«The first time I arrived in New York, I went to Le Bernardin. I still remember that sublime dinner». It is Massimo Bottura, who left the scene after a passionate closing statement that serves the assist to Eric Ripert’s masterclass.
Not that the Frenchman adopted by the US (3 Michelin stars, 17th in the World’s 50Best plus many more acknowledgements) should need it: in New York he’s the point of reference for seafood cuisine. In fact, he points out, «For a cuisine in which seafood is the star on the plate. Every day we assess what’s available and decide how to intervene».
Speaking of fish, these days, goes beyond the mechanics of a recipe. Ripert knows this very well: «I’m here to speak about sustainability. There’s no need for biblical tones, but we do live in a world that is ageing quickly. If we continue to abuse of it in this way, there will be no future for human kind».
Massimo Bottura and Eric Ripert, stars of the last day at Identità New York
In particular, «The ocean is getting emptier and emptier and we, as any respectable restaurant, must monitor the water from which we fish at all moments. There are species of fish that are disappearing, collapsing. At Le Bernadin we’re strongly commitment in serving sustainable fish. Free and not farmed – which also has a different taste. We don’t serve species in difficulty because we give them the chance to reproduce. The American government is of great help. It is one of the most sensitive to the topic in the world».
This is not the only project in which Ripert is committed outside the restaurant. He’s vice-director at
City Harvest, a charity that has been fighting for years to feed New Yorkers who can’t afford it. «New York is a city of great contrasts between the rich and the poor. We collect restaurant and large stores’ waste and distribute it to the poor. In 13 years we’ve given 35 million meals to 1.5 million people».
With
Mobile markets, he teaches children to eat healthy food. And shows those living in
food deserts – «remote places in which there’s only canned food» – the value of a freshly picked tomato or courgette. He’s also on the front-line in helping less fortunate countries, or the victims of calamities, as in the recent case of Puerto Rico and the summer hurricanes, «We sent a lot of food, water and medicines».
A chef with a big heart. And with great talent and elegance too. In the second part of the lesson he cooked a special
Crab Cake with blue crabs from Virginia, a seafood emulsion with cardamom, topped with a tuille cooked in the fashion of fried wantons. A delicious dish, with a classic framework and contemporary lightness and suavity.
Translated into English by Slawka G. Scarso
