Name: Red Snapper and Cepes in a Port Reduction
Yield: Makes 4 servings
Ingredients: 2 cups excellent-quality 10-year-old port; 2 cups good-quality sherry vinegar; 3 tablespoons corn oil; 1 pound fresh or frozen cepes, stems cut lengthwise into 1/4-inch-thick slices, caps halved if small or cut into 3 or 4 slices if large; 2 branches fresh thyme; 1 clove garlic, peeled and halved; 1 large shallot, peeled and finely diced; 5 tablespoons unsalted butter; Fine sea salt, to taste; Freshly ground white pepper, to taste; 4 (6-ounce) red snapper fillets; 1/4 teaspoon Chinese five-spice powder; 4 teaspoons minced fresh chives; Two 10-inch nonstick skillets

Editor's note: This recipe is excerpted from Maguy Le Coze and Eric Ripert's book the Le Bernardin Cookbook.

To read more about Ripert, click here.

Eric: My friend Albert Core gave me the idea to combine port and sherry vinegar, and after some experimenting, I found a way to do it. The result was this snapper, my first signature dish at Le Bernardin. Everyone loved it immediately, except for Maguy, who didn't even want to put it on the menu. Now, of course, she loves it, too.

Maguy: I didn't want this dish going on the menu, and Gilbert said he didn't care, he loved it. It was the first time we disagreed. So I invited some friends for dinner and asked them what they thought. They all said it was great. I was furious! Now I love it, so much so that the kitchen knows to send extra sauce on the side.

Recipe notes

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