Eric Ripert's Valentine’s Day dinner with pork tenderloin

Take the pork tenderloin from the refrigerator, season with salt and black pepper, and lightly sear in a large sauté pan till a light brown crust forms. Set aside. For the herbed salt crust, combine the flour, chopped rosemary, chopped thyme and 1 ½ pounds of salt in a large mixing bowl.  Gradually add the egg whites, mixing with your hands, until the mixture forms a soft but not sticky dough. Flour your hands and turn the dough out onto a work surface and knead until smooth. Wrap in plastic. Let stand at least 2 hours at room temperature or up to 1 day, refrigerated.

Make the egg wash. Take the 2 eggs and 1 tablespoon of water and whisk until incorporated evenly, about 10 seconds. After the dough has rested, flour a large work surface. Pull off 1/3 of the dough and keep the rest covered. Flour the rolling pin and roll the dough into a 14-by-6 inch rectangle. Line the baking sheet with parchment paper and put the dough on top of it.  Set aside. Roll the remaining dough into a 20-by-10 inch rectangle. Take the seared tenderloin and place it in the middle of the smaller rectangle of dough. Place the remaining sprigs of thyme and rosemary, and the sliced garlic and place on top of the tenderloin. Take the egg wash and brush the area of dough not covered by the tenderloin. Take the larger piece of dough and gently place it on top of the tenderloin. Press the top piece of dough around the tenderloin to seal it well. Trim the excess dough from the top rectangle, 2-inches from the base of the tenderloin; leave the bottom piece of dough as is. Brush the top of the crust with more egg wash and sprinkle with the coarse sea salt. Set aside in the refrigerator till ready to bake.

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Bake until a long metal skewer inserted through the center of the tenderloin for 5 seconds, feels hot, about 25 minutes. Remove from oven and let rest for 15 minutes. To serve, take a paring knife and make a shallow incision near the base of the tenderloin, being careful not to cut into the tenderloin, and trim all around the tenderloin.  Remove the "top of the salt crust" and place the tenderloin on a cutting board.  Slice the tenderloin into the desired thickness and serve.

In a large roundeau, add canola oil, onion, carrot, and celery root. Sweat on low heat until the vegetables start to get tender. Add lentils and stir together with vegetables. Cover with water just to cover and cook at a very low simmer. Add sachet of thyme and parsley and lightly season with salt and pepper. Cook lentils until they are completely tender, adding additional water as they cook, if necessary. Finish with salt and pepper to taste, and butter for richness if desired.

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Take a large piece of aluminum foil or parchment paper 24" x 24".  Place the head of cauliflower on 1 half of the foil or paper. Season the cauliflower with salt and pepper and sprinkle the curry powder evenly over the cauliflower. Next, spread the butter evenly over the top of cauliflower. Fold the other half of the foil or paper over the cauliflower. Starting from a corner of the folded half, begin to fold the edges of the foil or paper in order to "seal" the cauliflower inside. Before making the final fold, pour the water inside the foil or paper and complete the last fold. Place the cauliflower onto a baking tray and roast for 30-40 minutes or until the cauliflower is fork tender. Remove from the foil and serve warm.