Sorry, dude, no Central Market or Whole Foods in OKC. It’s Wal-Mart or bust. Ugh.

Anyway, he used shrimp instead of scallops for the first course, which I was lucky enough to sample. Wow. I left soon thereafter, worried I might attempt to tackle Tre for the leftovers. That would’ve ended badly for me. Have you seen the muscles on that guy?

Anyway, here’s the recipe:

Bacon-Scallion Risotto
4 ounces unsalted butter

¼ cup yellow onion, small diced

¾ cup carnanoli rice

5 cups chicken stock, plus reserved

¼ cup heavy cream

3 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

2 tablespoons apple-smoked bacon, diced and cooked till crisp.

¼ cup scallion, chopped fine

Salt and pepper to taste

→Melt butter slowly in heavy-bottom stockpot, saute onions over medium high heat for three minutes.

→Add rice. Toast for three to four minutes. Begin adding chicken stock a cup at a time, stir constantly.

→After last cup of stock has cooked away, finish risotto with cream, cheese, butter, bacon and scallion. Season with salt and pepper.

→Serve right away.

Pomegranate Brown Butter
4 ounces unsalted butter

3 tablespoons pomegranate juice

1 teaspoon lemon juice

2 tablespoons pomegranates

Salt to taste

→Brown butter over medium high heat. When butter is browned, strain through fine mesh strainer.

→Cool slightly, mix with remaining ingredients and season with salt.

→Keep warm until time to serve.

Scallops
6 each U-10 diver sea scallops, muscles removed

Grapeseed oil

Salt to taste

→Using hot pan, sear sea scallops in grapeseed oil until cooked to desired temperature.

→Serve right away.

→For the plate: In the bottom of small bowl, place a spoonful of the risotto. Spoon pomegranate brown butter around risotto. Top with one seared sea scallop and garnish with chervil sprig. Serve.

Copyright October 2008