ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — It’s what makes Renzo’s special — cooking over a coal bed of even heat in the Argentinian tradition.

“You just can’t replicate, no matter how hard you want to with the gas grill,” said Renzo’s Executive Chef Bill Tarleton.

Tarleton offers his recipe for Chilean Sea Bass, New England Diver Scallops and Paella-inspired Saffron Risotto

Ingredients:

4 New England Diver Scallops
1 Chilean Sea Bass filet, skin on
Spanish olive oil to coat seafood
English sea salt season
1 oz finely diced shallots
4–6 cups seafood stock
4 oz Albariño wine (or another good white wine)
2–3 sprigs of saffron
½ cup Arborio rice
1 tsp turmeric
Salt and white pepper to taste
½ cup cream or butter (for finishing)

Cooking Instructions:

Tarleton begins by preparing the seafood — removing excess water from the skin of the Chilean Sea Bass.
“If you keep it dry, you can get it crispy,” said Tarleton.
Tarleton uses rich Spanish olive oil and flaky English sea salt to season — that’s it!
The fish goes into a grilling basket for the grill.
“It’s about six inches over the top of my fire at about 500 degrees,” said Tarleton.
It goes skin-side down for 10 to 15 minutes.
Tarleton checks about halfway for a good sear.
The New England diver scallops go next —
“You’ll have a flat part, and you’ll have a curved part. Make sure the flat part is down,” said Tarleton.
They only cook a few minutes on each side before Tarleton checks them to flip.
“If they don’t pull right off they are not ready to go,” said Tarleton.
The scallops and sea bass finish at the same time.

Sweat the Shallots: In a pan, slowly cook down the shallots until soft.
Add Wine: Pour in the wine and let it cook with the shallots, allowing the alcohol to evaporate.
Toast the Rice: Add the Arborio rice and saffron to the pan, letting the rice toast for 1–2 minutes. The rice should soak up the wine’s flavor.
Gradual Stock Addition: Begin adding the seafood stock, 1–2 ounces at a time. Stir continuously and let the rice absorb each addition before adding more.
Seasoning: As you start adding stock, sprinkle in the turmeric and keep stirring to incorporate the flavor evenly.
Cook to Al Dente: Continue this process for 20–30 minutes until the rice is just slightly al dente.
Finish with Cream: Add the cream (or butter) and let it cook down to enrich the flavor and add a creamy texture.
Final Seasoning: Taste, then add salt and white pepper as needed.
Serve: Spoon the risotto onto a plate, and it’s ready to enjoy.