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Anthology’s new Executive Chef, Todd Allison, plans to shake things up not just in the kitchen but in the bar as well. At his former restaurant, Checkers Hilton, he experimented with truffle-infused rum and simple syrups mixed with peppers. Chef Allison is brings that same enthusiasm to cocktails so diners’ taste buds are thrilled and enamored with not only his innovative dishes but with the perfect cocktail compliment.

He shares a little “taste” of his culinary genius with the recipe for one of his signature dishes.

Harrissa marinated Caledonia prawn skewers

Served in a saffron and smoked tomato broth, this delicious recipe serves five and is sure to be a crowd pleaser.

Ingredients

Smoked tomato broth

5 smoked roma tomatoes
5 roughly chopped roma tomatoes
5 cloves of garlic chopped
1 Spanish onion chopped
2 ribs of celery chopped
1 fennel bulb chopped
2 stalks leeks chopped
1 large pinch saffron
2 cups white wine
1 quart chicken stock
1 sprig fresh thyme
2 bay leaves
1 handful fresh basil
Make it

In a large sauce pot sauté garlic, onion, celery, fennel, leeks for roughly five minutes, then deglaze with wine and add saffron.

Add tomatoes and chicken stock, bring to a simmer, add fresh herbs and cook for 40 minutes.

Puree and strain through a fine sieve.

Combine 1 cup of olive oil and 1/2 cup of harissa paste. Mix well.

Marinate 4 pounds of prawns in the harissa marinade for 30 minutes.

Place 4-5 prawns on a skewer with assorted vegetables (chipiollini onions, bell peppers, fennel).

Preheat your grill, once the grill is hot, grill your skewers on both sides for around 4 to 5 minutes. Heat the tomato broth.

To serve

In a large bowl or deep plate, place your skewers and pour the tomato broth over skewers (2 cups per serving)

Enjoy!

To learn more about Chef Allison’s biography and resume click HERE.

SAN DIEGO FOOD FINDS writes: “Executive Chef Eric Bauer of the beautiful Anthology in downtown San Diego mixes arugula with red and green grapes for a tasty salad….”

Tender Arugula & Fall Grape Salad

1 cup balsamic vinegar (white or black)
1/4 cup sugar

Reduce to 1/2 cup over medium heat.

2 cups of red seedless grapes cut in half
2 cups of green seedless grapes cut in half
1 tablespoon fresh chopped lavender
1 cup extra virgin olive oil

After reducing the vinegar combine above ingredients with the reduction and let marinade for minimum of 3 hours.

6 ounces of burrata cheese
2 tablespoons chopped basil
1 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Marinate cheese with oil and basil.
Season cheese with salt and pepper.

To make salad combine the above items with baby arugula and season with salt and pepper to taste. Garnish with toasted pistachios and enjoy.

Recipe by chef Eric Bauer

Caroline Dipping | Union-Tribune Staff Writer

Barbie Lewis loves the shrimp and linguini dish from Anthology in Little Italy. She says it has a white sauce “like velvet.” Anthology’s new executive chef Eric Bauer happily shared the formula for this pasta dish.

Baja California White Prawn Linguini

4 servings

1/4 cup olive oil

3 shallots, roughly chopped

6 garlic cloves, roughly chopped

10 Roma tomatoes, peeled, seeded and roughly chopped

20 peeled and deveined white shrimp (16/20 count)

2 cups white wine

8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut in small cubes

3 tablespoons capers, drained

2 handfuls baby arugula

4 cups linguine, cooked al dente

Salt and pepper to taste

Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a sauté pan. Add the shallots and garlic and sauté until they turn translucent. Add the tomatoes and cook another 4 minutes. Add the shrimp and cook until they turn opaque and curled up. Add the wine and reduce until almost all the wine has evaporated. Add the butter, swirling the pan to incorporate. Add the capers and arugula, then the pasta. Season before serving.

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Anthology Executive Chef Eric Bauer purchases the freshest ingredients from the Little Italy Mercato Farmers Market to create this colorful bowl of refreshing chilled soup. Size and shape are the most visible unique characteristics of Heirloom Tomatoes, and are most prized for their distinctive rich flavor and sweetness. Heirlooms will vary from bright reds to golden yellow, bright green and even deep purple in color. You’ll enjoy this delicious summer soup!

GAZPACHO

• 2.5 lbs. of Heirloom Tomatoes (Core Removed and Chopped)
• 1 Red Pepper (Seeded & Chopped)
• 1/2 Red Onion (Chopped)
• 1 Garlic Clove (Minced)
• 1 Cucumber (Peeled & Chopped)
• 1 Jalapeno (Chopped Fine & Seeds Removed)
• 1/4 cup fresh Cilantro (chopped)
• 1/4 cup Parsley (chopped)
• 1/2 cup Ice Water (For thinning)
• 2 Tbs Lime Juice
• 2 Tbs Red Wine Vinegar
• 2 Tbs Extra Virgin Olive Oil

AVOCADO PUREE

• 1 Ripe Haas Avocado (pureed in blender)
• 2 Tbs fresh Lime Juice
• Salt & Pepper

GRILLED SHRIMP

• 16 Jumbo Shrimp – 16/20 per pound (Deveined & Shelled)
• Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• Kosher Salt & Black Pepper
• 1 Lemon (cut into wedges)

Combine all Gazpacho ingredients and let marinate for at least 24 hrs. Remove from the refrigerator and pour ingredients into a blender, blend until almost smooth. Season to taste with kosher salt and fresh cracked black pepper.

Place shrimp on skewers, brush with olive oil, season with salt and pepper. Grill 2 minutes on each side until shrimp is opaque. Squeeze lemon on shrimp before serving with Gazpacho.
To serve, pour into individual bowls, garnish with fresh Avocado Puree & Grilled Shrimp. Makes 8 quarts.

From the Little Italy Mercat newsletter:

BRUSCHETTA BOAST

You loved it last weekend when Chefs Eric Bauer of Little Italy’s Anthology, Brian Sinnott of 1500 Ocean at the Hotel Del Coronado, Starlite’s Marguerite Grifka, and CRA Chef of the Year Hanis Cavin of Kensington Grill served up creative versions of Bruschetta using ingredients available at the Little Italy farmers’ market. Voters bought tastes, supporting the Kinder Garden program at Little Italy’s own Washington Elementary School. The People’s Choice? Overall winner was Chef Bauer, with his fresh fig, burrata and aged balsamic vinegar version, but all the varieties sold out fast. We think they were all winners!

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Click here to learn more about the Little Italy Mercato.

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7/11/09 UPDATE!

Here is the winning recipe:

Fig & Buratta Bruschetta
Sliced French Sourdough Baugette - 4 pcs
Candied Red Onion - 1 Tblsp per Bruschetta (recipe Follows)
Fresh Buratta Cheese - 2 Tblsp (Can buy at Venissimo Cheese in Mission Hills or Del Mar)
Fresh Fig of the Season – ½ -1 whole pc sliced
Fresh Basil – sliced to garnish
Grapemust Reduction (or Balsamic reduction ) 1 tsp.

Candied red onion
Red Onion ( Sliced) 3 pcs
Red Wine Vinegar - ¾ cup
White Sugar – ½ cup
Bay Leaf - 1 pc
Fresh Thyme Sprig – 3 pcs
White Peppercorns – 2 pcs
Mustard seed - 12 pcs

Place all ingredients in a sauce pan and cook on low heat until reduced and the onion has turned bright pink and is cooked halfway. Pull from the stove and let the onions cool and be stored in the juices.