Thomas Keller

By Food & Wine
Updated May 17, 2017
Fabulous recipes from star chef Thomas Keller include amazing lemon-brined fried chicken and elegant smoked salmon crisps.
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Lemon-Brined Fried Chicken

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To make this juicy and delectably crisp chicken, chef Thomas Keller soaks it in a lemony brine, then coats and fries it. The chicken, which is served every other Monday at Ad Hoc, is one of the most popular dishes at the restaurant. “Since Fried Chicken Night only happens twice a month,” Keller says, “people have a wonderful sense of anticipation.”

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Iceberg Wedges with Bacon and Buttermilk Dressing

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This salad from Thomas Keller’s family-style restaurant, Ad Hoc, in Yountville, California, is a twist on the quintessential American combination of iceberg lettuce, tomato wedges and packaged bacon bits with a mayonnaise dressing. Only the iceberg lettuce wedges stay the same: The tomatoes are oven-roasted, the bacon is cut extra thick and the buttermilk dressing is spiked with chives, mint and parsley.

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Whipped Yukon Gold Potatoes

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These potatoes from Ad Hoc have a wonderfully fluffy texture because they’re passed through a ricer or food mill to make them especially airy. But they’re also nicely rich, thanks to generous amounts of butter and heavy cream.

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Smoked Salmon Crisps

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Thomas Keller’s salmon cornets (tuiles shaped into tiny cones and topped with crème fraîche and fresh salmon) are a famous kickoff to his luxe and whimsical meals at the French Laundry in Napa Valley. Here, we leave the tuiles flat, like crackers.

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BLT Fried Egg-and-Cheese Sandwich

Credit: © Kana Okada
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Thomas Keller’s scrumptious recipe combines three of the world’s most popular sandwiches—bacon, lettuce and tomato; fried egg; and grilled cheese.

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Over-the-Top Mushroom Quiche

Credit: PHOTO © KANA OKADA
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“I love quiche, but it has to be several inches high and made right,” says Thomas Keller. This high-rising version, which is adapted from a recipe in his Bouchon cookbook, just might be the perfect one, and it’s well worth the time it takes to prepare.

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Sautéed Brussels Sprouts and Squash with Fried Sage

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This super-autumnal dish offers the unusual combination of brussels sprouts and butternut squash, which generally stand on their own as side dishes. The brussels sprout leaves are savory, the chunks of squash are tender and sweet, and the fried sage garnish is pungent and crunchy.

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Panko-Coated Chicken Schnitzel

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Thomas Keller of the French Laundry in Yountville, California uses panko bread crumbs to give chicken a crunchy crust. “Pounding chicken breasts to a uniform thickness cuts down on cooking time,” he says.

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Fennel Mustard

Credit: © Burcu Avsar
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A terrific condiment from Thomas Keller’s Ad Hoc at Home; try it on roast pork.

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Olive Oil-Poached Cod with Mussels, Orange and Chorizo

At The French Laundry in Napa Valley, chef Thomas Keller serves this dish with an orange gelée flavored with Espelette peppers. In this simplified version, he pairs the olive oil–poached cod with an orange sauce vierge, a classic French sauce typically made with olive oil and lemon juice.

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