by Agathe Giraud
Agathe Giraud is a pastry chef, independent researcher, and teacher specializing in 17th and 18th-century desserts from the French royalty. She explores the time period in her cooking classes in Versailles.
On my first visit to the palace, I wanted to taste Versailles. Questions filled my mind:
What desserts were the king and queen eating? How were they made? How did they taste? And how were they served?
I needed to know. Let’s find out.
An overview of a forgotten cooking tool: the potager
Before gas and induction, how did people manage to cook multiple dishes at once? In 18th-century kitchens, a piece of equipment with a surprising name was used to heat sauces, stews, and jams. Let’s head to Versailles and consult the illustrations in the Encyclopédie to find out.
A brief look at this piece of tableware that has disappeared from modern use
An investigation into an 18th-century recipe that eludes me
Recreating an 18th-century brioche when the texts, measurements, techniques, and images never provide a complete answer.