Masa 14 chef inventive in creating his blended fare

With such an eclectic background, Guam native Antonio Burrell, chef de cuisine at D.C.’s hot, hip Masa 14, has mastered the gastronomic feat of melding Asian and Latino flavors into outrageously delicious meals. And don’t even think “fusion cooking,” for what he presents is really in a class of its own. Adopted by an Air Force family as an infant, Burrell grew up mainly in the Midwest with African-American parents who honored the generations-old tradition of bountiful Sunday suppers that beckoned the entire family.

“Everyone was cooking,” he said, “and others would stick their noses in the kitchen to figure out what was going on.”

In such a home environment, it’s not surprising that Burrell started some serious cooking himself when he was in junior high school with the aim of preparing something that tasted good. He built his repertoire around fried chicken, fried pork chops and good, old-fashioned pot roast. By the time he got to college, he had picked up an old copy of “The New Professional Chef” by the Culinary Institute of America and thought, “Wow, this is really cool.”

That inspired Burrell to get a real restaurant job, starting out as a dishwasher.

“That’s when I found out what cooking was really all about,” he says. “I found I had an affinity for it; I loved the camaraderie of the kitchen. Besides, cooking is artistic, but also it is a necessity. That’s how I always looked at it. I love the act of cooking — that’s all I’ve really ever done.”

Keen to pursue his chosen career path, Burrell dropped out of college, eschewing the need for attending culinary school by copying what others did. And that initiated his numerous moves from kitchen to kitchen, from Fargo, N.D., to Minnesota, New York City and, finally, to Washington, D.C.

“I staged first and later worked at Vidalia for a total of 3 1/2 years,” he said, “and I never looked back. That was my culinary boot camp.”

He also ended up for two years at Vidalia’s sister restaurant, Bistro Bis, under Jeff Buben.

“That was really a great crew,” he said. “I learned to manage quantity cooking seven days a week.”

After spending time in numerous other D.C. kitchens, including at Hank’s for menu development, Burrell made some important discoveries that have helped ultimately shape his cooking life — and he would likely say that would be the time he spent hanging out on farms. That taught him, among other things, the economics of cooking from farm to table.

“I really learned a lot about where food is really grown. … That really helped me understand our farmers’ lives,” he said. “I like knowing where my ingredients are coming from. With good ingredients, you need less seasoning.”

With his lessons learned, Burrell makes culinary magic with such dishes as the shrimp and pork fried rice, tossed with kimchee, bean sprouts and chiles guajillos: inventive, unique and addictive.

Q&A with Chef Antonio Burrell

What’s your comfort food?

My greatest memory comes from making pot roast. It was always a production: flouring, searing and braising. So good, so simple — potatoes, carrots, beef and gravy. As a little kid, I loved pot roast sandwiches. And fried chicken. Everyone in the family — six aunts, four uncles, my mom and dad — swears theirs is the best. I have it five or six times a month. Mine is the best.

What’s in your basic pantry?

Salt, pepper, a good cooking oil such as grapeseed, olive and canola oils. Butter. And pots and pans. With all these, no matter what comes through, I can cook.

What’s in your fridge?

A lot of stuff. Fried rice, mac ‘n’ cheese, chicken and dumplings, two bottles of sake, many kinds of Asian sauces.

Which is your favorite restaurant?

That depends on the occasion. I dress up to go to Palena — otherwise it’s Joe’s Noodle House and Four Sisters.

What is your signature dish?

Nothing specific. Fried chicken? As a chef, if you have a signature dish, you are resting on your laurels and not trying anything new. You always must make the wheel better.

From the Chef’s Kitchen

Tempura Asparagus with Miso-Mustard Sauce and Chipotle Crab Salad

Serves 4 as a light lunch or 6 as an appetizer

24 large asparagus spears, peeled and woody end trimmed

1 cup cornstarch

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 Tbsp kosher salt

1 tsp black pepper

1 quart club soda, mixed with 5 to 6 ice cubes

Canola oil for frying

1/4 cup Chinese hot mustard powder

1/4 cup white miso

1/4 cup soy sauce

1 Tbsp sesame oil

1 lime, zested and juice reserved

3 Tbsp black sesame seeds, lightly toasted

3 Tbsp white sesame seeds, lightly toasted

1 pound jumbo lump crabmeat, picked clean

1/2 cup homemade or high-quality mayonnaise, such as Kewpi brand

1 shallot, minced

1/4 cup thinly sliced scallions

1 tsp chipotle puree

Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Blanch the asparagus spears in lightly salted boiling water for 1 to 2 minutes, or until slightly tender. Cool in ice water and drain. Set aside.

Place the cornstarch, flour, 1 Tbsp kosher salt and pepper in a large mixing bowl and slowly add the club soda until the mixture reaches a consistency slightly thicker than heavy cream. Refrigerate the batter.

Fill a high-sided, heavy-bottomed, 3- to 4-quart pot with oil within 2 inches of the rim. Heat over medium heat and using a fryer thermometer, heat until the oil reaches between 355 to 365 degrees; moderate the heat to keep it at this temperature.

Meanwhile, to make the miso-mustard sauce, mix the mustard with 1/2 cup water and let sit for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the miso, soy sauce, sesame oil and lime juice. To make the crab salad, mix the crabmeat, mayonnaise, shallot, scallions, chipotle puree and lime zest. Add half the sesame seeds, and season with salt and pepper. Set aside.

When the oil is hot, remove the batter from the refrigerator and add the remaining sesame seeds. Working one piece at a time, carefully dunk asparagus in the batter and using tongs, remove from the batter using tongs and gently place the battered asparagus into the hot oil. (Do not toss it in willy-nilly.) Fry no more than 3 to 4 pieces at a time. When golden brown and delicious, remove to a plate covered with a paper towel and place in a warm oven while you finish frying the other pieces. Season all the asparagus as you remove it from the oil with a final dash of salt.

After frying the asparagus, you are now ready to serve. Place 1 to 2 tablespoons sauce in the center of each serving plate. Place 6 spears of asparagus in the center of the sauce. Next, top with one-quarter of the crab salad and serve.