Eric Ripert's New Year appetizers

Le Bernardin in New York is a three-star restaurant where the specialty is fish. Maguy Le Coze and Eric Ripert are solidly at the helm and, under their direction, their team faultlessly deliver their passengers to Cythère. I first went to it when it was in the Paris street, which gave the restaurant its name. Itself derived from the convent, which stood there before the Revolution. The ruins have since been beautifully restored. Maggie’s brother was the chef before his untimely death. Then as now, the cuisine was memorable and the service impeccable. The New York successor is much bigger but the quality is unchanged. The menu offers four courses including a dessert. There are also two more extensive tasting menus. The categories you choose from are “almost raw”, “barely touched” and “lightly cooked”. There can be no clearer indication of the philosophy at work: the ingredient is foremost and the cuisine is at its service. Le Bernardin does not serve Chilean sea bass or any other endangered specie.
On a recent visit, I asked for one and received two recipes of my choice. The first one is the almost raw tuna, which uses foie gras au torchon (see December 11th ) on a baguette with raw tuna layered on top. The second is the barely touched scallop, another subtly enhanced savor. In both cases the magic comes from the just combination of a few notes. The recipes serve 4. I cannot think of a better start for the year 2010.

Le Bernardin Tuna (Layers of thinly pounded yellowfish tuna, foie gras and toasted baguette, shaved chives and extra virgin olive oil)
(Easy, Assemblage time: 5 minutes, Expensive)
Ingredients
¼ recipe torchon foie gras
8 oz (250g) yellowfish tuna
½ baguette
Fine sea salt and freshly ground white pepper to taste
Extra virgin olive oil
Shallots minced
Chives snipped
Lemon halves
Material:
Meat slicer on #3 setting
Rolling pin
Plastic film
Brush
Cut the tuna in 8 pieces of 1 oz each respecting the grain of the fish. Place each piece between two larger layers of plastic film. Pound with the rolling pin until the tuna is as thin as smoked salmon. Reserve in the fridge until ready to assemble.
Slice thinly the foie gras.
Halve the baguette half for another usage and slice each quarter lengthwise. You should get 8 thin pieces of bread.
To assemble, place the foie gras slices on the bread. Place the bread in the center of the plate. Remove the top plastic layer from the tuna and place the tuna over the foie gras. Season with salt and pepper. Brush the tuna with olive oil. Sprinkle a few shallots and chives over it. Squeeze lemon juice at the last minute.

Le Bernardin scallop (ultra rare scorched scallop, garlic chive goat milk butter emulsion)
(Easy, Preparation time:20 minutes, Reasonable)
Ingredients:
1-Emulsion
¼ lb (113g) garlic chives bud
Kosher salt
6 oz (177g) goat’s milk butter cubed
Fine sea salt and freshly ground white pepper
2- Relish and garnish
¼ lb (113g) garlic chives buds
4 teaspoons olive oil
zest of 1 lemon
fine sea salt and freshly ground white pepper
16 pieces (113g) hen of the woods mushrooms
1 tablespoon canola oil
Freshly ground black pepper
1 lemon cut in half
3-Scallops
¾ lb (340g) sea scallops (8 large)
2 teaspoons olive oil
Fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.
Material:
Medium stockpot
Strainer
Salad bowl with ice cubes
Blender
Small saucepan
Eggbeater
Iron pan or griddle

Gently pull off the muscles off the scallops and discard. Season the scallops with olive oil, salt and pepper. (This operation can be done as soon as you purchase the scallops.)

1- Bring salted water to a boil in the stockpot. Cut the garlic chive buds into 1-inch pieces and blanch for about two minutes. Strain and place the strainer in the salad bowl filled with ice cubes. Blend the chives with a couple of ice cubes and purée. Strain through a fine sieve into a bowl and reserve.
Bring two tablespoons of water to a simmer in a small saucepan and whisk in the goat’s milk butter, 1 tablespoon at a time until fully incorporated with an eggbeater. Beat in about 4 tablespoons of the garlic chive bud purée and season to taste with salt and pepper
2- Trim the tough stems off the remaining garlic chive buds. Place them in a salad bowl and season them with olive oil, salt and pepper. Set the iron pan or griddle on the gas at the high setting. When it is very hot, add the chives and cook until they are tender and lightly charred. Transfer to the cutting board and set aside 8 garlic chive buds. Chop the rest. Transfer back to the salad bowl. Add 2 tablespoons of olive oil, lemon zest, salt and pepper. Reserve.
Heat a sauté pan in which a little bit of canola oil has been added over medium high. Sauté the hen of the woods mushrooms until golden brown and tender. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
3- Heat the cast iron griddle until very hot. Remove the scallops from the marinade and sear quickly on both sides about 1 minute. The scallops must remain rare.

To assemble, spoon a line of relish down the center of the plate, slice the scallops in half and place the rare side face up. Garnish each scallop with a charred chive bud, add 4 pieces of mushrooms over and around the sliced scallops. Squeeze a drop of lemon juice over the scallops and spoon the emulsion over and around. Serve immediately

Festive beef filet two ways

Meat has become for me a special occasion meal. Among the variety offered, beef filet retains its cachet. I propose two cooking methods, boiled or baked. Both will treat the special cut appropriately, leaving the meat rare. I suggested to the Japanese guests who tasted the first version that it was a French rendering of Shabu Shabu. The buttery béarnaise, which accompanies the minimally processed vegetables and meat, turns it into a richer although still light fare. Foie gras plays the same role for the second recipe. Both are appropriate for a sophisticated Christmas or New Year’s dinner depending on the number of your guests. I like to cook the string filet for 6 people. When accommodating a larger number, 8 as the recipe is written, beef Wellington is the way to go. Everything can be prepared in advance. Finishing the dish takes 20 unattended minutes, once all the guests have arrived. The side dish of boiled string beans can be prepared at the same time. As a bonus, I am suggesting my baked fries. They can also be prepared in advance and warmed up during the last 20 minutes. With foie gras or smoked salmon toasts as a starter and a Christmas log at the end, the festive meal can be enjoyed by all, including the hostess.

String filet*
(Easy, Preparation and cooking time: 45 minutes, A little pricey)
Ingredients:
1 lbs ½ beef filet
4 cups of chicken broth
4 medium carrots
4 leeks
1 Chinese cabbage
1 lbs (500g) turnip
1 bouquet garni
4 tablespoons coarse salt
Sauce:
2 yolks
¼ cup (70 ml) wine vinegar
¼ cup (70 ml) white wine
Pepper
1 shallot
1 stick (130g) butter
Material:
Plastic bag
Peeler
4-quart pot
Small saucepan
Strainer
Paper towel
Eggbeater

2 hours prior to cooking place the filet in a plastic bag with the salt. Refrigerate for two hours.
Peel the carrots and turnips. Keep the whites of the leeks and clean them. Remove the outer leaves of the cabbage and cut it into four. Clean it.
Bring the chicken stock to a boil. Plunge all the vegetables in the broth and simmer for 20 minutes. Add the meat and cook for another 10 minutes.
Prepare the sauce during the cooking of the meat and vegetables. Start by cooking the butter. When it has melted, place the towel over the strainer and dispose it over a measuring pitcher. Strain the butter to obtain clarified butter.
Use the same saucepan to sauté the shallots. Add the minced shallots, the pepper, white wine and wine vinegar and reduce by half. Bring to room temperature. Reserve in a bowl.
Beat the two yolks in the same saucepan. Place the strainer over and filter the cold reduction.
On a very slow gas, beat the content of the saucepan constantly until it foams and doubles. Remove from the gas and beat in the butter. Add salt and minced chives.
*The string in the name comes from the kitchen tie around the roast which can be attached to the handle of the saucepan to help remove the meat after its 10 minutes soak. I prefer using a set of tongues.
Beef Wellington
(A little delicate, Preparation and cooking time:1 hour and 1/2, Expensive)
Ingredients:
2 thick slices foie gras
½ lbs (250g) Paris mushrooms
4 lbs (2 kg) beef filet
Salt and pepper
1 pastry sheet (unfrozen)
1 egg beaten
Material:
Rolling pin
Frying pan
Ovenproof dish
Brush
Parchment paper on a baking sheet

Preheat the oven to 400F (200C).
Place the beef filet on the ovenproof dish. Salt and pepper the meat.
Wash the mushrooms and clip the extremities. Slice them finely. Season them with salt and pepper. Set the frying pan on the lowest setting of the gas, melt one tablespoon of butter and sauté the mushrooms for 5 minutes. Strain the mushrooms and reserve.
Bake the filet for 25 minutes. When the 25 minutes are past, remove the filet and bring it to room temperature. Lower the oven to 360F (180C)
Roll out the pastry sheet so that it is wide enough to wrap around the meat. Place it on the baking sheet covered with parchment. Sprinkle the mushrooms and pieces of foie gras on the pastry. Place the cooled meat in the center and fold the pastry sheet over the meat. Seal the pastry well and brush the exterior with the beaten egg.
Bake for twenty minutes.
Serve with buttered string beans.

Baked fries
(Easy, Preparation and baking time: 30 minutes plus waiting time, Cheap)
Ingredients:
2 lbs (1kg) Idaho potatoes
4 tablespoons duck fat
1garlic clove unpeeled
1 tablespoon butter at room temperature
2 yolks
1 teaspoon coarse salt
1 teaspoon minced parsley
Material:
Peeler
Towel
4-quart stock saucepan and cover
Set of tongues
Strainer
Ovenproof dish

Peel the potatoes and cut each in eight long and fat pieces. Immerge in water. Strain and pat dry with the towel.
Place the duck fat in the saucepan. When it starts smoking, add the garlic clove and the potatoes. Lower the gas. Turn over each potato until all faces are golden. Cook for another 15 minutes covered. Strain the potatoes. Put them back in the pan and sprinkle the butter on top. Make sure that the butter coats each fry.
Beat the yolks and mix the yolks and the fries with your hands. Place in the ovenproof dish. Add the salt and parsley.
Place the ovenproof dish in the oven preheated at 360F (180C) until ready to serve.

Christmas Log: a French tradition made in America

Before a clever 19th century pastry chef created the now mandatory christmas cake, the Christmas Log burnt brightly in every French fireplace. When Santa Claus took to passing through the chimney to offer his wares, the log jumped from its normal place to the table for everybody’s pleasure. It is one of the few French holiday traditions. Germany is responsible for Christmas pine trees, Great Britain for the bank holiday and the subsequent extra money as well as the stockings that it goes into. The Scandinavian nations brought the reindeers and the elves. But who is counting? What’s important is that we end up with a smorgasbord of international customs: to everyone, her favorite. I was extremely happy to find this French treat in Wainscott. Brad produces a realist and tasty chocolate raspberry log at Bradzilla. He graciously provided me with the following recipe, which I adapted for home cooking.

Chocolate Christmas log
(A little delicate, Preparation and cooking time: 60 minutes, Waiting time: 60 minutes, Cheap)
Ingredients:
1-Chocolate sponge base
¼ cup (60g) sugar
6 eggs
¾ tsp cream of tartar
4 oz. bittersweet chocolate melted
2-Raspberry mousse filling
1 cup raspberries (fresh or frozen)
¼ cup (60g) fine sugar
3-Frosting
8 oz. (237 g) bittersweet chocolate
2/3 cup (158g) heavy cream
1 tablespoon vanilla
½ stick (60g) cold butter
Material:
Whip
2 salad bowls
Saucepan
Eggbeater
Silicone spoon
Silicone brush
Cookie sheet covered with parchment paper.
Toothpick

1-Preheat oven at 300F Crack and separate the eggs in two salad bowls. Mix the sugar with the yolks until light and fluffy. Set aside. Melt the chocolate with a tablespoon of water over low heat. Mix well and cool down. Whip whites until soft peaks form. Add cream of tartar and chocolate into yolks. Gently fold whites into yolks. Spread evenly on prepared sheet pan with the silicone spoon. Bake at 300F (150C) degrees for 16 minutes, rotating at half term.
2-Heat in a pan at medium range the raspberries and sugar till juicy and bubbling. Cook while mixing until you obtain a paste. Cool completely.
3-Boil the cream until it bubbles. Remove from the stove and add the chocolate broken in small pieces. Add the cold butter cut in small pieces and the vanilla. Blend and chill to proper consistency.
Wait until everything is cool before assembling.
Spread the raspberry filling on the sponge and carefully roll up the cake. Place it on the serving plate. Cut one slice and position it on top of the cake about 2/3 of the length, to simulate a stump. Brush the frosting over the cake. The brush will naturally create texture over the log. Using a toothpick create pretend bark and circles on the stump. Sprinkle the confectioner sugar through a fine strainer to create a snow effect.

Foie gras:the best pâté

Foie gras is a favorite starter for Christmas or New Year festivities. It is not new: geese are represented while force-fed in Egyptian tomb frescoes. The current polemic about whether it constitutes animal cruelty is old news as well: Alexandre Dumas under the entry “foie gras” in his Great cooking dictionary of 1870 recalls the petition written by a French gourmet but virtuous aristocrat in defense of the rights of geese. It was presented to the chamber of Lords with no effect whatsoever. The production method is ingenuous. By constantly over nourishing ducks or geese, their liver is enlarged to 10 times its normal size and reaches a fat content of 50 to 65%. It is the dispersion of the fat within the liver cells, which creates the incomparably rich taste of the transformed organ. Very little remains to be done to finish this walking pâté. A well-grown liver is pale pink and uniform in color. When poked with a finger it will give but retain its imprint. There are two ways to prepare it: you either sauté thick slices of liver in a hot pan or you cook the whole liver and refrigerate it for a few days before eating it cold and sliced on pieces of bread. The second technique has my preference. To cook a liver you have again several choices. They have to do with flavorings and shape. If you want round slices, you will prefer to make a torchon of foie gras simmered in stock. If you like terrines and want to add your own flavorings you will marinate the duck liver in a terrine with some cognac and spices and bake it in a water bath inside the oven. Whatever you choose, you will need a thermometer to monitor closely the temperatures. The secret of a good pâté is to minimize fat loss. To attain the best result you need to raise progressively the internal temperature from 110F (45C) to 160F (70C).
Start your preparation three days before you intend to serve it. The taste of the foie gras will then have had time to develop. Buy the best possible ingredient from a mail order company (D’Artagnan or Hudson valley foie gras) and use one of the three following recipes. which will provide roughly for 15 people.

Basic preparation
(Easy, Time: 15 or 3 hours unattended, 10 minutes preparation, Expensive)
Ingredients:
1.6 to 2 lbs foie gras
Material:
Large salad bowl

Place the foie gras overnight in salted ice water in the refrigerator. If you are short on time, you may place it for 3 hours in a temperate salted bath.
The next day, remove the foie gras from the water and bring to room temperature for 3 hours. The whole process is needed to expose the veins. Pull the exposed veins out. The foie gras will part into its two lobes.


Torchon foie gras (courtesy of Eric Ripert executive chef of Le Bernardin)*
(Easy, Preparation and cooking: 35 minutes, resting time: 24 to 48 hours, Expensive)
Ingredients:
Foie gras from basic preparation
10 to 12 g. of salt
3 g white pepper
2 cups (500 m) chicken stock
Material:
Plastic film
Wet cheesecloth
Kitchen twine
Large stockpot
Large ovenproof dish
Thermometer
Perforated sheet over a baking sheet.

Weigh the foie gras and season it on both sides (60% on the rough side, the rest on the smooth.) The right proportion is 12 g per 2 lbs (1 kg). Let the foie gras cure for 24 hours in the refrigerator.
Roll the foie gras in saran wrap to get proper shape and remove air bubles. Each roll should be approximately 3 to 4 inches wide and 11 inches long.
Place the roll in the middle of a wet cheeseclothe. Remove the plastic film and roll again in shape. First tie the shorter side and continue to roll tightly before securing the other side.
Preheat the oven to 300F (150C)
Bring the chicken stock to a boil, transfer to the rectangular ovenproof and allow to cool to 160F (70C) and add foie gras rolls to the stock. Place the large ovenproof dish in the oven and cook for 15 to 20 minutes until the internal foie gras temperature of 90F ( 30C) is reached. Let them cool and drain in the fridge by placing the rolls on a grill over a baking sheet.
When cool, remove the cheesecloth, roll again in saran wrap and refrigerate until ready to serve.
*This recipe is part of the subtle Tuna recipe Eric gave me to share as a New Year’s Eve recipe, which will be featured in my blog on December 25th.
Two variants for a foie gras terrine
1-Bain-marie (Easy, Preparation and cooking:60 minutes, refrigeration:2 days, Expensive)
Material:
Foie gras from basic preparation
10 to 12 g. fine salt
3g white pepper
2oz(60ml) Cognac
1 teaspoon sugar
Material
Ovenproof terrine with a cover
Larger ovenproof dish
Thermometer
Place the 2 lobes on the large dish. Sprinkle the salt sugar and white pepper on both sides and pour the Cognac over them.
Marinate in the refrigerator for 12 hours, turning them over at half time.
The day after, one hour prior to cooking, remove the liver from the refrigerator. Place them in the terrine, keeping the curves on the outsides. Clean the large ovenproof dish and fill it with water
Preheat the oven at 300F (150C) place the ovenproof dish in the oven and bring the water temperature to 160F (70C). Check with a thermometer. Place the uncovered terrine in the bain-marie and bake for 40 minutes.
Remove the terrine from the bain-marie, cover it and let it cooled naturally for 2 hours. Refrigerate for at least one night before serving with toasted country bread.

2- Baked (Easy, Preparation and baking time: 2 hours, Refrigeration :2 days, Expensive)
Ingredients:
Foie gras from basic preparation
10 to 12 g fine salt
3 g white pepper
Material:
Plastic film
Paper towel
1 cookie sheet
1 terrine
1 lbs (500g) flour or sugar package to use as a weight
Weigh the foie gras and season it on both sides (60% on the rough side, the rest on the smooth.) The right proportion is 12 g per 2 lbs (1 kg). Cover with a plastic film and let the foie gras cure for 24 hours in the refrigerator.
Preheat the oven at 160F (70C) and bake until the center of the livers reaches 113F (45C) approximately 1hour and 50 minutes.
Pat the two lobes dry and place in the terrine, curves on the outside. Place a plastic film loosely on top and use the flour or sugar package on top to weigh down the pâté. Refrigerate for 2 days before serving.

Quick Food

     In the few weeks between Thanksgiving and Christmas I like to plan my festive menus. In the mean time, overfed by my imagination, I aspire to eat well without fuss. While I shall share soon potential Christmas dinner tips - anticipate foie gras, beef Wellington, a lovely filet béarnaise and a Christmas log - my topic today is quick food. I mean to reach for easily available ingredients, preferably already stocked in my pantry, refrigerator or freezer. High on the list are anything with eggs, and pasta sauce to go along with my reserve of dried goods. Quick food does not compromise health and is nurtured by memory. It is the easiest and simplest of meals: one that a neophyte can put together with no fear of blunder.

      The first suggestion, cream baked egg, was a favorite first course at my grandmother’s table. Unlike the omelet, which requires lighting the stove, a forbidden task at 4 years old, baked egg only needs a turn of the oven dial. And then of course the magical transformation of the white turning opalescent happens just in front of attentive eyes in a very attractive television like format. The second recipe is the most basic. My husband insists that it is the pasta to order when testing an Italian restaurant. For the improvised and improvident cook, it is the easiest to put together, as it relies only on dried goods. For the third, the inspiration comes from my college years in Paris. I was living rue de la Collégiale, and there was a Japanese restaurant with a very cheap daily menu. They served a bowl of rice on which luxuriated a fan of red tuna slices with a few scallions. I had never eaten raw fish, and when I tried to emulate the rich oily taste of the dish, I ruined it all by using lemon on top. My version takes into account people who dislike raw fish. The salmon is barely cooked using the technique Mrs. Pic’s anis coastal fish utilized. To complete the meal, add a salad for the first two and some steamed frozen vegetables. The measures are good for one serving.

Cream baked egg

Ingredients:

1 egg per person

1 teaspoon snipped chives

1 tablespoon cream or cream cheese

Smidge of butter

Salt and pepper to taste

Material:

Individual soufflé dish

     Preheat the toaster oven at 360F (180C).

     Butter the soufflé dish.

     Crack the egg carefully inside. Add the chives and cream. Sprinkle a little salt and pepper on top.

     Bake for 10 minutes or until the white solidifies.

     Eat immediately with a little bread and butter.

Simplest spaghettis

Ingredients:

A small ring worth of dry whole-wheat spaghettis

A few drops of lemon juice

1 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 garlic cloves

1 pinch red pepper flakes

1 tablespoon Parmesan cheese grated

Material:

1 4-quart saucepan

Pair of tongues

Colander

       Fill the 4-quart saucepan with water about half way. Add 1 tablespoon of oil, the lemon juice and the salt. Bring to a strong boil.

       Drop the pasta in the pot and cook for about 10 minutes once the boil resumes. Turn the pasta at the beginning using the set of tongues. When you reach the end of the cooking time, taste one strand. It should be firm but cooked.

       Strain, but reserve about one spoonful of the cooking water.

       Chop the garlic. Lower the gas and place the pot back on the burner. Add the oil and the garlic. Do not let the garlic color. After about three minutes, add the cooked spaghettis. Season with the pepper flakes.

      Serve immediately with the grated Parmesan cheese.

Low temperature sashimi on rice

Ingredients:

4 oz wild salmon

1 tablespoon Ponzu sauce

1 teaspoon Wasabi

1 fresh ginger slice

½ cup sushi rice

Sesame and sea vegetable seasonings

Material

Rice cooker

Ovenproof dish

       Preheat the oven at 160F (65C)

       Rinse the rice until the water runs clear. Place in the rice cooker. Add ¾ of a cup water and select the Sushi program. It runs for 45 minutes.

       Ten minutes before the end of the rice cooker cycle, place the wild salmon in the ovenproof dish. Pour the teaspoon Wasabi in the Ponzu sauce and sprinkle over the fish. Grate the ginger on top and bake for 7 minutes. Remove from the oven. Following the grain of the fish cut the salmon in sushi like slices.

Place on top of a bowl of rice sprinkled with the Japanese seasonings. Add some Ponzu sauce to taste.