A treat from the sea

I have seen many plated dishes over the past two years, and each one has been incredible. But Herman Mercado's recipe for Scampi Risotto Reggiano not only caught my eye but also my tastebuds.

During interviews for food stories, I usually take a bite or two of each dish and then head back to the office. With this recipe I actually pulled up a chair and had a great lunch. I could not get enough of this wonderful dish.

So who is Herman Mercado? Herman has been cooking for 15 years, the last 10 at The Refuge in Yuba City. After his recent promotion to executive chef, Herman has put his own spin on The Refuge's menu. He loves motorcycles, going to movies and enjoys the occasional trip to Nevada City.

I had the pleasure of meeting Herman last year at the Yuba City Summer Stroll at the Iron Chef-type cookoff held in the middle of Plumas Street. Having only an hour to prepare several dishes, Herman, along with fellow team members Efraim Corretjer and Matt Hatfield, kept his cool on a very hot day.

The Mercados have kept food in the family with Herman's wife, Patti, serving as the restaurant manager at The Refuge. Their son Marcus is the new topas chef at Paradiso's.

Herman gained his love and passion for cooking at home.

"I would watch my mom cook. More and more I began to help her until she finally let me begin cooking entire meals for my family. And I have been cooking every since," Herman said.

While the crawdad that sits on top of Herman's dish is not necessary, it sure looks cool and you have to admit - it does make a statement. I chose not to eat that part of the dish ... just couldn't get past those dark brown eyes.

Scampi Risotto Reggiano Risotto

1 1/2 cups of risotto rice

1/4 cup diced yellow onion

8 cups chicken broth

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 pat whole butter

1 teaspoon fresh chopped garlic

1/2 cup heavy whipping cream

1 tablespoon Parmesan cheese

Scampi

3 ounces white wine

1 teaspoon of fresh lemon juice

1 dash of Tabasco sauce

1/2 ounce of sliced green onions

2 ounce whole butter

4 ounces of cleaned and deveined prawns

4 ounces of rock shrimp

Half teaspoon of fresh chopped garlic

Dash of fresh copped parsley

Salt and pepper to taste

1 teaspoon of olive oil

1/2 of teaspoon paprika

Scampi preparation

In a hot saute pan, add the olive oil, place the prawns in the pan ,add salt and pepper to taste, cook for about one minute.

Flip over and add the rock shrimp cook until they are 3/4 cooked.

Next, add the white wine, Tabasco, lemon and garlic and reduce by half. Do not overcook prawns and shrimp or they will become tough

At this point add the whole butter, green onions parsley and paprika. Continue cooking and stirring until the butter is completely melted.

Risotto preparation

In a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, add the olive oil, butter yellow onions and garlic until translucent. Add rice and saute about three minutes, and then add the chicken broth until the rice is submerged and continues cooking. Add broth until the rice is al dente.

Remove and place on a sheet pan until cool.

Then add back into a saute pan and add heavy whipping cream and about half of cup of chicken broth. Cook for about five minutes or until liquid is almost gone.

To plate, place risotto in the center of the dish and spread your scampi on the outer edge of the risotto.