RECIPES: Lamp Chops and Croque Monsieur

Feb. 11, 2008— -- Eric Ripert, executive chef at New York's Le Bernardin, shared two recipes with "Nightline": Lamb Chops and Croque Monsieur.

LAMB CHOPS ON SLATE

Serves six

Ingredients:

12 lamb rib chops

3 large portabello mushrooms, stems removed and peeled

6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

2 teaspoons picked thyme leaves

3 teaspoons picked rosemary leaves

4 thinly sliced garlic cloves

Fine sea salt

Freshly ground white pepper

Instructions:

Place the lamb chops and portabello on a two separate plates and drizzle extra virgin olive oil over the lamb chops and mushrooms; cover with chopped garlic, rosemary and thyme. Marinate the lamb and portobello mushrooms for 15 – 30 minutes.

Place a piece of slate over moderately hot heat. Heat the slate until very hot. Season the lamb chops and portobello mushrooms with salt and pepper; place on the slate and cook until seared on one side, about 3 minutes. Turn them over and cook to medium rare or a bit under, about 3 more minutes– the meat continues to cook with the residual heat while resting.

Arrange the lamb chops and portobello mushrooms on a large platter and serve.

SMOKED SALMON CROQUE MONSIEUR

Recipe courtesy Eric Ripert

Serves six

Ingredients:

6 ounces Gruyere cheese

12 slices pullman bread (or good quality white bread), ½-inch thick

12 ounces sliced smoked salmon

1 tablespoon lemon confit, cut into tiny dice

1 tin of caviar, any kind

½ medium carrot, finely shredded

1 tablespoon sliced chives

8 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

Instructions:

Using a Japanese mandoline, or vegetable peeler, slice the Gruyere cheese very thin.

Place the twelve bread slices out on a table. On six slices, place the Gruyere cheese and on the other six slices, place the smoked salmon. Sprinkle the salmon slices with lemon confit, caviar and chives. Add caviar according to taste, as much or as little as you would like. Close the sandwiches.

Using a serrated knife cut off the crusts. (You may make this recipe up to this point, two hours in advance. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate.)

Before serving, spread the softened butter on the outsides of the sandwiches. Preheat a nonstick sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add the sandwiches to the pan with the Gruyere side down and sauté for two minutes.

Turn them over and sauté for one minute on the salmon side.

To serve, slice the croque monsieurs on the diagonal, then on the diagonal again (you will have four triangles). Arrange the triangles on a plate. Serve immediately.