Book description
The flamboyant Frenchman Alexis Soyer was the most renowned chef in
Victorian England. This is his colourful account of his time at the
front in the Crimean War, where he joined British troops in order to
improve the quality of the food they were eating.
Divulging the secrets of preparing stew for 1000 soldiers, sharing
sweetmeats with a Turkish Pacha, and teaching a Highland regiment to
cook with his pioneering gas-fuelled 'field stove' that would be used
by armies up until the Second World War, Soyer gives a vividly
enjoyable lesson in making a little go a long way.
Born in France,
Alexis Soyer
(1810-1858) is a celebrated chef and kitchen innovator. He became the
first chef at the Reform Club, London where he instituted many
innovations in the Club kitchens, including cooking with gas, using
refrigerators cooled by cold water and ovens with adjustable
temperatures. His kitchens were so famous, they were opened for tours
and his 'Lamb Cutlets Reform' still feature on the menu at the Club
today. Later on in his life, Soyer campaigned for better food, setting
up soup kitchens in Ireland during the potato famine and offering his
services to British soldiers during the Crimean War, training chefs,
organising provisions and using his own invention, the Soyer stove (a
portable stove) in the field to cater for troops.
