Roast Cook

The rôtisseur manages a team of cooks that roasts, broils, and deep-fries dishes. In larger kitchens, the grillardin and friturier would be under his or her supervision. In a smaller kitchen, the rôtisseur would perform all three functions. The chef rôtisseur performs a very specific function in the kitchen and it is considered a position of prestige. The French epicure Jean Brillat-Savarin once said, “One is born a rôtisseur, one becomes a cook.”

Before modern kitchens with their ovens that use wood, charcoal, electricity, or gas, there was the rotisserie, which was placed in an enormous hearth. During this time, the rôtisseurs were the masters of the kitchen because they directed and mastered all of the cooking. The role had them not only cooking meat and poultry, but also producing jus, stocks, and sauces.