Topic: "On the importance of the base, and of experience"

[Peripatetic Phil]

Escoffier, 1907.  For "stock" in the following, read "base"

BEFORE undertaking the description of the different kinds of dishes whose recipes I purpose giving in this work, it will be necessary to reveal the groundwork whereon these recipes are built. And, although this has already been done again and again, and is wearisome in the extreme, a text-book on cooking, that did not include it would be not only incomplete, but in many cases incomprehensible.

Notwithstanding the fact that it is the usual procedure, in culinary matters, to insist upon the importance of the part played by stock, I feel compelled to refer to it at the outset of this work, and to lay even further stress upon what has already been written on the subject.

Indeed, stock is everything in cooking, at least in French cooking. Without it, nothing can be done. If one's stock is good, what remains of the work is easy; if, on the other hand, it is bad or merely mediocre, it is quite hopeless to expect any thing approaching a satisfactory result.

The workman mindful of success, therefore, will naturally direct his attention to the faultless preparation of his stock, and, in order to achieve this result, he will find it necessary not merely to make use of the freshest and finest goods, but also to exercise the most scrupulous care in their preparation, for, in cooking, care is half the battle. Unfortunately, no theories, formulae, and no recipes, however well written, can take the place of practical experience in the acquisition of a full knowledge concerning this part of the work - the most important, most essential, and certainly the most difficult part.

In the matter of stock it is, above all, necessary to have a sufficient quantity of the finest materials at one's disposal.  The master or mistress of a house who stints in this respect thereby deliberately forfeits his or her right to make any remark whatsoever to the chef concerning his work, for, let the talent or merits of the latter be what they may, they are crippled by insufficient or inferior material. It is just as absurd to exact excellent cooking from a chef whom one provides with defective or scanty goods, as to hope to obtain wine from a bottled decoction of logwood.

[livo]

Wonderful read there phil.  So we can't expect the hired help to make good base from dodgy onions?

[Peripatetic Phil]

Wonderful read there phil.  So we can't expect the hired help to make good base from dodgy onions?

Spot on, Livo, spot on.  Not even the bless

[JerryM]

Phil,

id prefer to have simple words yet the post on mix powder i must admit has got me thinking about this once more - CA (who im big fan) always said the gap was in the base.

SoberRat's post on mix pwdr re started my thoughts.

what does making a different a base do was my 1st thought. i can only describe as going to a different BIR. it's still BIR but tates slightly different.

2nd was using a different mix - what does this do. this is now pushing my ability to describe. i would say it gives or not gives BIR. whether added as 1 (ie mix) or many makes no difference if accurately done. as example the IFFU staff curry has 8:1 coriander:cumin. this is long way from BIR taste.

which is more important is the question. i dont think you can say. both are equally important.

the experience does count in making base. both real McCoy BIR bases ive tasted are better than what i produce today despite significant effort. putting the finger on why is very underestimated.

[Peripatetic Phil]

Phil -- I'd prefer to have simple words ...

Well, M. Escoffier was writing in 1904, when an elevated style of prose would have been the norm, and he wrote in French, so what we see here are his translator's words rather than his own, but I nonetheless feel that his three points are absolutely central to our quest :

• The base is key
• You cannot make a good base with poor ingredients
• No matter how good your ingredients, you will never be able to get the most out of them until you have gained very considerable experience ...

** Phil.

[JerryM]

Phil,

Many thanks for shortening.

No 3 is certainly tricky to gain - you can be so close yet so far