Here’s the Dish with Michael Greenstein of The Reeds at Shelter Haven
9601 3rd Ave, Stone Harbor
609-368-0100 • reedsatshelterhaven.com
Q&A
1. Where did you receive your training?
My first teacher was my mother. She was an excellent cook and began to teach me when I was just 5 years old. She came from a very big family and loved to host dinner parties for up to 30 guests, and would always write the menus and have me help her prepare the food.
I was lucky early on in my career to work with incredible people in incredible places. Sam Schmidt and David Walford at Sweet Basil in Vail, Colo., and Nitzi Rabin at Chillingsworth in Brewster, Mass., (who I still believe is the greatest saucier in this country) to just name a few. I’ve also spent time with Jean-Georges Vongerichten in New York when he was the chef at the Lafayette at the Drake Hotel, and Julian Serrano at Masa in San Francisco.
2. Where do you get your inspiration when creating a new dish?
I believe the dish should always reflect the style of the restaurant, and the inspiration will match the style. I’m also a firm believer that unique dishes should have a way of transporting you without having to leave the dinner table.
3. What do you believe is the most important quality of a restaurant, and why?
Consistency and value. Consistency meaning that every time a person comes to get a dish that they really enjoyed in the past, it tastes just that good each and every time they come back for it. Following the same, well-established process time after time is key and taught to all team members early on in their training. Customers value the overall experience, meaning the service, their comfort, atmosphere, quality of food, and timing (think speedy service) all come into play for whether they think their visit had good value to it.
4. What is your go-to meal on your days off?
I’ve always enjoyed making a good steak with roasted potatoes, mushrooms, onions, and spinach at home. I also really like to cook authentic Chinese cuisine. If I’m dining out, I’ll usually go for the freshness of Vietnamese food and sushi.
5. What advice would you give to a new chef?
Stay chained to the stove long enough to really understand the cooking process. Nowadays, too many cooks think they can learn everything they need to know in just six months, but it takes time, patience, and many years to really comprehend the art of cooking.
6. What is your favorite summer dish?
When I lived on Cape Cod during the summer, my favorite thing to eat was a Fried Scallop Roll. It was so sweet and incredibly fresh from the ocean every day.
7. What do you enjoy most about cooking?
The hours … just kidding. I think what I enjoy the most about cooking is the same thing that every person who makes a meal for another person feels – the enjoyment of making them happy.
8. What is the hardest cooking technique you have mastered?
At a previous resort, I integrated a sushi bar and would be out there every night working alongside the sushi chef. I had already known how to make sushi, but being there every night for years made me realize how much time and experience it took to learn the intricacy and technique of it.
9. Where do you find yourself most when you are not in the kitchen?
At home or out eating steamed crabs. I’m from Baltimore, so that will always be a favorite pastime!
10. What is the most needed cooking utensil for a kitchen, and why?
The knife. From the moment a caveman sharpened a rock to cut some meat, it has been indispensable. Chefs cherish their knives; they’re a reflection of who they are. It doesn’t matter if you’re a professional chef or novice in the kitchen, a proper chef’s knife is essential.
Lamb Osso Bucco with Gremolata and Asparagus Risotto
Serves 8
Lamb Osso Bucco
Ingredients:
8 large pieces lamb shank cut 1-inch thick
½ cup vegetable oil
2 cups carrots, peeled and chopped
2 cups celery, chopped
2 cups Spanish onion, peeled and chopped
1 cup leeks, washed well and chopped
1 bulb fresh garlic
2 tablespoons tomato paste
4 sprigs fresh thyme
1 sprig fresh rosemary
½ bunch fresh parsley
2 cups good white wine (Chardonnay or Pinot Grigio)
2 cups chicken stock, fresh or store-bought high quality, low sodium
To taste kosher salt
To taste freshly ground white pepper
Directions:
Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Add the oil to a large braising pan or Dutch oven. Place the pan over medium-high heat. Season the lamb and when the oil is hot, add the lamb to the pan. Cook the lamb on both sides, getting golden brown color on both sides. Remove the lamb from the pan and set aside. Pour the oil out of the pan. Using just residual oil in the pan, add the carrots, onions, celery, leeks and garlic. Turn the heat down to medium and sauté the vegetables for about 10 minutes until they get a light caramelized color. Add the tomato paste and cook for about 2 more minutes. Add the white wine, parsley, thyme and rosemary. Cook the wine down until about ½ cup remains in the pan, then add the chicken stock. Return the lamb to the pan and cover with a slightly vented lid or with aluminum foil with one hole punched in it. Place the pan in the oven and bake for approximately 3 hours. Check to make sure that the lamb is very tender and continue to cook if needed. When the lamb is tender and able to pull away from the bone very easily, remove the pan from the oven. Gently remove the lamb from the pan and strain the liquid remaining in the pan through a fine strainer. Make sure to push down hard on the vegetables in the strainer to get as much liquid as possible. If you need a little more liquid than what remains, just add a little bit of chicken stock. The lamb can be made ahead to this point and reheated in the liquid and covered in the oven.
Gremolata
1 bunch fresh parsley
4 cloves fresh garlic
2 each lemons
Using a peeler, remove the peel from the lemon getting as little of the white part as possible. Combine the lemon peel, parsley and garlic cloves in one pile and chop fine. Refrigerate until ready to use.
Asparagus Risotto
1 bunch fresh asparagus
4 cups Arborio rice
1 cup white wine
12 cups chicken stock (this amount is larger than you should need, but when making risotto it is just easier to have a large amount of stock hot and use what you need)
¼ cup olive oil
2 tablespoons butter
1 clove garlic, finely minced
½ cup Parmesan-Reggiano cheese
To taste kosher salt
To taste freshly ground white pepper
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Have on the side a bowl with ice water. Cut the woody end off from the asparagus. Cut the stems away from the asparagus about 2 inches below the tips. Either save the tips for another use or you can add them to risotto toward the end of cooking. Place the stems in the boiling salted water and cook for about 2 minutes, until very tender. Then using a slotted spoon or strainer, remove the stems and place them in the ice water. Then place the stems in a blender and blend into a puree. Heat the chicken stock until boiling and keep warm. Place the olive oil in a wide pan and heat over medium heat. Add the onion and sauté until just translucent. Add the rice and sauté until lightly toasted about two minutes. Add the wine and cook while stirring until the wine is just about gone. Add enough of the hot stock to cover the rice. Add in the asparagus puree. Adjust the heat so that the rice is gently simmering. Stir the rice occasionally using a wooden spoon or high-heat spatula. Do not use a metal spoon, as it can cause the rice break apart. As the rice absorbs the stock, keep adding it in small increments; when the rice is fully cooked, you will want to have a small amount of liquid remaining. Cook the rice approximately 18 minutes. It may not take all 8 cups of the stock. Taste the rice as it cooks and decide how al dente you would like the final product. Remove the rice from the heat and add the butter, Parmesan cheese and garlic, and season to taste with kosher salt and white pepper.
To serve
Warm the lamb and place it on a serving platter. Pour the sauce over the lamb and sprinkle the gremolata over the lamb. Serve the risotto in a platter to accompany.
Enjoy!
