Alain Chapel

Infobox Chef
name = Alain Chapel

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caption =
birthdate = birth date|1937|12|30|mf=y
birthplace = Lyon, France
deathdate = death date and age|1990|07|10|1937|12|30
deathplace = Avignon, France
style = Nouvelle Cuisine
education = Fernand Point
ratings =
restaurants =
prevrests = Hotel Alain Chapel, Mionnay Rating|3|3
television =
awards =
website = http://www.alainchapel.fr

Alain Chapel (born 30 December, 1937 - died 10 July, 1990) was a French Michelin 3 starred chef, credited with being one of the originators of Nouvelle Cuisine.

Chapel was born in Lyon, the son of Maître d' Charles and his wife Eva. At the outbreak of World War II, the family moved to the village of Mionnay 12 miles outside the city, where his father opened a bistro called "La Mere Charles" in an old coaching inn surrounded by lush gardens.

Alain started his training in the kitchen of the family bistro, and in French chef-training tradition spent time seconded to the local shops, developing his understanding of ingredients. After then training with Fernand Point (1897–1955) at his restaurant "La Pyramide" in Vienne, Isère, Chapel returned to the family bistro and in 1967 gained the now restaurant its first Michelin star. After taking over the restaurant in 1970 on the death of his father, he converted the inn to a hotel and renamed it in his own name. In 1973, Chapel gained his third Michelin star, then one of only 19 restaurants all in France which had ever then gained the honour.

Chapel's signature dishes included stuffed calves' ears with fried parsley, truffle-stuffed chicken tightly enveloped in a pork bladder and cooked in a rich chicken broth. Food critic Craig Claiborne writing for "The New York Times" in 1977 described Chapel's gateau de foies blonds as "his ultimate triumph" and "one of the absolute cooking glories of this generation". According to the "Gault Millau Guide to France": "A meal at Chapel's restaurant was like a symphony."citeweb|url=http://www.gourmetvoyageurs.com/country-pages/pages-france/center-east/alain-chapel.html|title=Restaurant "Alain Chapel", Mionnay, France|publisher=gourmetvoyageurs.com|date=2006|accessdate=2008-08-28]

Throughout the rest of his life, the establishment retained all three of its Michelin stars. The speed of transformation and the cuisine developed turned the village of Mionnay into a culinary landmark on any serious gastronomic tour of France. The attraction was also as great for young chefs, who sought the opportunity to work with Chapel - these included Michel Roux Jr.citeweb|url=http://www.hub-uk.com/chefsbios/michelrouxjr.htm|title=Biography : CHEF MICHEL ROUX JR|publisher=Hub UK|accessdate=2008-08-28]

In the process of opening a restaurant in Florida, United States, in 1990 while visiting friends and attending the annual summer festival in Avignon, Chapel died of a stroke. Chapel left a wife Suzanne, and two sons David and Romain.citeweb|url=http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9C0CE7DE123CF932A25754C0A966958260|title=Alain Chapel, French Master Chef And Restaurateur, Is Dead at 53|author=Kleiman, Dena|publisher=New York Times|date=1990-07-11|accessdate=2008-08-28]

Under the joint management of his mother and wife, they kept the hotel going. Suzanne presently employs Chef Philippe Jousse - who trained under Chapel - as Head Chef, [citeweb|url=http://travel.nytimes.com/travel/guides/europe/france/rhone-valley/lyon/restaurant-detail.html?vid=1154654640042|title=Alain Chapel|publisher=The New York Times|accessdate=2008-08-28] while Chapel's son Romain trains under Jousee in the kitchens. Chef Jousse has full charge of the menu, bar the condition that at least half of the menu is made up of Chapel's own classics.

References

External links

* [http://www.alainchapel.fr Hotel Alain Chapel] "in French"
* [http://www.gourmetvoyageurs.com/country-pages/pages-france/center-east/alain-chapel.html 2006 review of Hotel Alain Chapel]
* [http://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&sl=fr&u=http://www.relaischateaux.com/chapel&sa=X&oi=translate&resnum=3&ct=result&prev=/search%3Fq%3DAlain%2BChapel%26hl%3Den%26client%3Dsafari%26rls%3Den Hotel Alain Chapel at Relais Chateaux]