Chef and humanitarian José Andrés seemed to break the news Monday night in a congratulatory tweet. “You are a national treasure, a culinary diplomat who has shown the world how an immigrant can celebrate American food & share it with the world’s leaders,” he wrote. “Congrats on retiring, we love you Cris.”

A Biden spokeswoman confirmed the move Tuesday. Comerford could not be reached for comment.

In 2005, then-first lady Laura Bush fired Clinton administration veteran head chef Walter Scheib and launched a search to fill the role. Hundreds of applicants clamored for the job, and a handful were eventually asked to audition. But in the end, Bush found the right candidate in the White House kitchen, where Comerford had worked for a decade. Apparently, it was Comerford’s deft handling of an official dinner that year for 134 guests in honor of then-Prime Minister Manmohan Singh of India that pushed her to the head of the pack, according to a story in The Washington Post.

“She understands the scale of the job she’s undertaking, and there’s a personal compatibility with Mrs. Bush,” the first lady’s press secretary, Susan Whitson, told The Post at the time.

Remarkably, Comerford was able to sustain that kind of trust over five administrations — each with its own entertaining style and wildly divergent personal preferences of the first families.

“You’re talking about Republicans and Democrats, all with very different tastes,” said Kate Andersen Brower, the author of “The Residence: Inside the Private World of the White House.” Brower noted that the presidents Comerford has served include Donald Trump, who famously preferred well-done steaks and burgers, and Barack Obama, who was known to have a more adventurous palate. “This is clearly someone who has a lot of range.”

Before the Obamas arrived in Washington, some in the food world had urged them to make a statement by naming a new chef. Alice Waters, the doyenne of the American farm-to-table movement, wrote an open letter offering to serve in a “kitchen cabinet” along with former Gourmet editor Ruth Reichl and restaurateur Danny Meyer to help pick someone: “A person with integrity and devotion to the ideals of environmentalism, health, and conservation would send a powerful message to our country: that food choices matter.”

To which the Obamas said thanks, but no thanks — and kept Comerford on.

Comerford was also seen bringing a professional, no-drama approach to the job. She has given few media interviews over the years in a show of discretion that first families often prize among those who work in the executive mansion and residence. In a rare 2014 CNN story, Comerford described her job of coming to understand the likes and dislikes of each president — without actually revealing any of their state-dining secrets. “It’s really a matter of knowing each of them individually: Do they like their pizza with thick or thin crusts?” she said. “What vegetables do they prefer? That kind of thing.”

Another unusual turn in the spotlight came in 2010, when Comerford competed in a special episode of Food Network’s “Iron Chef America.” In it, she and teammate Bobby Flay defeated a rival team composed of Mario Batali and Emeril Lagasse in a competition that included a challenge to cook from first lady Michelle Obama’s new kitchen garden.

“As great as the honor it was to compete in Kitchen Stadium with such creative and talented chefs, the greatest honor is still coming to work every day, walking through the White House gates and serving my country by serving the healthiest, freshest food we can provide for the first family and their guests,” she said in a statement released by the White House.

Comerford was born in Manila and arrived in the United States when she was 23. She worked in restaurant kitchens in Chicago and Washington, D.C., and Scheib recruited her to join him at the Clinton White House in 1995.

Comerford notably forged a professional partnership with veteran White House pastry chef Susie Morrison — who is also the first woman in that job. The two women have described working together on menus for state dinners, among the highest-profile events held at the White House and ones that typically require months of planning, often in consultation with the State Department to incorporate any dietary restrictions or preferences of the visiting heads of state.

Among the most elaborate such events came in 2014, when the Obamas hosted the leaders of 50 African nations in what was technically not a state dinner but even more logistically challenging than a soiree honoring only one country. For the elegant four-course meal, each dish incorporated at least one ingredient — including coffee, cinnamon or saffron — from the visiting dignitaries’ homelands. Throughout the Obama and Biden administrations, the White House kitchen team often worked alongside guest celebrity chefs, including Edward Lee and Marcus Samuelsson, to amp up the star power and inspire the menus.

Stewart McLaurin, the president of the White House Historical Association, called Comerford’s lengthy tenure “an amazing accomplishment.” He chalked it up not just to her sharp culinary skills, but also her ability to adapt — both to the array of cuisines highlighted at different events and to the visions of the first ladies she has worked with over the years. “You have to be a diplomat,” he said. “These are strong and different personalities and she’s able to take their thoughts and creativity and translate it into these absolute productions.”

In the 2014 CNN interview, Comerford struck what many say is a characteristically humble note, saying that cooking ability is only part of the skill set required to do her job. “Temperance and the way you treat your co-workers would be up there as well,” she said. “At the end of the day, whatever you do and whatever your mission is, it’s only successful because of your team.”