Eric Ripert | Avec Eric

This is a delicate dish that can be thought of as the more refined sister of Oysters Rockefeller. Rather than drowning the oysters in cheese, the garlic and lemon in this recipe let the oysters shine.

Recipe: Baked Oysters with Fresh Thyme and Garlic

Serves 8

4 cups kosher salt
½ cup butter, softened
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 small shallot minced
2 dozen oysters, shucked
1 bunch fresh thyme
1 lemon, halved

1. Preheat the oven to 400° F.
2. Mix 2 cup of kosher salt with just enough water to make it the consistency of wet sand.
3. Pour the remaining salt on a baking sheet.
4. Stir together the butter, garlic and shallots in a small mixing bowl. Place a teaspoon of garlic butter on each oyster and gently place the oysters on the salt to balance.
5. Top oysters with sprigs of thyme.
6. Place the oysters in the preheated oven and bake for about 5 minutes or until the butter is bubbling and lightly browned. Finish with a squeeze of fresh lemon juice.
7. Serve the oysters on a bed of wet salt.

This twice baked potato gains a wonderful tang from the goat cheese while remaining decadently rich because of the eggs and cream. Elegant and simple, these are perfect bites of classic comfort.

Recipe: Potato Goat Cheese Royale

Serves 8

15 baby Yukon Gold potatoes (about 1 ½ - 2 inch in diameter)
4 ounces fresh goat cheese
1 cup cream
2 eggs
fine sea salt and freshly ground pepper
¼ cup sliced fresh chives

1. Cook potatoes in heavily salted water until tender. Drain and let cool.
2. Preheat the oven to 375°F.
3. Cut the potatoes in half and scoop out some of the flesh. Place the potato halves on a baking tray and spoon a little goat cheese into the center.
4. Whisk together the cream and eggs and season with salt and pepper.
5. Fill the potatoes with the custard mix and sprinkle chives on top.
6. Bake the potato custards in the oven for about 12-15 minutes, until set.

Roasting a blood orange caramelizes the sugars giving this salad a wonderful burst of flavor. The hazelnuts and feta add flavor and richness without weighing the dish down.

Recipe: Frisée Salad with Roasted Blood Orange, Hazelnut and Feta

Serves 8

3 small heads frisée (curly endive)
5 blood oranges
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
¼ cup lemon juice
1 tablespoon sugar
½ cup canola oil
½ cup hazelnuts, toasted and lightly chopped
8 ounces feta cheese, crumbled
fine sea salt and freshly ground pepper

1. Wash and trim the frisee into bite size pieces.
2. Remove the skin and pith from 4 of the blood oranges and slice crosswise ¼ - inch thick. Lay the orange slices in a single layer on a baking tray and set aside.
3. Juice the remaining blood orange into a mixing bowl and add lemon juice and sugar; slowly whisk in canola oil and season with salt and pepper.
4. Adjust the oven rack as close to the heating element as possible and heat the broiler on high.
5. Drizzle olive oil over the blood orange slices and season with salt and pepper, broil the orange slices about 5 minutes, just until they start to caramelize. Cool to room temperature and arrange on the bottom of a serving tray or on individual plates.
6. Dress the frisee in a large mixing bowl with the blood orange vinaigrette and arrange on top of the roasted oranges. Sprinkle with hazelnuts and feta.

For me, Coq au Vin is the perfect winter dish. Warm, full of tender meat, and earthy root vegetables, it is so hearty, so rustic and yet balanced. Using a wine for the dish that is similar to the wine paired with it will make the dish seamless.

Recipe: Coq au Vin

Serves 8

2 chickens, cut up
½ cup all-purpose flour
½ cup canola oil
1 slice smoked bacon (optional)
1 cup celery, medium diced
1 cup diced carrot
1 cup diced onion
4 garlic clove, peeled and sliced
6 ounces button mushroom, washed and diced
1 cup brandy
2 bottles red wine
2 tablespoons tomato paste
2 sprig fresh thyme
fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 package egg noodles, cooked

1. Lay the chicken pieces on a parchment lined baking pan; season chicken with salt and pepper and lightly dust with flour.
2. Heat canola oil in a heavy bottomed stock pot, slowly add the chicken and cook over medium heat until the skin is golden brown and crispy. Turn chicken and continue cooking until golden brown.
3. Remove chicken from pan and discard all but 1 tablespoon of oil. Render the bacon until crisp and add the celery, carrot, onion , garlic and mushroom; cook until lightly caramelized.
4. Deglaze the pan with the brandy and add the browned chicken, red wine and tomato paste and thyme. Bring to a boil and simmer on very low heat for about 3 hours, until the chicken is very tender and starts falling off the bone.
5. Carefully remove the chicken from the sauce and reduce the sauce by half. Once the sauce had thickened, add the chicken and season to taste. Serve over egg noodles

Bright both in color and flavor, this tart is a great end to a rich winter meal. Lemons are wonderful in the winter. Their tangy taste is delicious when paired with a light, flaky crust.

Recipe: Lemon Tart with Whipped Cream

Serves 8

The Crust:
1 cup all-purpose flour
¼ cup powdered sugar
pinch salt
½ cup cold unsalted butter, sliced thin

The Filling:
4 eggs
1 ½ cup sugar
½ teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons lemon zest
½ cup lemon juice
½ cup butter, room temperature
1 cup heavy cream
1 tablespoon sugar

1. Preheat the oven to 425°F.
2. Combine the flour, powdered sugar, salt and butter in a mixing bowl and blend together using a fork. Press into a greased 8-inch tart pan with a removable bottom. Place the crust in the freezer for at least 15 minutes.
3. Bake the crust for about 12-15 minutes, until crust is golden brown. Remove from the oven and let cool.
4. Whisk together eggs, 1 ½ cups sugar and salt in a heavy bottomed stainless steel pan. Add zest and lemon juice; cook over a medium heat, whisking constantly until thick about 6-8 minutes until the mixture coats the back of a spoon.
5. Remove from heat and stir in the butter a little at a time until fully incorporated. Cover with plastic and refrigerate until cold.
6. Whisk together the cream and sugar to stiff peaks. Pour the lemon filling into the pre-baked tart shell and spread evenly on the bottom; top with the whipped cream. Keep chilled until ready to serve.

I love this dish. It is so simple but so good and healthier than most hors d'oeuvres. It is light and fresh but flavorful enough to make it a substantial bite of juicy steak wrapped in lettuce.

Recipe: Seared Beef Lettuce Rolls

Serves 8

1 clove garlic, minced
1 teaspoon grated ginger
½ cup soy sauce
2 teaspoon Sriracha chili paste
¼ cup lime juice
1 pound flank steak
fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon canola oil
½ cup basil leaves, loosely packed
¼ cup mint leaves, loosely packed
8 large iceburg leaves
24-30 pieces chives, blanched

1. Stir together the garlic, ginger, soy sauce, chili paste and lime juice in a small mixing bowl. Reserve half to use as a dipping sauce.
2. Season flank steak on both sides with salt and pepper and pour the remaining marinade over the steak. Let the steak marinate for at least 15 minutes and up to 2 hours.
3. Heat a large pan over high heat add the canola oil and quickly sear the steak in the hot pan, about 2-3 minutes on each side. Transfer to a cutting board and let cool.
4. Slice the seared flank steak crosswise into very thin slices.
5. To make to rolls, lay out a lettuce leaf and trim to about 6 inch square; lay sliced beef in the middle and top with fresh basil and mint leaves. Roll the lettuce leaf around the beef and herbs and tie with three pieces of blanched chives. repeat with the rest of the ingredients.
6. Slice the rolls into 2-inch rolls and serve with reserved dipping sauce.

This is one of my favorite things to put out when guests come over. It is almost effortless to put together but also so full of a variety of flavors. Za'atar spice is a Middle Eastern spice mixture of oregano, thyme, marjoram, sesame seeds and salt, or some variation of that combination. If you can’t find it at your grocery store and do not have a specialty store in your area, making your own mixture is simple.

Recipe: Mediterranean Platter with Hummus, Roasted Pepper-Walnut Spread and Zaatar Pita Chips

Serves 8

The Hummus:
1 can (15 oz) chick peas, drained
1 teaspoon garlic, minced
½ teaspoon ground cumin
½ cup extra virgin olive oil
¼ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
fine sea salt and freshly ground pepper

1. Place all ingredients in a food processor and puree until smooth.
2. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

The Roasted Red Pepper-Walnut Spread:
1 ½ cup toasted walnuts
2 large red bell peppers, roasted, peeled and seeded
¼ cup olive oil
1 cup diced tomato
2 tablespoons pomegranate juice
½ teaspoon ground allspice
fine sea salt and freshly ground pepper

1. Place all ingredients in a food processor and puree until smooth.
2. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

The Zaatar Pita Chips:
1 package pita
2 tablespoons olive oil
zaatar spice
fine sea salt

1. Preheat oven to 350° F.
2. Cut pita into bite sized pieces. Toss in a mixing bowl with olive oil and season with zaatar and salt to taste.
3. Bake in a single lay on a baking tray until crisp, about 10-12 minutes.

The simple pairing of shrimp and chorizo is a spicy, easy-to-make little bite of surf and turf. The salt and spice of the chorizo gives the sweet flesh of the shrimp a great kick.

Recipe: Chorizo Stuffed Shrimp

Serves 8

1 ½ pounds 21-25 count shrimp, peeled and de-veined
7 ounces spicy Spanish chorizo
1 tablespoon olive oil
fine sea salt and fresh ground pepper
bamboo skewers

1. Preheat oven to 400° F.
2. Slice the chorizo into ¼ - inch disks.
3. Wrap the shrimp around the chorizo and secure with a skewer.
4. Drizzle the olive oil over the shrimp and season with salt and pepper.
5. Bake for 7-9 minutes, until shrimp becomes opaque.

These are a fun version of French fries. Instead of biting through into potato, you are met with the juicy earthiness of the mushroom. The truffled aioli is an addicting addition.

Recipe: Portobello "Fries" Truffled Aioli

Serves 8

The Fries:
8 portobello mushrooms
3 eggs, lightly beaten
3 cups fine bread crumbs
1 cup grated pecorino cheese
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 ½ teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons freshly ground pepper
½ cup all purpose flour
canola oil for frying

The Truffled Aioli:
2 egg yolks
¼ cup fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 cup canola oil
½ cup olive oil
2 tablespoon white truffle oil
fine sea salt and freshly ground pepper

1. Trim the stems, remove the gills and gently wipe the Portobello caps with a damp cloth. Cut the Portobello caps into ½ - inch strips.
2. Combine breadcrumbs, cheese, thyme, salt and pepper in shallow dish. Toss the mushroom "fries" in flour to coat evenly, then dip into the egg wash and roll in breadcrumbs.
3. Heat about 1 inch of oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Working in batches, place the breaded mushroom strips in the hot oil and cook on all sides until golden brown, 3-4 minutes. Transfer to a paper lined tray.
4. To make the aioli, combine yolks, lemon juice and garlic in blender, turn the blender on medium and drizzle the canola oil and olive oil into the blender in a steady stream until emulsified into the eggs and is fully incorporated. Season with truffle oil, salt and freshly ground pepper.

These cheese straws look impressive to guests but are easy to make. The cayenne gives the straws an unexpected spiciness that will make your guests' taste buds water. The pistachios are a great, nutty, non-traditional addition.

Recipe: Spicy Parmesan Cheese Straws

Serves 8

1 ½ cups grated parmesan
½ cup chopped pistachios
½ teaspoon coarse sea salt
1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon cayenne
1 package puff pastry dough
1 egg, lightly beaten

1. Preheat oven to 450° F.
2. Stir together the parmesan, pistachios, salt, pepper and cayenne in a mixing bowl.
3. On a lightly floured surface, roll out the puff dough until ⅛-inch thick.
4. Brush the puff dough with the egg and evenly sprinkle with the parmesan-pistachio mix on top.
5. Cut into ½-inch strips and transfer the strips to parchment lined baking trays, spacing 1-inch apart. Working with one at a time, twist each strip to form a spiral.
6. Freeze or refrigerate strips until very cold.
7. Bake the cheese straws, rotating halfway through until golden brown, about 10-12 minutes.

This is a classic hors d'oeuvres with a little bit of a twist. The smoked salmon and the crème fraiche give the deviled egg a silky richness. It is at once familiar and completely new.

Recipe: Deviled Eggs with Smoked Salmon

Serves 8

1 dozen eggs
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
½ cup creme fraiche
1 small shallot, minced
3 ounces smoked salmon, diced
cayenne pepper, fine sea salt and freshly ground pepper
2 tablespoons sliced chives to garnish (optional)

1. Place the eggs in a large saucepan and cover with water. Bring the water to a boil, cover and remove from the heat. Let the eggs sit, covered for 12-15 minutes; drain the hot water and run cold water over the boiled eggs until cool.
2. Peel the eggs and cut each egg in half lengthwise. Gently remove the yolks from the center into a small mixing bowl. Set aside the egg white halves.
3. Add the mustard, creme fraiche, shallot and smoked salmon to the egg yolks and stir to combine. Season to taste with cayenne, salt and pepper.
4. Spoon the mixture back into the egg whites. Garnish with chives.