“French chef favors filling food for football fete”

French chef favors filling food for football fete

Posted: 02 Feb 2011 01:04 AM PST

Eric Ripert may be an icon of French cookery, but he also knows his way around a Super Bowl party.

"The food has to be able to help you to drink," says Ripert, chef and owner of Le Bernardin, one of the best-known French restaurants in the United States. "It has to be filling and rich, so you can drink but not be drunk."

Which means a bag of chips isn't going to cut it.

In his native France, fans of "le football" -- that's soccer to you and me -- fill their party coolers with wine and their tables with succulent roasts, carefully selected cheeses and "whatever's in season," says Ripert, whose book "Avec Eric" offers a companion to his TV series.

Instead of the usual chili, Ripert suggests a Tuscan bean soup flavored with prosciutto and Parmesan cheese rind. Crusty tomato bread with Iberico ham stands in for pizza. Ordinary deviled eggs can be dressed up with smoked salmon, and pistachio-sprinkled cheese straws make the perfect finger food.

No matter what you cook, Ripert has a few pointers for keeping the party fuss-free:

•Prep everything in advance. That means even lining up the serving platters.

•Create mini-stations around the room for cheese, sweets and savory items. This encourages guests to graze and mingle.

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Cookery

Wednesday, February 2, 2011