French Michelin-starred chef Michel Guérard has died at the age of 91. As the inventor of nouvelle cuisine, which revolutionised traditional French cooking in the 1970s, his innovative methods had a lasting impact on gastronomy.
French Michelin-starred chef Michel Guérard passed away on Monday night at the age of 91, as reported by the AFP news agency, citing people close to him. Guérard, who is regarded as one of the pioneers of nouvelle cuisine, had a lasting influence on French gastronomy and will be remembered as an important innovator.
Born in 1933 near Paris into a family of butchers, Guérard began his career as a pastry chef. At the age of 25 he was already recognised as the best pastry chef in France. This early recognition laid the foundations for his extraordinary culinary career. In the 1960s, Guérard began to focus intensively on French cuisine and opened his first restaurant in 1965, which soon enjoyed great success.
In 1969, Guérard and his wife moved to the south-west of France – to Eugénie-les-Bains – where he opened the restaurant Les Prés d'Eugénie. The restaurant has been consistently awarded three Michelin stars since 1977, cementing Guérard's reputation on an international level.
Michel Guérard is best known for his role in the development of nouvelle cuisine. This movement, which emerged in the 1970s, challenged the heavy, buttery cuisine of classic French cooking. Guérard advocated lighter, healthier preparations that would bring out the natural flavours of the ingredients. The focus was on fresh, seasonal produce and a reduced use of fat and cream. This new approach had a lasting influence not only on French cuisine, but also on international cuisine.
His work La Grande Cuisine Minceur is now considered the standard work of nouvelle cuisine and, with his death, leaves a lasting legacy in the culinary world. His innovative cuisine set new standards and changed the way modern gastronomy is conceived and practiced.
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