Definition: taillevent

A French chef born in Pont-Audemer around 1310 (his exact date of birth is unknown), he was the author of one of the oldest cookbooks written in French, Le Viandier. Taillevent was the eldest of the Tirel brothers. At a young age, he entered the service of Jeanne d'Evreux as a kitchen boy. In 1346, he entered the service of Philippe de Valois, becoming a squire in the household of the Dauphin, then his "queux" (chef) in 1355. In 1359, he was "queux" to the Duke of Normandy, regent of the Kingdom during the captivity of Jean le Bon, who, having become king under the name of Charles V, appointed him sergeant-at-arms in 1368. In 1373, he became premier queux, i.e. head of the kitchens. In 1381, he entered the service of Charles VI, who ennobled him, and in 1392 he became "Master of the King's Kitchen Garrisons". He died in 1395 and was buried at the Priory of Notre Dame in Hennebont. Four manuscripts of Le Viandier are known to exist: the oldest is kept at the National Library, while the other three are at the Mazarine Library, the Manche Archives in Saint Lô and the Vatican. It is believed that Le Viandier was composed by Taillevent at the instigation of King Charles V the Wise, who protected the arts and letters and liked to ask practical treatises from those of his subjects whom he considered competent. Le Viandier would therefore predate 1380, the date of Charles V's death. The full title of the work is: "Hereafter follows the Viandier for preparing all kinds of meat, which Taillevent, chef to our lord the king, made both for dressing and preparing boiled and roasted meat, sea and freshwater fish, sauces, spices, and other things suitable and necessary for this purpose, as will be explained below".

The word "meat" is used here in the Latin sense of "vivenda", meaning food in general. This is what makes the work so interesting, initially, for its inventory of 14th century foodstuffs. Numerous copies of Le Viandier circulated among lords and master chefs before printing made it "popular". The first known edition appears to date from 1490 and is composed in Gothic type; there would be eleven others until 1520. Its influence was felt until the arrival of Florentine chefs with Catherine de Medici and the publication of La Varenne's "Le Cuisinier Français" (1651), which introduced a new concept of culinary art. The essential contribution of Le Viandier lies in the importance given to spicy sauces (saffron, ginger, pepper, cinnamon) in soups and stews, which can be used to prepare meat, poultry and game as well as sea and river fish. The use of verjuice is also characteristic, as are roasted breadcrumb bindings. The main cooking methods are roasting and boiling, and there are numerous stuffed or minced meat dishes (pâtés, pies, flans). Finally, it is worth noting the importance given to Lenten dishes and to cooking for "lean" or "fat" days, according to the prescriptions of the Church. Taillevent's cuisine is often described as a succession of heavy, complicated or overly spicy dishes, but among the recipes in Le Viandier there are simpler preparations, some of which can be made today with almost no changes.