A few things are not up for debate. Let’s start with three Michelin stars for 15 years straight. His restaurant, Le Bernardin, is routinely placed among the World’s Top 50. He's a chef who's recognized by pros as one of the best—ever.
You might assume that a chef of that standing, producing cuisine of the highest caliber, is anything but “Delish.” Wrong! Eric Ripert demolishes that notion with his new cookbook Seafood Simple, a follow-up to his widely adored Vegetable Simple. In Seafood Simple, Ripert keeps it, well, simple; there’s an abundance of five-ingredient recipes. But he twists minds by describing how just a few ingredients—and how they are treated—can achieve maximum results. We recently spoke about the best ways to prepare fish and the dangers of overcomplicating seafood.
Robert Seixas: How is this new book different from your other cookbooks?
Eric Ripert: I wrote six cookbooks, and they’re all different. For example, Vegetable Simple was meant to inspire without the preachiness, and A Return to Cooking explored the seasons with different artists. With Seafood Simple, I wanted the reader to explore limited ingredients while also understanding essential techniques.
Yes, I noticed there are very few ingredients in most of the recipes.
My style of cooking is simplicity. I always say the fish is the star of the plate. Other things, like techniques, are to enhance the quality of the fish. When you add too many ingredients to seafood, the delicacy of the fish will be overwhelmed.
What are some basic mistakes that home cooks or pros make when it comes to seafood?
First, a lot don’t know how to shop and recognize fresh seafood. We gave a lot of tips [in the book], it’s not rocket science. Second, there is a tendency to overcook fish. And finally, to complicate it with unnecessary ingredients.
This book highlights the main techniques: poaching, steaming, frying, etc. What’s your favorite?
It depends on what you are cooking; you need to apply a technique that fits the fish. Some fish are better steamed or poached, like halibut or scallops. I don't like to grill some fish. You lose the quality. Shrimp is different than salmon, for example. Techniques that pay homage to the fish are vital. Some, like salmon, are easy to cook with different techniques.
I’ve been loving your carpaccio technique for years. (Where fish is lightly pounded until it's super thin.) Does that technique work with all seafood, like with shrimp?
Yes, with shrimp. It can work with tuna. The flesh of tuna likes to be pounded. It doesn’t break or lose texture. Lobster—no, not going to work.
The photography and layout in the book are jaw-dropping. There is a simplicity to it, but elegant and modern. Was that on purpose? A lot of photography stresses me out. But these relax and soothe me without saying, “I can't do that.”
Yes. Nigel Parry, an amazing photographer, took portraits of the fish instead of people. It’s why it's so powerful. Fork, knives, etc. are often distracting to the eyes.
In the book, one method for poaching is using velouté instead of water. (Essentially a stock thickened with flour.) Why don't more people do that?
Fish has a lot of moisture. If you cook fish in salted liquid like water, the juice of fish will bleed out. Ever notice that your fish when poached in salted water comes out dry?. In a velouté or another sauce that’s thicker than water, the fish retains its moisture.
There is a playfulness in these recipes, which speaks to me as an editor at Delish. Like your Salmon Strudel. Do people respond to that? What is the importance of playfulness in your food?
I am not sure I would call it it “playfuness,” per se. My approach is to apply traditional techniques with a twist that makes it personal. That makes it “Eric Ripert.” Like, for the Brioche-Crusted Red Snapper, I thought for crunchiness let’s try and put toasted brioche on top of fish.
