Jean Racine at the table

At the table of a Parisian man of letters in the Grand Siècle, dishes are not served one after another as they are today: the table is covered with dishes arranged all together by "services." The first service brings soups and entrées, the second brings roasts and salads, and the last brings sweet entremets, fruits, and preserves. Each guest helps themselves to what is within reach. Mid-century cuisine, under the influence of La Varenne, lightens the heavy medieval spices to exalt butter, fresh herbs, and acidic flavors.

Juice of green grapes picked before maturity, verjus is the reigning acid of classical French cuisine. Where the Middle Ages drowned everything in cinnamon and saffron, the 17th century prefers this sharp, fresh note that awakens sauces and roasts without masking the taste of meats. It is the mark of a cuisine that seeks balance—just as Racine's tragedy seeks its own.