Cookbooks

I love this asparagus-olive combo. Blasting the two together in a really hot oven intensifies all of the flavors. If you make this with thin asparagus spears, skip the peeling step and roast for just 6 minutes.

In spring, garden peas and young carrots need little embellishment to taste amazing. It’s all about the execution. You want them just tender, but not crunchy. And you use only a little butter here—just enough to make the vegetables glisten.

People often ask me why the asparagus in my eponymous restaurant tastes so much better than similar-looking spears they’ve had elsewhere. The answer is simple: We cook each batch to order. Most kitchens blanch the asparagus early in the day and then reheat it just before serving; a lot of flavor is lost that way. This is one of the first lessons my chef de cuisine Mark Lapico teaches new cooks at my flagship. Once you try this recipe at home, you’ll never throw your asparagus in ice water again. Of course, you can make this dish with olive oil, but it’s especially good with butter.

Whenever I serve something really rich, like Soy-Braised Lamb Shanks (page 168), I like to have something tart and bracing to go with it. The tangy-hot blend of apples and chiles goes well with just about any red meat, and the combination of creamy and crunchy is unbeatable.

This simple almond-shallot topping goes with just about any simply cooked vegetable, but it tastes best with green beans. Instead of simply blanching the beans, I char them until they develop a smoky richness.

Enjoy this alsatian specialty with some good beer. I like making this with crunchy, bright, and tart fresh sauerkraut, which my mom brings me from France. It’s also delicious with regular sauerkraut. I love how the meat juices infuse the cabbage and potatoes for a satisfying one-pot meal.

I thought I was tired of braised lamb shanks, having cooked them for so many years. But then I added a step that utterly transforms them. Reducing the braising liquid and then basting the lamb with it makes this dish wonderfully rich. Serve this with Green Apple and Jalapeño Duo (page 177); the green apple puree and salad balance the richness with a bright, refreshing acidity.

I love meaty short ribs, but I don’t want the fuss of browning the ribs before braising them at home. To get that same rich, caramelized flavor, I simply cook the beef with konbu. Notable for its umami, this one ingredient can deliver the same depth of flavor that comes from searing meat. I do labor over these ribs, though; at the end, I keep glazing them until they shine. Serve with Honey-Glazed Parsnips (page 201) for an inspired combination.

As quick as a stir-fry, this is my go-to fast food. My take on veal scaloppine uses ham, Riesling, and, best of all, lavender. The floral herb is similar to sage and works beautifully here. I prefer the aroma of the tiny purple buds on the flowers, but if you can’t find those, the leaves work well, too.

True, Fava beans are a pain. First, you have to shell the beans, then peel off their tissue-thin skins. To be honest, though, I actually enjoy prepping these beans—especially if it means getting to eat them. Simply cooked, they’re the perfect accompaniment to juicy lamb chops.

Cherries and mustard may sound like an unusual pairing, but they taste great together. Sweet, tart, and hot, this sauce goes well with chicken and veal as well as pork.

This dish is unbelievable. It may just be one of my favorite ways to eat steak. The complex depth of floral, almost fruity flavors in this hot sauce shines when served with a simply grilled steak and cuts through the richness of the meat.

Daniel del Vecchio has been working with me for nearly twenty years. For a long time, he was known as my right-hand man—and for good reason. That’s why I now entrust him with opening and maintaining my restaurants around the world. More important, he’s like family. We’ve celebrated many holidays and milestones together, including, of course, Thanksgiving, when his turkey has often been the star of the show.

After my brother Philippe builds the perfect fire in the grill, my son, Cedric, cooks the perfect whole tenderloin. Quickly marinating the beef in herbs and oil and then using that oil to baste the beef keeps the lean meat from drying out and infuses it with flavor. Serve this with good mustard or Barbecue Sauce (page 247).

My wife, Marja, makes the best truly authentic Korean bulgogi. This is my take on that dish, with a hint of orange and a little heat. Instead of starting with thinly sliced meat, as is traditional, I cook a whole flank steak and then slice it just before serving.

If you want to impress at a dinner party, this is the dish to make. The secret ingredient? Jordan almonds, those impossibly hard candies handed out at weddings. They turn into a gorgeous caramelized crust on the roasted duck breast. Simply cooked baby turnips make an elegant accompaniment.

My alsatian upbringing and my time in Asia often merge in my cooking. This take on classic Cantonese roasted duck pairs beautifully with Sweet and Sour Cabbage (page 193). I love when the soy-infused duck juices run into the tender vegetables.

Talk about addictive. My director of creative development, Greg Brainin, created these, and I can’t get enough of them. For a double dose of heat, fresh chile slices cling to the fiery sauce on the crisp wings.

This simple blend of high-quality butter and fresh fines herbes goes with everything. You can even use it to butter good bread. I especially like it on vegetables and fish.

If you want the crunch of fried chicken without the fuss of cooking big pieces, you have to try this quick, streamlined recipe. My technique for cutting chicken steaks gives each person white and dark meat and makes for a hearty serving. This all-season dish is perfect with simply blanched vegetables. In the winter, I serve it with broccoli; in the spring, snap and snow peas; and in the summer, wax beans and haricots verts.