Haute cuisine (literally "high cooking" in French) is a cookery style that originated in Napoleonic France under the influence of the chef Antoine Carême and was elaborated by Auguste Escoffier. It was a refinement of traditional French cookery techniques and also included a radical reorganization of the way kitchens were run. Chefs were organized in a series of brigades, with under-chefs, in charge of sauces, fish, and so forth. Haute cuisine is still at the heart of much French and modern European restaurant cookery, which has evolved and diversified, largely under the influence of international cooking styles and changing dietary preferences.

The Food

The style was characterized by complex dishes requiring elaborate preparation. Sauces were used extensively. Portions were often small to allow for multiple courses. Characteristically, the food was quite rich, incorporating a generous amount of butter and heavy cream. Desserts were particularly elaborate and rich.

Compared to the nouvelle cuisine that was based on the style of Fernand Point and which developed in France in the 1970s, there was less emphasis on exotic and seasonal ingredients, less emphasis on presentation and visual appeal, fewer herbs and spices are used, and there is greater reliance on sauces and traditional dishes.

The Nouvelle cuisine has now largely been abandoned in France, and Europe, and the trend in high establishments is back towards the highest quality of ingredients, fusion, presentation, food combinations and extreme attention to detail. The restaurants that have gained 3 Michelin stars, which can be found in many countries of the world, including France, Spain and the UK are deemed to be the highest cuisine. Restaurant Gordon Ramsay, El Bulli, and many others can all justly claim their place as rightful heirs to the noble traditions of Haute Cuisine.