American Masters

Jacques Pépin: The Art of Craft

Jacques Pépin’s story is a tale even his legions of devoted fans may not be familiar with. Today he is known as a kitchen supernova, but in telling his own story in this documentary profile, he acknowledges that the very notion of being a “celebrity chef” was not only unplanned—it was virtually unthinkable in the profession and world in which he grew up.

Learn Jacques Pépin's famous omelet techniques

5m 52s

Jacques Pépin is perhaps best known for teaching America how to make an omelet. Here, he shares two different techniques for making this perfect egg dish.

Previews + Extras

  • José Andrés shares his first encounter with Jacques Pépin: asset-mezzanine-16x9

    José Andrés shares his first encounter with Jacques Pépin

    S31 E5 - 3m 17s

    When Jacques Pépin's legacy comes up, it's oftentimes in reference to his seminal work, "La Téchnique," and his extraordinary attention to detail. Here, chef and restaurateur José Andrés talks about his first encounter with Jacques Pépin at one of his cooking demonstrations.

  • Women in Jacques Pépin's life were entrepreneurs and chefs: asset-mezzanine-16x9

    Women in Jacques Pépin's life were entrepreneurs and chefs

    S31 E5 - 24s

    Iconic chef and teacher Jacques Pépin shares his Inspiring Woman - his mother. He also talks about the many women in his family who worked as chefs and ran restaurants. Share your story at pbs.org/InspiringWoman or using #InspiringWomanPBS.

  • Pépin took de-boning a fish to new heights: asset-mezzanine-16x9

    Pépin took de-boning a fish to new heights

    S31 E5 - 3m 4s

    Jacques Pépin truly mastered the art of craft, taking a technique like cleaning a chicken or de-boning a fish to new heights. Today, chefs are still inspired by the elegance in his work and movement.

  • Life as a chef, husband and Jacques Pépin's son-in-law: asset-mezzanine-16x9

    Life as a chef, husband and Jacques Pépin's son-in-law

    S31 E5 - 1m 42s

    When Rollie Wesen, a well-respected chef in his own right, fell in love with Claudine Pépin, he said his first goal was to win over the incomparable Jacques Pépin by being a good husband, not a great chef.

  • How Jacques Pépin's "La Technique" changed modern cooking: asset-mezzanine-16x9

    How Jacques Pépin's "La Technique" changed modern cooking

    S31 E5 - 2m 47s

    In 1976, Jacques Pépin published a groundbreaking new book: a cookbook without recipes. "La Technique" illustrated each moment where your hands interacted with food - teaching the foundations of cooking instead of recipes.

  • PBS Previews | Jacques Pépin: The Art of Craft: asset-mezzanine-16x9

    PBS Previews | Jacques Pépin: The Art of Craft

    S31 E5 - 1m

    Jacques Pépin is known as a kitchen supernova, a working whirlwind of creative energy even at 80 years old, but his surprising journey began in the countryside of wartime France, where his family’s tradition of entrepreneurial women running homegrown restaurants pushed young Jacques into an early culinary career.

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