Definition: point fernand

He bases his cuisine on the quality of the ingredients and their enhancement through careful cooking and meticulous preparation; the simplest things in appearance are often the most difficult to achieve. In 1930, he married a woman from Ardeche who brought him a great deal, thanks to her determination and welcoming nature. The restaurant quickly became a stop for gourmets on their way to the south. All the personalities of the time came to taste his cuisine, the "pinnacle of culinary art", as Curnonsky put it. He was one of the three great French chefs of the interwar period, along with Alexandre Dumaine in Seaulieu and André Pic in Valence. His personality played a big part in this: his humour, his hospitality, his eccentricities and his uncompromising nature made him one of the great French chefs, always striving for perfection. After his death in 1955, the restaurant was taken over by Paul Mercier, then Guy Thivard, but always under the management of Madame Point, until her death in 1986.

Fernand Point's cuisine set a precedent, as evidenced by his students Troisgros, Chapel and Bocuse. Sacha Guitry said of him: "To eat well in France, a Point is all you need." His cuisine was very classic, and while he would often exclaim: "Butter! Give me butter! Always butter!" he also said more wisely: "Garnishes must be matched like a tie to a suit," or "A béarnaise sauce is simply an egg yolk, a shallot, a little tarragon. But it takes years of practice before the result is perfect."