“Lent” on Apple TV+, the French series that wants to whet your appetite
On April 30, Apple TV+ begins airing “Carême,” a series dedicated to the famous French chef (1784-1833). Ian Kelly, the British co-writer, explains in “The Daily Telegraph” how the career of Antonin Carême, inventor of the wedding cake and the vol-au-vent, offers a prime television dish, according to him.
“It’s as if [Tolstoy’s novel] War and Peace were this time told from the chef’s point of view.” These are the words of British author Ian Kelly, in The Daily Telegraph , introducing the series Carême, which he co-created , which will be available online from April 30 on Apple TV+.
As its title suggests, Carême tells the story of the rise of Marie-Antoine, known as Antonin Carême (1784-1833). This French cook and pastry chef, a founding figure of French haute cuisine, was the first to bear the title of “chef”. The series was directed by Martin Bourboulon (Eiffel, The Three Musketeers) . Benjamin Voisin ( Summer of 85, Lost Illusions ) plays the title role.
In the article he wrote at the request of the Daily Telegraph, Ian Kelly is keen to warn that, when watching the series, “it is immediately obvious that this is not a documentary.” However, the inspiration came from a biography that the British author and screenwriter published in 2003 and that the publisher Bloomsbury is preparing to reissue under the title Carême. The First Celebrity Chef.
But it is true that Ian Kelly and his co-writer, Davide Serino, seem to have taken enough liberties with historical truth to make the comparison with a novel worthwhile, whether or not it was written by Tolstoy.
“In our version, Carême still dreams of becoming the most famous chef in the world, but his talent and ambition attract the attention of powerful and renowned women and politicians, who recruit him as a spy for France.”
Ian Kelly says he became interested in the French chef more than twenty years ago, after visiting the Royal Pavilion, a former royal residence in Brighton, England; the Château de Valençay in Indre, France; and, in the St. Petersburg region, Russia, the Peterhof and Pavlovsk palaces, and then the Catherine Palace. Each time, as he entered the kitchens, his guide for the day made a point of pointing out that “the famous Antonin Carême had worked here.”
Throughout his career, Antonin Carême actually cooked for the greatest: Napoleon Bonaparte, the diplomat Charles-Maurice de Talleyrand-Périgord, the British Prince Regent (future George IV), Tsar Alexander I , the Emperor of Austria Francis I ...
This flamboyant destiny could have fueled a storyline all on its own. But according to Ian Kelly, another ingredient contributes to making Antonin Carême a prime television dish:
“For him, food was a spectacle.”
He explains that while the chef is known for popularizing “service à la russe,” with its succession of dishes, “he grew up in a world where 'service à la française' was still practiced,” where all the dishes were presented on the same banquet table. “It was the desired visual effect that took precedence over all other considerations.”
Thus, as one of the scenes in the series shows, Antonin Carême designed a 2.5-meter-high pyramidal dessert for Napoleon's coronation banquet in 1804, made up of 5,000 cream puffs assembled with caramel – an invention that has become our wedding cake. “He created and named the vol-au-vent and, literally speaking, took the mille-feuille to new heights,” adds Ian Kelly.
