Nouvelle cuisine is a culinary and cultural movement that began in France in the early 1970s as a result of the work of two food critics: Henri Gault and Christian Millau.
The fundamental theme of the movement was theInnovation from the traditional canons of French professional haute cuisine which at the time was distinguished by the great elaboration of dishes, the abundant use of very fatty and heavy-to-digest sauces and creams, and the frequent use of spices in large quantities.
Defined by Gault and Millau in 1973, the ten commandments of nouvelle cuisine were as follows:
1. You will not overcook.
2. You will use only fresh, quality products.
3. Lighten your menu as much as possible.
4. You will not be systematically modernist.
5. You will seek input from new techniques.
6. You will avoid marinating, mashing, fermentation, etc.
7. You will eliminate rich sauces and gravies.
8. You will not ignore dietetics.
9. You will not make up the presentation of your dishes.
10. You will be inventive.
In summary, the new trend promoted a less elaborate, more natural and fresh idea of cooking, based on seasonal products and on the new technologies that were making their entrance even into the temples of tradition represented by the kitchens of large restaurants. The microwave, the mixer, the andiaderent pots, the sorbet maker.... and anything that could help the chef shorten preparation time and simplify the production steps of various dishes.
An important aspect of Nouvelle cuisine was also the dietary one. The custom of the long meal from the many courses composed of a large amount of food was reversed and criteria were introduced that drew on scientific research on human nutrition. In addition, the dishes had to satisfy all five senses, so the view-that is, the presentation of the dishes-had to have its importance as well.
Among young chefs, the Gault and Millau manifesto was immediately a wide success, helping to establish since then the figure of the star chef known to the general public thanks to the mass media and also prompting many of them to open their own restaurants or even chains, where they applied the new culinary principles. In particular, new low-temperature cooking methods, capable of preserving the natural flavor of foods and their nutrient content. Steaming, bain-marie and grilling became the norm.
As is often the case, the uncontrolled spread of a trend ends up with the Distorting the deep ethical motivations underlying them, while emphasizing the more superficial aspects. In the decades that followed, for the general public, the Nouvelle cuisine thus becomes synonymous with cooking with almost raw dishes, served in portions of a few grams at a time and with a'attention turned more to the graphisms of the presentation Than to the taste of the food and its ability to feed the customer
Today, after more than 40 years, we must instead recognize that the instances and standards of Nouvelle cuisine have become those of the professional kitchen tout court. Today, no chef could underestimate the importance of seasonal ingredients, bought at the market in the morning, or grown in their own garden, prepared without too many unnecessary complications and presented in a way that also engages the eyes in the experience.
Of course, Seeing 6 rigatoni and 4 fried zucchini sticks served on the plate can be unsettling-especially to a southern Italian-but then it is not Nouvelle cuisine, just chef's paraculaggy.
Sources: Wikipedia.org
