How Legendary Chef Eric Ripert Runs One of the World's Best Restaurants — Mise En Place
TLDRThe transcript offers an in-depth look into the daily operations of Le Bernardin, a renowned restaurant that emphasizes the importance of freshness and quality in their culinary creations. It highlights the meticulous process of preparing dishes, from the initial fish delivery and pounding of the tuna carpaccio to the intricate sauce-making and plating. The kitchen's philosophy is underscored by a commitment to innovation and evolution, with a focus on simplicity and the star ingredient, the fish. The dedication to refining and perfecting each dish is evident, as the team works harmoniously under the guidance of their experienced leaders, striving to deliver an exceptional dining experience.
Takeaways
- 🍣 The process of making tuna carpaccio is crucial for its quality, requiring rapid, careful pounding to maintain a cold temperature and prevent browning.
- 🥖 Le Bernardin's philosophy emphasizes the fish as the star of the dish, with their iconic pounded tuna with foie gras on toasted baguette being a prime example of simplicity and refinement.
- 🏪 The restaurant receives daily fish deliveries, ensuring extreme freshness with a quick rotation of seafood, highlighting the importance of quality ingredients.
- 🍴 The kitchen operates with precision and speed, treating fish with delicacy and ensuring that it doesn't stay in the house for more than 24 hours.
- 👨🍳 The role of the saucier is highly regarded and considered the most difficult job in the kitchen, requiring constant tasting and adjustments for consistency in flavor.
- 🧀 Quality control in the kitchen involves calibrating taste buds with a consistent product, like industrial Swiss cheese, before tasting the sauces.
- 🍲 The creation and tasting of sauces are central to the culinary process, with chefs making adjustments based on feedback and ensuring that the sauces are always consistent.
- 🍽️ The kitchen team is continuously testing and refining dishes, valuing the obsession with flavor and taste, and striving for perfection in every dish served.
- 🦐 Live scallops from Maine are prepared with meticulous care, showcasing the restaurant's commitment to using the freshest and highest quality ingredients.
- 🍴 The ambiance in the kitchen is peaceful and silence is considered a compliment, indicating that the high standards of Le Bernardin are being met.
- 🔄 Constant reinvention and evolution are key to Le Bernardin's success, with the chef focusing on mentoring the team and ensuring the restaurant remains timeless rather than old.
Q & A
What is Robert's role in the kitchen at the beginning of the day?
-Robert is responsible for running the garde manger in the morning, making all the tuna carpaccios for lunch and dinner service at the restaurant.
What is the key to successfully pounding tuna without it turning brown?
-The key to successfully pounding tuna is to work quickly to keep it cold, ensure even spacing, and use a little bit of water on top of the plastic wrap to prevent the metal pounder from sticking, resulting in a smooth, flat surface.
What is the philosophy behind not having signature dishes at Le Bernardin?
-The philosophy behind not having signature dishes is to avoid becoming stagnant and to continually evolve, as staying in the past can lead to falling behind in the culinary world.
How is the iconic dish of pounded tuna with foie gras on toasted baguette described, and why is it significant?
-The iconic dish is described as simple, refined, delicate, surprising, and luxurious. It is significant because it embodies the philosophy and style of Le Bernardin, emphasizing that the fish is the star of the plate.
What is the process for preparing the tuna carpaccio with foie gras dish?
-The process starts with a piece of baguette cut into a long rectangle, topped with foie gras mousse spread to the desired thickness. Then, the tuna is laid on top after peeling off a section of the plastic, seasoned with salt, white pepper, extra virgin olive oil, and sprinkled with finely cut chives. A touch of lemon juice is added before serving.
How does the loading dock at Le Bernardin facilitate the restaurant's operations?
-The loading dock allows for the efficient delivery and unloading of fish, making it convenient for the drivers and ensuring that the restaurant receives its orders on time.
What is the importance of freshness in Le Bernardin's fish deliveries?
-Freshness is key at Le Bernardin, with fish being delivered daily and not staying in the house for more than 24 hours to maintain the highest quality and flavor.
What is Fernando's role in the restaurant, and why is he essential to the daily operations?
-Fernando is the head porter and is responsible for receiving all deliveries, including fish and produce, as well as handling invoices. His role is crucial in ensuring the smooth and correct functioning of the restaurant every day.
How does the kitchen at Le Bernardin handle the preparation and distribution of fish for different dishes?
-Fish is prepared and portioned by chefs like Erik, who break it into portions, belly, and scrap meat. It is then stored in the fish walk-in, from where a sous chef or the chef decides what goes out for service and distributes it to the line cooks.
What is the significance of the saucier role in Le Bernardin's kitchen?
-The saucier is considered a god in the kitchen at Le Bernardin, as it is a highly regarded and challenging position that requires extensive experience, skill, and artistry. The saucier is responsible for creating and adjusting the sauces that define the restaurant's dishes.
How does the kitchen maintain consistency and quality in their sauces?
-The kitchen maintains consistency and quality by having the saucier constantly taste and make adjustments to the sauces, as well as testing them twice a day and during service to ensure they meet the desired standards.
What is the approach to cooking fish at Le Bernardin, and how do they ensure it is cooked to the right temperature?
-Fish at Le Bernardin is cooked to be slightly rare before being served, as it will continue to cook with the heat even after being plated. The chefs take into account the time it takes for the dish to reach the dining room and for the client to eat it, ensuring the fish is cooked perfectly by the time it is consumed.
How does the team at Le Bernardin approach the creation and refinement of new dishes?
-The team at Le Bernardin is constantly working on creating and refining new dishes, focusing on flavors, textures, and ensuring that everything is ultra delicious. They taste and adjust the dishes through multiple trials, seeking feedback from the head chef and other team members to perfect each dish before adding it to the menu.
Outlines
🍽️ Preparing for the Day: Garde Manger and Fish Delivery
The video begins with Robert, the garde manger, preparing tuna carpaccios for lunch and dinner service. He explains the process of cleaning and pounding the tuna, emphasizing the importance of speed and cold temperatures to prevent browning. The video then shifts to Le Bernardin's philosophy of not having signature dishes, except for their iconic pounded tuna with foie gras on toasted baguette. The simplicity and refinement of this dish is highlighted, as well as the restaurant's focus on fish as the star of the plate. The segment concludes with a look at the loading dock where fish deliveries are received, and the importance of freshness and quick turnover is discussed.
👨🍳 Behind the Scenes in the Kitchen: Sauce Station and Quality Control
This paragraph delves into the inner workings of Le Bernardin's kitchen, focusing on the sauce station run by chef Alex. The challenge and importance of this station are emphasized, as it requires extensive tasting and adjustments to ensure consistency and quality. The role of the saucier as an artist is highlighted, with the expectation that they will have a deep understanding of flavor nuances. The paragraph also covers the process of checking and preparing various ingredients, such as the artichokes for the barigoule sauce, and the importance of maintaining calm under pressure. Quality control measures, such as tasting cheese to calibrate taste buds, are also discussed.
🍲 Finalizing Dishes and Preparing for Service
The focus of this paragraph is on the final preparations before service begins. Chefs Erik and Tony taste and critique the sauces made by the saucier, providing feedback for adjustments. The meticulous process of ensuring consistency and quality in the dishes is emphasized, with a particular focus on the artichoke barigoule sauce. The paragraph also covers the reception and preparation of live scallops, detailing the steps taken to clean and prepare them for service. The importance of maintaining a peaceful ambiance in the kitchen and the value of silence as a sign of approval are also discussed.
🍽️ Menu Development and the Art of Cooking
This paragraph centers around the creative process of menu development and the culinary techniques employed at Le Bernardin. The team discusses and tastes potential new dishes, such as a langoustine consommé and a dish featuring beets and salmon. The emphasis is on refining flavors and textures to create a harmonious dining experience. The paragraph also touches on the importance of focusing on raw fish dishes and the continuous reinvention of the raw fish section. The philosophy of cooking for the palate rather than for appearance is highlighted, with a focus on the intrinsic flavors and quality of the dishes.
🌟 Timelessness and Evolution in a Renowned Kitchen
The final paragraph discusses the importance of constant evolution and reinvention in maintaining the restaurant's timeless appeal. Chef Eric shares his philosophy of not being competitive in a traditional sense, but rather focusing on the craft and the team. He emphasizes the joy found in mentoring and working with his team, and the desire to keep pushing boundaries and learning new techniques. The paragraph concludes with a sense of the ongoing journey of Le Bernardin, always striving for growth and improvement while staying true to its culinary vision.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Garde Manger
💡Tuna Carpaccio
💡Pounded Tuna with Foie Gras
💡Freshness
💡Saucier
💡Artichoke Barigoule
💡Quality Control
💡Culinary Artistry
💡Timelessness
💡Mentorship
Highlights
Robert runs the garde manger, responsible for making all the tuna carpaccios.
Using a pounder to flatten tuna, ensuring it stays cold to prevent browning.
Le Bernardin's iconic dish: pounded tuna with foie gras on toasted baguette.
Philosophy of making fish the star of the plate, reflecting simplicity and refinement.
The process of receiving, checking, and ensuring the freshness of fish deliveries.
The importance of quick fish rotation and the benefits of New York's location for fresh deliveries.
Breakdown of the day's start with salmon preparation for various dishes.
Sauciers' role as the 'artists of the kitchen', making about 20 sauces each morning.
The meticulous process of tasting and adjusting sauces to ensure consistency and quality.
Introduction to the creative meeting process, focusing on dish innovation and refinement.
Quality control through taste calibration using Swiss cheese.
Preparation for service: Testing sauces, seasonings, and ingredients to ensure top quality.
Service rhythm: Comparing lunch and dinner volumes and preparation.
Detailing the process of scallop and caviar dish preparation, emphasizing delicacy and timing.
Creative process for developing new dishes, like the langoustine with lobster consommé.
Chef Ripert's philosophy on leadership, mentorship, and the pursuit of passion in cooking.