Eric Ripert | Avec Eric

This croustade is a sweet, salty and rich combination of flavors, and is a nice start to any dinner party. It is easy to pick up and eat, no utensils required.

Recipe: Caramelized Onion and Olive Croustade

Serves 8

¼ cup olive oil
1 small clove garlic, thinly sliced
2 large onions, thinly sliced
2 sprigs thyme
fine sea salt and freshly ground pepper
2 sheet frozen puff dough, defrosted and trimmed to 6-inch rounds
½ cup black olives, pitted and halved
freshly grated parmesan

1. Preheat oven to 450°F.
2. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add sliced onion, garlic and thyme. Cook the onion, stirring occasionally until the onions are soft. Reduce heat to medium low and continue cooking for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally until well caramelized. Season to taste with fine sea salt and freshly ground pepper.
3. Place the puff dough rounds on a parchment lined baking sheet. Spread the caramelized onion, leaving about ½ - inch around the edges. Top the onions with black olives and parmesan. Bake the croustades in the oven about for about 15-20 minutes until the crust is golden brown and puffed.
4. Cut into wedges and serve warm.

The duck prosciutto in this canapé is a great pairing with the blue cheese and bitter endive. But if you cannot find it anywhere, traditional prosciutto works just as well.

Recipe: Endive Spears with Blue Cheese and Duck Prosciutto

Serves 8

2 heads Belgian endive
4 ounces blue cheese, crumbled
4 ounces duck ham, sliced thin
1 pomegranate, cleaned and seeds separated
freshly cracked black pepper

1. Trim the end of the endive and peel apart the leaves, discarding any bruised or browned leaves.
2. Fill each endive spear with about ¾ tablespoon of blue cheese crumbles and top with a slice of duck prosciutto.
3. Garnish with pomegranate seeds and cracked black pepper.

This soup is the concentration of fall flavors and spices. The creamy pumpkin, the spiced seeds - sweet and savory. Serving the soup in a pumpkin is an easy way to complete the dish and impress guests.

Recipe: Fall Pumpkin Soup with Spiced Pumpkin Seeds

Serves 8

Soup:
5 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 cup sliced onion
2 cloves garlic, chopped
5 pounds Kabocha squash or Japanese pumpkin, peeled, seeded and diced
5 cups chicken stock
1 cup heavy cream
3 thyme sprigs
1 tablespoon black peppercorns
1 bay leaf
fine sea salt freshly ground white pepper

Garnish:
1 large pumpkin (about 12-inches in diameter)
2 tablespoons butter
fine sea salt and freshly ground pepper
spiced pumpkin seeds (see recipe below)
herbed crème fraiche (see recipe below)

1. Preheat oven to 400°F. Melt the butter in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onions and garlic; sweat until translucent, about 3 minutes. Add the squash dice and sauté until softened, about 10 minutes.
2. Cover with the chicken stock and bring to a simmer. Cook until tender, about 30 minutes.
3. While the soup is cooking, prepare the large pumpkin to serve the soup from. Remove the top of the pumping with a sharp knife in a zig-zag pattern. Scrape the seeds out and season the inside of the pumpkin with salt and pepper, add the butter and roast in the oven until tender and lightly caramelized, about 30 minutes.
4. Puree in batches in a blender until satiny smooth. Pass through a fine chinois to remove any remaining lumps. Return the soup to the pot and add the cream and bring the soup to a simmer.
5. Wrap the thyme sprigs, peppercorns and bay leaf in cheesecloth and close with kitchen string and add to the simmering soup. Infuse for 10 minutes. Remove the thyme bundle and season to taste with salt and pepper.
6. Serve the soup in the roasted pumpkin. Garnish with spiced pumpkin seeds and herbed crème fraiche.

Spiced pumpkin seeds:
1 tablespoon butter
½ cup raw pumpkin seeds
¼ teaspoon cayenne
¼ teaspoon toasted ground cumin
¼ teaspoon toasted ground coriander
fine sea salt and freshly ground pepper

1. Melt the butter in a sauté pan, add pumpkin seeds, cayenne, cumin and coriander.
2. Toast the pumpkin seeds over medium heat until golden brown, stirring frequently.

Herbed Crème Fraiche:
1 cup crème fraiche
1 tablespoon chopped parsley
1 tablespoon cut chives
1 teaspoon freshly crack black pepper
fine sea salt

1. Mix all of the ingredients together.

A whole leg of lamb is a beautiful thing. Roasted to perfection and paired with seasonal vegetables it will truly satisfy. Remember to baste frequently so that it will stay moist.

Recipe: Roasted Leg of Lamb with Fingerling Potatoes and Marinated Market Vegetables

Serves 8

Lamb:
4-5 pound leg of lamb
2 garlic cloves
2 springs rosemary
3 sprigs thyme
fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 tablespoons canola oil
2 tablespoons butter

Fingerling Potatoes and Market Vegetables:
3 pounds fingerling potatoes, cleaned
2 pounds mixed baby root vegetables (turnips, carrots, beets)
10 shallots, peeled and cut in half
3 tablespoons olive oil
½ pound Brussels sprouts
½ pound green beans
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon whole grain mustard
2 tablespoons sherry vinegar
½ cup olive oil
fine sea salt and freshly ground pepper

1. Preheat oven to 450°F. Heat a large roasting pan in the oven. Meanwhile, slice the garlic cloves into ¼ - inch slices. Make incisions in the leg of lamb and insert the garlic slices with small sprigs of rosemary and thyme. Season the lamb thoroughly with salt and pepper.
2. Add the canola oil to the hot roasting pan and carefully sear the meat in the oven on all sides, 15-20 minutes. Reduce the temperature to 375° F, add the butter to the roasting pan and continue roasting, basting frequently for 35-45 minutes. A meat thermometer should read 140° F for medium.
3. While the lamb is cooking, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cut the large fingerling potatoes in half and arrange the potatoes in a single layer on a baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper; toss to coat evenly. Bake the potatoes 25-30 minutes until tender. Roast the baby root vegetables and shallots in the same manner.
4. Blanch the Brussels sprouts in boiling water until tender about 4-5 minutes. Drain and immediately plunge into an ice water bath to cool. Repeat with the green beans.
5. Combine Dijon mustard, grain mustard and sherry vinegar in a mixing bowl. Drizzle in the ½ cup of olive oil while whisking constantly until fully incorporated. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Toss the roasted root vegetables, Brussels sprouts and green beans with the mustard vinaigrette.
6. Serve the lamb with roasted fingerling potatoes and marinated vegetables.

Pears are a delicate fruit, but when they are roasted and caramelized their flavors become concentrated. The bourbon adds a bit of a peppery kick to the chocolate sauce, you can also use an Irish whiskey or scotch.

Recipe: Maple Roasted Pears with Bourbon Chocolate Sauce

Serves 8

4 pears
3 tablespoons butter, sliced
¼ cup maple syrup
¾ cup cream
6 ounces semisweet chocolate
¼ cup bourbon
Vanilla ice cream (or a flavor of your choice)

1. Preheat the oven to 400° F.
2. Peel the pears, cut in half and remove the core.
3. Melt butter in a large oven proof skillet (or two smaller pans) over medium heat.
4. Arrange the pear halves, cut side up in the in the skillet and pour the maple syrup over the pears. Cook the pears over medium heat, basting often, until lightly caramelized on one side, about 5 minutes. Turn the pears and place the skillet in the oven and continue cooking until tender about 10-12 minutes.
5. While the pears are cooking, bring the cream to a simmer in a heavy bottomed saucepan. Remove from the heat and add the chocolate and stir until fully incorporated. Add the bourbon and mix well.
6. To serve, place roasted pear half on the plate and top with a scoop of ice cream and bourbon chocolate sauce.

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.