Alain Ducasse’ Festive Dinner Recipes

With 25 restaurants (several holding Michelin stars), 3 inns, a cookery school, a consulting business and dozens of cookbooks and culinary guides, Alain Ducasse is one of the busiest and most successful men in the food industry. As a French native, however, you can be sure he takes the time to savour life and all its magnificent flavours – some of which can be found in these festive and comforting recipes for the chilly season.

Autumn And Winter Vegetables And Fruits En Cocotte

4 carrots with tops, peeled and chopped into sizeable chunks
4 stalks of celery, peeled and chopped into sizeable chunks
4 turnips, peeled and chopped into sizeable chunks
1 red onion, peeled and chopped into sizeable chunks
1 quince, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
4 salsifies, peeled and sliced very thinly at an angle
1 apple, peeled and quartered
1 pear, peeled and quartered
Water
The juice of 1 lemon
16 large white grapes
3 tablespoons of olive oil
2 slices of bacon ¼ inch thick
A handful of shelled chestnuts (vacuum packed or frozen)
Salt
¾ cup of chicken stock
A splash of sherry vinegar

1. Heat 3 tablespoons of olive oil in a large flameproof casserole dish and cook the 2 slices of bacon until browned on both sides, then take them out of the pot and set aside.

2. In their place, put the apple and pear quarters, colour on all sides, and set them aside too.

3. Then put the carrots, celery, turnips, onion, quince, salsifies and a handful of peeled chestnuts into the pot. Add salt and brown lightly for 3 minutes, then add ¾ cup of chicken stock. Cover the pot and cook over low heat for 10 to 12 minutes.

4. In the meantime, cut the slices of bacon into small lardons.

5. Check the vegetables with the tip of a knife. When they’re all cooked, add the apples, pears, grapes and lardons. Stir very gently and add a splash of sherry vinegar. Stir again and serve straight from the cooking pot.

Pan-Fried Winter Fruits

1 Granny Smith apple, peeled, cored and cut into wedges
1 large pear, peeled, cored and cut into wedges
1 small pineapple, skinned and cut into chunks (with fibrous centre removed)
2 baby bananas, peeled and cut in half lengthwise
1 tablespoon of olive oil
1 tablespoon of honey
1 split vanilla bean
1 sprig of thyme
1 orange
2 clementines

To Make The Caramel:
Heat a skillet with 1 tablespoon of olive oil, 1 tablespoon of honey, 1 split vanilla bean, and 1 sprig of thyme and cook gently until the honey is lightly caramelised.

To Cook:
Add the fruits, stir them delicately to coat with this caramel, and cook for 3 to 4 minutes. Squeeze the juice of 1 orange, pour it into the skillet, stir quickly, and take off the heat.

Finishing Touches And Presentation:
Peel 2 clementines and separate the segments. Take out the thyme and vanilla. Pour the fruit into a serving dish, or distribute into fruit bowls. Sprinkle the clementines on top. Serve warm.

About Alain Ducasse

Few in the food business have attained success quite like Alain Ducasse. Working his way through the finest kitchens in France while winning over diners with his take on Mediterranean cuisine, Ducasse earned his first Michelin star at the age of 28 and hasn’t slowed down since. Today, he’s head of an eponymous restaurant group with a consultancy business, cooking school, scores of cookbook titles and too many restaurants to name situated across the globe, with new ones opening all the time – most recently Rivea Las Vegas, where Executive Chef Bruno Riou puts a French-Italian twist on local ingredients, in a stylish venue atop the new Delano hotel. Back in his native France, Ducasse’ Parisian bistro Aux Lyonnais has been paying tribute to the “mothers of Lyon” – the city’s female culinary icons – throughout autumn, and will continue in December with hearty dishes like “artichoke heart and duck foie gras”. alain-ducasse.com

Photos: Pierre Monetta and Philippe Petit