Eric Ripert on Keeping Seafood Simple

Chef Eric Ripert of the acclaimed Michelin-starred restaurant Le Bernardin joins us to discuss his new cookbook, Seafood Simple, featuring easy-to-follow recipes for home cooks. Salmon StrudelServes 4 To achieve a light crispy, flaky phyllo crust, wrap the salmon in the phyllo neatly, but leave just enough room for the dough to create layers. If you wrap the fish too tightly, it will prevent the phyllo from becoming crunchy and will render the pastry soft and soggy. This is an easy recipe once you learn to work fast, and while it’s designed to serve four, you may want to halve the recipe and try it for two the first time you make it. SALMON11/2- pound center-cut salmonfillet, skinned and pin bonesremoved, cut into four 4 ×2-inch rectangles 2 inches thickFine sea salt and freshlyground white pepper16 sheets phyllo dough, cutto 12 ×12 inches6 tablespoons unsaltedbutter, melted TRUFFLE BUT TER2/3 cup truffle juice1 stick (4 ounces) unsaltedbutter, cut into small pieces1/2 ounce finely choppedblack trufflesFine sea salt and freshlyground white pepper TO FINISH3 tablespoons canola oilFinely julienned freshblack truffle for garnish SPECIAL EQUIPMENTPastry brushMetal skewer 1. Wrap the salmon: Season the salmon fillets with sea salt and whitepepper on all sides. 2. Using a pastry brush, paint the top of one sheet of phyllo withsome melted butter. Top with a second phyllo sheet and brush withbutter. Repeat twice more for a total of 4 buttered phyllo sheets.Fold the pile in half to make a 12 × 6-inch rectangle. Brush the topwith butter again. Center a salmon fillet crosswise at a short end ofthe rectangle, then roll it up in the phyllo dough to enclose; the endscan remain open. Repeat with the remaining phyllo and salmon. 3. Make the truffle butter: In a small saucepan, bring the truffle juiceto a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook until reduced to 3 to4 tablespoons, about 7 minutes. Whisk in the butter, a bit at a time,until it is fully incorporated. Stir in the chopped truffles. Removefrom the heat, season with salt and white pepper, and set aside untilready to serve. 4. To finish: Divide the canola oil between two large nonstick pansand heat over medium heat. Add 2 salmon-phyllo packets to eachpan and cook until golden brown on both sides, about 16 minutestotal. Reduce the heat to medium-low if the phyllo browns tooquickly. A metal skewer inserted into the thickest part of the fish for5 seconds should feel warm when touched to your wrist. 5. Using a serrated knife, trim the ends off each salmon-phyllo bun-dle, then gently slice each into 6 or 7 slices. Fan the slices onto warmplates and finish with warm truffle butter and julienne of truffles forgarnish. Serve immediately Photographs copyright © 2023 by Nigel Parry.   Excerpted from SEAFOOD SIMPLE copyright © 2023 by Eric Ripert. Used by permission of Random House an imprint and division of Penguin Random House LLC, New York. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.