only the institution, but also the name.

Legend

It was said that my grandfather was encouraged by this jealousy. Grandmother, like almost all women in the family, was beautiful, many visitors tried to take care of her. Grandpa didn’t like it very much. It is not known for certain what event happened in the restaurant, but the establishment was sold along with its family name. If the dynasty was interrupted, it would be unlikely that we would have known such a wonderful cook as Paul Baucus.

However, culinary roots too deeply penetrated the souls of this family, so Georges - the next generation - chose the same field. Gained experience in the best restaurants in Lyon and opened his own. He knew very, very much, but for some reason his son did not study with him. He chose another excellent culinary teacher, Claude Mare, whose roots in this profession were no less deep.

Training

To the stove and the actual culinary Mare did not allow the student at all immediately. At first, he bought products for a long time and carefully checked their freshness. Subsequently, this became a hallmark of the activities that Paul Baucus conducted: his dishes are always prepared with absolutely fresh ingredients. The war began, the beginning culinary enrolled as a volunteer and went to the front. During the Alsatian battle he was quite seriously injured. He fought well, received a cross in 1944 "For Military Merit", and in 1945 he was waiting for the famous Paris Victory Parade.

After returning home, I had to change my job. The famous Fernan Point became the teacher of Paul, but even here he prepared dishes much less than he looked after the garden, washed dishes, washed clothes, ironed him and milked cows. However, he nevertheless endured some subtleties from Point. And now the golden collection of recipes by Paul Bokuzy differs by the presence of tiny vegetables and very light sauces.

Return

Up to thirty-five years old, the legendary culinary expert gained experience. But then, when he returned to his father’s restaurant, he started the business so well that a year later the establishment received. In 1965, it was already three. It was the pinnacle of fame. And financial matters gotten so good that Paul Baucus bought the grandfather's restaurant with his family name. Now there is a banquet hall, where they are treated in the same way as in the days of the distant ancestors of the family: the food is very simple, but it is delicious unusually.

Paul Bocuse was happy to return the family name to the business, as it is more than just a well-known brand. This is the pinnacle of what is called perfection, a kind of perfectionism. Naturally, the restaurant, which returned the name, and even decorated with Michelin stars, is intended for the most successful, richest and most famous people whom Paul Bocuse collected. Reviews of dishes made from exclusively fresh and purely local products, which, moreover, do not lose their natural taste during cooking, have world geography.

New kitchen

In 1975, the master was awarded the Legion of Honor, and his gratitude was so great that a new culinary masterpiece was born. Paul Baucuse, whose recipes are as simple as brilliant, delighted the world with a soup named after the French president.

It is truly very difficult to be simple! The soupe aux truffles, which has become the hallmark of the Faucet Baucuse cuisine, consists of the freshest black truffles, chicken, celery and carrots, mushroom caps, white vermouth and foie gras. And for some reason, chicken bouillon cubes ... Served in a branded refractory cup with a high cap of puff pastry, which is covered with broth before being sent to the oven. Not something in the Champs Elysees Paul Baucus treated the president!

Professional and social activities

No less famous is another recipe, one that was invented by the chef Brioche, and his followers improved it in every way. Just like other eminent cuisines, the recipe for Paul Brioche's brioche test is significantly different from the classic one. And in 1987, the culinary received an officer rank in the Legion of Honor and treated another president. At that time, the Golden Bocuse competition was established, the award of which for the cook now means the same as the Oscar for the artist.

From year to year, the master’s life became increasingly eventful. He opened restaurants, wrote books, participated in shows and television programs, even created the Culinary Institute. Traveling is taking up more and more space. In 2003, he even visited Moscow, where he presented the Paul Bocuse brand. A person knows how to work and have fun.

Addictions

Paul Baucus loves old kitchen utensils, especially loves cast iron dishes. Prefers a gas stove, but that the oven in it was electric. It is clear that this is due to better control: heating and temperature are regulated in the electric oven much more precisely. During his life, Paul Bockus did not change his creed. From the field or from the sea - immediately to the table. All the freshest. None of his dishes are cooked for a long time or laborious. That is why tastes do not mix. Dishes are flavored only with lemon, herbs, vinegar and butter. The ingredients are preferred not imported, but local. The menu in his restaurant is always very short.

His books have been translated into many languages. “My best recipes” and “The Bible Paul Baucus” would not have been advised to download them, if only a little understanding in Russian. Translators and proofreaders reacted to their work, to put it mildly, negligently. His books are not simply missing from many recipes one or the other, but, what’s most terrible, the numbers indicating the number of products are absolutely confused. Paul Bockuyse would never recommend his books to Russian culinary specialists, who from time to time even win the golden prize of his name. teaches these books camping for beginners. What a pity!

Several recipes translated thoroughly

Dishes invented by the master are tasty and quickly cooked, they rarely have ingredients that are difficult to get. Pumpkin puree soup (probably many have grandmothers who make it in Russian, without stuffed eggs), klafuti - the simplest pie with berries, which in a rare house does not happen on the table almost daily in the summer season, catfish or other fish baked in pastry or fried in flour - can these dishes be alien in our country? They are international.

But baked pasta is a dish more similar to French. The finest slices of ham, veal, lard and pork, which are stuffed with minced meat, diluted cognac, equipped with aromatic herbs, are skillfully placed in a special form laid out by dough. It would be interesting not only to try, but also to cook. It should be noted that Paul Baucus has its own vineyards in the famous Beaujolais. Therefore, wines and cognacs often accompany his culinary masterpieces. And the essential ingredients of almost every one of his dishes are cream and butter. This is veal with champignons, and baked carp. Wine, cream, butter.

Potato with egg

And yet how close the gastronomy of Paul Bokyuz is to Russian cuisine! Most dishes are prepared with those ingredients that never leave our kitchen. - summer rustic breakfast in any Russian outback, before mowing, for example. Tasty, healthy, nutritious. What is French grace here? Cooled jacket potatoes, eggs not from the refrigerator, but from a basket or directly from a chicken nest, lard pork, melted in a pan. With cracklings there will be an omelet.

Only our grandmothers and mothers will not merge pork fat from the pan, so that later they can fry potatoes in it. And Paul Bokuyz will return the greaves to the pan, pour all this with eggs soaked with water, bring to readiness and serve with white bread fried in butter. Perhaps not all Russians eat bread and potatoes, but otherwise this dish, as a representative of fine French cuisine, will be quite to the taste in our cities and towns.