Chef-Partner Michael Anthony of Gramercy Tavern shares his delicious recipes from his class, "Organic Grains and Heirloom Beans," part of the New York Culinary Experience hosted by New York magazine and The International Culinary Center.

With the growing trend promoting healthier eating, I was very interested in learning more and enrolled in Chef Michael Anthony's class on "Organic Grains and Heirloom Beans," which was part of the fourth annual New York Culinary Experience hosted by New York magazine and The International Culinary Center.

Cooking with Chef Michael Anthony provided me not only with the experience of cooking with a top New York chef; I also had the opportunity to get to know a little about him in the process. He grew up splitting time between Cincinnati, Ohio and Syracuse, New York, and after he graduated from the University of Indiana, he started traveling. When he was living in Japan, he took a job in a restaurant and became inspired and started thinking about a culinary career. From Japan, he traveled to Paris, France where he went to culinary school to learn and hone his craft.

Debra Argen and Chef Michael Anthony

He joined Gramercy Tavern as the Executive Chef in 2006, and in 2008, the restaurant earned a James Beard Award for "Outstanding Restaurant." Every year since 2008, Chef Michael Anthony has been nominated for the James Beard Award for "Best Chef in New York City," and in 2011, he became a chef-partner of the restaurant. Of his culinary career, Chef Michael Anthony quipped, "I am in the business for the fringe benefits; I like to eat."

Chef Michael Anthony graciously shares his recipes for Carrots and Barley Risotto; Ruby Red Shrimp, Yellow-Eyed Beans, and Salsa Verde; and Toasted Green Wheat and Warm Beets.

Gramercy Tavern Recipes

Carrots and Barley Risotto
Ruby Red Shrimp, Yellow-Eyed Beans, and Salsa Verde
Toasted Green Wheat and Warm Beets

Carrots and Barley Risotto
Serves 4-5

Ingredients for the Barley Risotto:

Method: Sweat the onions and leeks in olive oil until soft and translucent. Add garlic and sweat for 1 minute. Add barley and stir to ensure all pieces are evenly coated in oil. Add enough vegetable stock to just cover and simmer until liquid has almost evaporated. Continue adding a small amount of stock at a time until the barley is slightly underdone.

Ingredients for Carrot Purée 

Ingredients for the Carrot Purée:

Method: Sweat the ginger, garlic, and coriander in olive oil. Add carrots and cook without achieving color. Add stock and simmer until tender. Purée in a blender until smooth.

For the Finish:

Note: To cut oblique, you cut the carrot on an angle, turn the carrot one quarter of the way, cut, turn, and repeat, to create angled cuts.

Finish: Add the shiitakes and carrots to the barley risotto, along with additional stock as needed and simmer until tender. Finish with butter, carrot, purée, cheese, and herbs.

Ruby Red Shrimp, Yellow-Eyed Beans, and Salsa Verde
Serves 4

Ingredients for the Shrimp:

Method: In a large sauté pan, over medium heat, add olive oil, 2 smashed cloves of garlic, shrimp, and seasonings. Sauté over medium heat for 3 minutes, until shrimp is light pink and cooked through.

Ingredients for the Beans:

Method: Combine ½ cup beans with 1 cup vegetable stock, olive oil, salt and pepper to taste, and purée in blender until a thin, smooth consistency is reached. Add purée to a saucepot over medium hear. Fold in remaining cooked beans, vegetable stock, minced garlic, and chopped herbs.

Chef Anthony's Shrimp with Yellow-eyed Beans

Ingredients for the Salsa Verde:

Method: Add all ingredients to a mortar and pestle. Work until mixture is a fine paste, about 10 minutes.

To Serve: In a bowl, place shrimp on warm beans and generously spoon salsa verde over shrimp.

Toasted Green Wheat and Warm Beets
Serves 4

Ingredients:

Method: Preheat the oven to 375° F (191° C), with rack in the center position. Coat the beets with the 1 tablespoon of olive oil, season with salt and pepper, and wrap in aluminum foil. Put on a baking sheet and roast until tender, about 50 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a small pot, combine the wheat with 2 cups water, season with salt and pepper, and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat, cover, and simmer until almost tender, about 30 minutes. Drain the wheat, if needed, and set aside.

Peel and trim the beets as soon as they are cool enough to handle, then cut them into eighths. In a medium bowl, toss the beets with the 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil and vinegar, then season with salt and pepper. The beets should have a slight vinegary tang. If needed, add more vinegar, then keep warm.

Plating the Dish

In a small pot, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium heat. Add the cooked wheat and stir for a minute. Add the stock and garlic puree and stir to combine. Bring the mixture to a gentle boil and cook, stirring occasionally, until the stock is reduced by half, about 5 minutes. Stir in the 1 ½ tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, parsley, chives, tarragon, and a squeeze of lemon juice. The wheat should be fairly loose and creamy; if needed, stir in a little more stock or water. Check the seasonings. Spoon the wheat onto plates, then top with the beets and pistachios.

Garlic Purée
Makes ½ Cup

Chef Michael Anthony said that his great-grandfather came to the United States from Italy around 1906, bringing garlic with him. His family continues to growing garlic from his grandfather's legacy, and he has a grower in Upstate New York that grows garlic from his family's legacy for the restaurant, which they harvest each year in the first or second week of July.

Ingredients:

Method: In a small pot, add the garlic and just enough cold water to cover it. Bring to a boil over high heat. As soon as the water comes to a boil, drain the garlic. Repeat the process two more times. Chef explained that this procedure removes the bitterness from the garlic.

After draining the water the last time, add the milk to the pot and a pinch of salt. Simmer until the garlic is completely soft, about 12 minutes. Transfer garlic to a blender and process with just enough of the milk to create a satiny and very light purée. The garlic purée will keep, covered in the refrigerator, for up to 5 days.

Chef Michael Anthony Sharing a Laugh with the Class

Read about Chef Michael Anthony's class in the Gastronomy section.

Read about the New York Culinary Experience and the classes we attended in the Gastronomy section, and interviews and recipes from the classes in the Chefs' Recipes section.

Visit Luxury Experience's Facebook page to listen to interviews with the chefs and see more photos from the event. www.Facebook.com/LuxuryExperience

To attend the New York Culinary Experience 2013, please visit the New York magazine website: www.NYmag.com/nyce. 

Regarding taking classes throughout the year with the excellent chef instructors at The International www.InternationalCulinaryCenter.com.

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