Try Eric Ripert’s time-honored recipes for Easter

Video: Tres bon! Make lamb stew for Easter

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   >> morning a classic lamb stew for the holiday. eric ripert is chef at le le bernardin restaurant. good morning.

   >> what do you call this in french?

   >> . [ speaking french ]

   >> doesn't it sound better than lamb stew? how do we start off here?

   >> we have the lamb, very tasty and delicious. what you need to do is basically braise it because it's tougher than the leg of lamb . so i sauteed the lamb with some flour. you remove the lamb from the pan and deglaze with some white wine .

   >> explain deglazing.

   >> it means we are going to take some of the -- you see --

   >> yes.

   >> the meet caramellized in the bottom.

   >> what did you put in?

   >> white wine .

   >> okay.

   >> then we have onions and garlic.

   >> all spring vegetables.

   >> carrots, a little bit of tomato. we have a bouquet garnis, basically parsley, bay leaf and thyme. you just put back the lamb.

   >> back in the same pan?

   >> same pan. we have the chicken stock . you add the chicken stock and we'll let it boil for about 45 minutes to an hour.

   >> 45 minutes once the chicken stock goes back in.

   >> and we don't have to worry about it.

   >> just leave it.

   >> then blanch some vegetables. that's a big word for basically boiling vegetables. we have turnips here. when they are tender, remove them.

   >> baby turnips?

   >> baby turnips. to stop cooking you put them in ice water .

   >> can i get baby turnips at any grocery store?

   >> they are simple to find. we'll add some of the peas that i have branched. baby carrots , string beans .

   >> these are separate from the other vegetables.

   >> they are separated because they cook in a different way. they will be cooked dark if we add them.

   >> a little bit of butter never hurt anybody.

   >> we just have to go now in the back and we are going to plate. so the butter will melt slowly. we have the stew.

   >> so that's after 45 minutes to an hour?

   >> to an hour. it should be looking like this. we just have to plate it, of course. so we are going to go like that.

   >> why do you like the lamb stew over the leg of lamb ?

   >> the leg of lamb is delicious, no doubt. but it is much more expensive and to tell you the truth it's not as tasty as the lamb shoulder we braised.

   >> you like the taste of the stew better than the lamb?

   >> i do.

   >> it's easier to cook and less expensive.

   >> you don't have to worry about it. you just let it boil and then you can put some spring vegetables on top and it brings color on it.

   >> beautiful.

   >> we have the baby carrots , turnips, peas.

   >> that's it. so you're basically woshing with a pot here, a pot there.

   >> what i like is really to add a little bit of the sauce. you can see the consistency of the sauce?

   >> beautiful.

   >> it's like the reduction of the jus of the lamb and we have a little bit of that. we have one here, one here for you.

   >> i have to taste it, i'm sorry. i can't wait any longer. it looks delicious.

   >> it's very tender. actually the trick to know when the meat is cooked you go with a knife and go through the meat. the meat doesn't even stick to the knife. it means it's falling apart.

   >> breaks up on you.

   >> that means it's cooked.

   >> it's delicious. the best part for me is it's easy to cook.

   >> very easy.

   >> beautiful.

   >> you can cook for the entire family. here we have some braised white beans if you decide to do the leg of lamb .

   >> i'll stick with the stew. it looks easier. eric, happy easter to you.

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