Francatelli, the first famous chef

Charles Elme Francatelli was born in London in 1835. Of Italian origin, Francatelli was educated in France, where he learned the art of cooking from masters like Careme.

Upon his return to Britain, he worked as a chef in a number of great houses in both England and Scotland, but in 1839 he was the chef at Cockford’s club in London. It is said that he was seen there by a butler in Queen Victoria’s royal house and in 1841 he was appointed maitre d’hotel and “ordinary head chef” to Queen Victoria at Windsor. Although his tenure in office was only one year, this was undoubtedly the highlight of Francatelli’s career.

He was then appointed chef at the Coventry House Club, 106 Picadilly, in London and this period saw the maturation of his culinary style, where he developed an Anglo-French cooking style, where he became an interpreter of French cuisine and techniques. to the English, and provided the country (and by extension the English-speaking world) with a new set of refined culinary terms to replace the traditional, rather homely nomenclature of cuisine. Hence, referring to “links”, “newlyweds”, and so on. it became commonplace.

During his career, Francatelli wrote several cookbooks, and it is these, along with his position as a chef, that earned him the title of first famous chef. Despite this, frugality in the kitchen was his watchword and he produced a cookbook for the common man to make the most of what was available to them. As such, Francatelli is as relevant to chefs today as it was to chefs 150 years ago.

Here is an adaptation of a classic Francatelli recipe for a dish cooked ‘a la Gitana’ (Gypsy Style) that, in true Francatelli spirit, has been modified to suit leftover turkey (would have used game birds, poultry or even fish). This is a great, frugal way to do something different with your leftover Christmas or Thanksgiving turkey (it was Charles Dickens, the quintessential Victorian who popularized turkey as the centerpiece of an English Christmas dinner).

Leftover turkey at La Gitana

Ingredients

400g (approximately) leftover turkey, sliced

225g grated bacon, cut into 2.5cm squares

30g butter

1 clove garlic, sliced

2 white onions, thinly sliced

4 tomatoes torn, thinly sliced

300 ml of sherry

1 teaspoon of paprika

Method:

Melt the butter in a large skillet, add the turkey, bacon, and garlic, and fry over medium heat, turning the turkey until lightly browned all over. Pour in all the fat from the skillet and then add the onions and tomatoes.

Pour in the sherry, close the lid tightly, and simmer for about 20 minutes, or until the turkey is cooked through. From time to time stir or shake the pan during the cooking time to ensure that the contents do not stick or burn.

Just before serving, add the paprika then transfer the turkey chunks to a serving plate, pour over the sauce, and serve.

In 1854 Francatelli was appointed chef at the prestigious Reform Club and remains in this position for seven years. Between 1863 and 1870 he ran the St. James Hotel on Berkeley Street, then joined the Freemasons’ Tavern on Great Queen Street, a position he held until shortly before his death in 1876.

Francatelli died on August 10, 1867 in Eastbourne.

I hope you enjoyed this recipe and the short history of Francatelli and are now eager to know more about the man and his food.