era in which experimental science began to flourish, and some influential French cooks conceived of themselves as the chemists or alchemists of meat Around 1750, Franỗois Marin echoed the Chinese description of flavor harmony from 2,000 years before, but with some telling twists (see box below) Both Marin and I Yin speak of harmony and balance But the Chinese cauldron brings together sweet, sour, bitter, salty, and pungent ingredients, while the French pot contains only meat juices, and generates complexity and harmony by concentrating them Marin said that “Good taste has forbidden the burning juices and caustic ragouts of the ancienne cuisine,” with their Asian spices and abundant vinegar and verjus Meat bouillon was now “the soul of cooking.” The meat’s juices are its essence, and the cook extracts them, concentrates them, and then uses them to imbue other foods with their flavor and nourishment The purpose of a sauce is not to add new flavors to a food, but to deepen its flavor and integrate it with the underlying flavor of the other dishes Many of these preparations required prodigious amounts of flesh, the solid part of which did not appear in the final dish A small amount of consommé, for example, was made with 2 lb/1 kg each of beef and veal, two partridges, a hen, and some ham This meat was first cooked with some bouillon — itself already a meat extract — until the liquid bouillon and meat juices evaporated, and the meat began to stick to the pan and caramelize Then yet more bouillon was added along with some vegetables, the mixture cooked for four hours, and strained to produce a liquid “yellow like gold, mild, smooth, and cordial.” The Flowering of French Sauces Marin called his collection of bouillons, potages, jus, consommés, restaurants (“restoring” soups), coulis, and sauces “the foundation of ...add new flavors to a food, but to deepen its flavor and integrate it with the underlying flavor of the other dishes Many of these preparations required prodigious amounts of flesh, the solid part of which did not appear in the final dish... already a meat extract — until the liquid bouillon and meat juices evaporated, and the meat began to stick to the pan and caramelize Then yet more bouillon was added along with some vegetables, the mixture cooked for four... hours, and strained to produce a liquid “yellow like gold, mild, smooth, and cordial.” The Flowering of French Sauces Marin called his collection of bouillons, potages, jus, consommés, restaurants (? ??restoring”