Eric Ripert may be an icon of French cookery, but he also knows his way around a Super Bowl party.
“The food has to be able to help you to drink,” said Ripert, chef and owner of Le Bernardin, one of the best-known French restaurants in the United States. “It has to be fillin
g and rich, so you can drink but not be drunk.”
Which means a bag of chips isn’t going to cut it.
In his native France, fans of “le football” — that’s soccer to you and me — fill their party coolers with wine and their tables with succulent roasts, carefully selected cheeses and “whatever’s in season,” said Ripert, whose new book “Avec Eric” offers a companion to his television series.
But while pear and endive salads may be too froo-froo for watching grunting titans butt helmets, why not sub out the chili and pizza for slightly classier fare that’s still casual enough to enjoy with beer?
If the closest you get to football is hosting a party, the Super Bowl is Feb. 6, Green Bay Packers against the Pittsburgh Steelers at Cowboy Stadium in Arlington, Texas.
Portabella ‘fries’ with truffled aioli
Who says game day grub can’t have a sophisticated side?
In this unusual — and tremendously flavorful — take on the common french fry, Eric Ripert substitutes thick slices of portabella mushroom for the potato and serves them with a rich truffled aioli.
For the aioli:
2 large egg yolks
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1/2 cup canola oil
1/2 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons white truffle oil
Fine sea salt, to taste
Ground white pepper, to taste
For the portabella fries:
4 portabella mushrooms
11/2 cups fine dried breadcrumbs
1/2 cup grated pecorino Romano cheese
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
3/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
Canola oil, for frying
To make the aioli, in a blender combine the egg yolks, lemon juice and garlic. With the blender on medium, drizzle the canola oil and olive oil into the yolk mixture in a slow steady stream until the aioli is emulsified and well blended. Season with the truffle oil, salt and pepper. Transfer the aioli to a small bowl and set aside.
Trim the stems from the mushrooms, scrape out the gills, and gently wipe the mushroom caps with a damp cloth. Cut the mushroom caps into 1/2-inch-wide strips.
In a shallow dish, combine the breadcrumbs, cheese, pepper, salt and thyme. Place the flour and eggs in separate shallow dishes. Toss the mushroom strips in the flour to coat evenly, then dip them into the eggs, then roll them in the breadcrumb mixture.
In a large skillet over medium, heat about 1 inch of canola oil to 325 F to 350 F. Working in batches, place the breaded mushroom strips in the hot oil and cook on all sides until golden brown, 3 to 4 minutes. Transfer to a tray lined with paper towels. Serve hot with the aioli.
Makes 4 servings. Per serving (values are rounded to the nearest whole number): 855 calories; 740 calories from fat (87 percent of total calories); 83 g fat (10 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 163 mg cholesterol; 18 g carbohydrate; 9 g protein; 2 g fiber; 725 mg sodium.
From Eric Ripert’s “Avec Eric”
Spicy Parmesan-pistachio cheese straws
Skip the pretzels for this year’s Super Bowl party. Instead, bake up these flavorful and cheesy sticks spiked with black pepper, cayenne and toasted pistachios.
Eric Ripert makes the baking easy by using frozen puff pastry. These can be prepped well in advance, then baked just before serving.
1 1/2 cups grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup chopped toasted pistachios
1 tablespoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon coarse sea salt
1 17.3-ounce package frozen puff pastry, thawed (each package contains 2 sheets)
1 large egg, lightly beaten
In a medium bowl, combine the Parmesan, pistachios, black pepper, cayenne pepper and salt.
Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
On a lightly floured work surface, roll out each sheet of puff pastry dough until 1/8-inch thick. Brush the dough with some of the egg and sprinkle evenly with the Parmesan-pistachio mixture. Cut the dough into 1/8-inch-wide strips and transfer the strips to the prepared baking sheets, spacing 1 inch apart.
Working with 1 strip at a time, twist each strip to form a spiral. Freeze or refrigerate the strips until they are very cold. Meanwhile, heat the oven to 450 degrees.
Bake the cheese straws, rotating the baking sheets halfway through, until golden brown, 10 to 12 minutes.
Makes 8 servings. Per serving: 399 calories; 240 calories from fat (60 percent of total calories); 27 g fat (8 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 42 mg cholesterol; 23 g carbohydrate; 16 g protein; 2 g fiber; 803 mg sodium.
Recipe from Eric Ripert’s “Avec Eric”
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