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.