I was pleased to see that Boulestin has re-opened on St James's Street. Or rather, a re-imagining of that old London institution which closed down in 1994. I've yet to book- but from the outside it looks desperately pretty, and the old-fashioned French menu looks promising: where else in London can you enjoy the Gothic delights of tête de veau on a regular basis? (It's Monday's dish of the day for £14.75). I'll report back soon.
This made me go and dig out my Boulestin books from the back of the shelf. So far, I've got three: "Classic French Recipes", "The Finer Cooking" (published 1937), and "Recipes of Boulestin". If you're inclined to collect, I'd urge you to have a look at the various Boulestin cookery books published over the years.
Xavier Marcel Boulestin was born in 1878. Very much a talented jack of all trades, he scraped a living from a variety of ventures, (including a sophisticated interior design shop in Belgravia) before settling on his eventual and successful career as the first television chef and restauranteur. In 1923 Boulestin published "Simple French Cooking for English Homes" which was an immediate hit. In 1927, The Restaurant Boulestin opened in Covent Garden- at the time the most expensive restaurant in London. In a prominent place was an immense bottle of 1869 liqueur "cognac de la maison". The food at Boulestin was obviously terrific, and apparently, Boulestin's standards were of such a high standard that the restaurant failed to make a profit, forcing Boulestin to make money from articles, books and public appearances. Boulestin died in 1943, trapped in a Paris occupied by German forces.
Boulestin's recipes are curiously charming, and by the fenickity standards of Auntie Delia, rather vague; allowing the reader the chance to develop his or her creativity. Here's his recipe for Sauce aux Noix (Italian Sauce with Crushed Walnuts):
This is a very pleasant sauce to serve with spaghetti; it has a delicious and unusual flavour. Peel a handful of walnuts and pound them well in a mortar. Fry in oil a small quantity of garlic and parsely finely chopped together ; add the pounded walnuts, cook a little but do not brown, moisten with a little olive oil, and very little boiling water. Mix well with the hot spaghetti and serve immediately.
This reminded me of my disastrous attempt to make Italian Walnut Sauce as described by one Mrs Elizabeth David. I shouldn't be surprised by this as Elizabeth David, apparently, fell under the spell of Boulestin and the Great Man influenced her writings.
Anyway, I'm a fan of the French cuisine bourgeoise, and feel strongly that it's time for a revival. As much as I like all that Amalfi coast/Mediterranean stuff, I do think that French country cooking is more appropriate for the Northern climate. After all, isn't Welsh Rarebit really just a Croque Monsieur in disguise?
