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REGENCY
BANQUET
1 x 30 min for Channel 4
On the 18 January 1817, preparations were underway at the Brighton Pavilion for one of the most lavish banquets ever held in Britain. The extravagant feast was being hosted by the Prince Regent in honour of the visiting Russian Royalty and whilst the glitterati assembled in the opulent reception rooms, the Regent’s French masterchef, Antonin Careme was working frantically in the kitchen, preparing the meal that would make or break his reputation. There were to be 127 recipes on the menu.
The programme explores this remarkable event, and tackles some of the recipes prepared for the guests in 1817. Carême once said to the composer Rossini - when asked if the he improvised in his kitchen, Careme replied 'Oh no, Monsieur, everything I do is written down'. This fundamentally, was Carême's legacy. At the dawn of mass publishing, he established the pattern of great chefs passing on their experience in written form. By marrying food and glamour, he started a chain reaction - a fashion for food - that, via Escoffier and Mrs Beeton amongst many others, laid the foundations for modern haute cuisine.
This programme features leading chef Jean-Christophe Novelli, and is presented by food historian Ian Kelly.
Director: Dominic Cyriax
Producer: Jonathan Lubert
Executive Producers: Taylor Downing & David Edgar
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