Recipes From the Rosewood Inn of the Anasazi Restaurant

Ahistorical marker stands at the end of the Santa Fe Trail. Across the street from the important spot sits the Rosewood Inn of the Anasazi, a boutique hotel that has staked its reputation on place. And like Santa Fe, the Anasazi has evolved. Most recently that’s included a two-year renovation, which brought in works by local artists and a 70-deep tequila program to the Anasazi Restaurant. A hearty agave spirits list isn’t the only update to the hotel’s restaurant-bar. The dining room was opened up, giving the main space a more welcoming feel. A raw-wood partition separates — almost inconspicuously due to its size and the warm lighting — the main space from a lounge-inspired nook and the dedicated tequila bar. Finally, there’s a new chef calling the shots.

Edgar Beas took over the kitchen, moving from Madera, the Michelin-starred restaurant at Rosewood Sand Hill in Menlo Park, California, just before the Anasazi’s 25th anniversary. He had to hit the ground running, considering there were some necessary adjustments to his culinary approach based on locale. At Madera, Beas was responsible for developing new vegan and gluten-free dishes using the region’s seasonal bounty. Before that gig, Beas, 29, was the executive chef at Chez Papa Resto in San Francisco. Almost everything is available year-round in California, Beas told us during a recent phone conversation. “There are many ingredients used in Santa Fe that are unique,” The culmination of that formative experience can be seen in such dishes as the venison gnocchi with chile threads and the Jerusalem artichoke salad, recipes Beas shares with C&I readers in the February/March 2017 Western Gourmet feature.

Jerusalem Artichoke Salad

(Serves 4)

2 pounds Jerusalem artichokes (aka sunchokes)
Butter as needed
Salt
3 persimmons
2 cups orange juice
1 bulb fermented garlic
2 bunches sorrel
½ cup olive oil
4 ounces chèvre

Artichokes: Wash the artichokes in cold water. Place 8 ounces of butter and the artichokes in saucepan over medium heat. Cover the pan and cook until tender, 10 – 15 minutes. Remove from butter and sauté on high heat until caramelized. Season with salt.

Persimmons: Cook persimmons in orange juice. Reduce with the orange juice and purée when tender.

Fermented Garlic: Peel garlic and cut into slivers.

Sorrel: Blanch sorrel in salted water for 2 minutes. Purée with 1 ounce of chèvre and ½ cup of olive oil.

Chèvre: Crumble remaining chèvre on top of artichokes.

Venison Gnocchi

(Serves 4)

3 pounds venison bratwurst, ground
1 cup onion, diced
1 cup carrot, diced
1 cup celery, diced
2 tablespoons fennel pollen
1 delicata squash
1 ounce sage

Bratwurst: Mix ground bratwurst with onion, carrot, celery, and fennel pollen. Sauté until golden brown. Remove and reserve.

Delicata Squash: Without peeling, cut squash into rings and sauté in a cast-iron pan until golden brown.

Gnocchi:
2 cups water
6 tablespoons butter
2 cups all-purpose flour
6 eggs
½ cup grated Parmesan
2 teaspoons salt

In a pot, melt butter with water and salt. Add dry ingredients and cook until a ball has formed. Transfer to counter-top mixer and incorporate eggs, one at a time. Once eggs are incorporated, fold in cheese. Add mixture to a pastry bag and blanch the gnocchi in salt water until they float.

Sage: Remove leaves from stems and fry at 325 degrees until crispy.

Chile Threads: Cut red chile peppers into a thinly sliced julienne. Blanch for 15 seconds and shock with ice water. Dehydrate overnight.

For more information or to make reservations at the Rosewood Inn of the Anasazi Restaurant, visit the hotel’s website.

From the February/March 2017 issue.