Traditional departments in a French brigade kitchen

[mkayahara]

While reading a cookbook recently, I came across a reference to "the nine traditional departments" in the French kitchen, all "run by independent sous-chefs - from the saucier to the rôtisseur." I sat down and tried, but couldn't think of all nine departments, and none of my books seem to list them as such. Could anyone tell me what they are? Or are there more/less than nine?

[Edward J]

Saucier

Rotissieur (sp?)

Poissioniere (sp?)

Garde Manger

Entremetier

Patissiere

Tournant

Chef du garde (sp?)

But thats only 8

[Joe Blowe]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brigade_de_cuisine

Probably somewhere in there...

Edited November 17, 2011 by Joe Blowe (log)

[ScoopKW]

Isn't grillardin part of the classical brigade as well?

This is something we have fun with. A while ago, we served freaking CORN DOGS at the resort. That noise we heard all night was Escoffier spinning in his grave. So, we decided that we were the "corndoggieres" that night -- in Maurice Chevalier accents, of course.

"What are you cooking today?"

"Me, I eez ze corndoggiere!"

[mkayahara]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brigade_de_cuisine

Probably somewhere in there...

The problem with that Wikipedia article is that it doesn't distinguish between what's a rank and what's a department. I wasn't actually sure whether tournant, for example, was counted as one of these putative "nine traditional departments."

Based on that list, though, I wonder if the position missing from Edward J's list is butcher.

[ScoopKW]

Spent some time on Escoffier online. I really need to spend more time with the classics.

Near as I can tell, the departments are:

Saucier

Rôtisseur (with Grilladin and Friturier under this chef)

Poissonier

Entremetier (with Potager and Legumier under this chef)

Garde Manger

Tournant

Pâtissier (with Confiseur, Glacier, Décorateur, Boulanger reporting to this chef)

Boucher

Aboyeur (but that doesn't seem like a department, more like a position)

Communard (I can see this being a department in larger places. It certainly is at a Las Vegas resort.)

and of course, for Pulp Fiction fans, the garçon de cuisine (and for Mel Brooks fans, the garçon de pisse)

And we'll add Corndoggier to that as well.

Edited November 17, 2011 by ScoopKW (log)

[mkayahara]

Thanks! Is there actually a section in Escoffier where it's broken down like that? Or did you simply interpolate from other information?

I like the idea of corndoggier, and I think we should adopt aboyeur in English: call it "barker" instead of "expediter."

[ScoopKW]

Used this page and a few others.

http://escoffier.com/index.php/culinary-reference/124-the-brigade-de-cuisine