A chef's chef: Roland Liccioni is someone many cook up to.

Byline: William Rice

CHICAGO _ If one can be an actor's actor or a teacher's teacher, why not a chef's chef?

I have a nominee, or, more correctly, I can report that several chefs have told me that for restrained creativity and pure cooking skill they admire no local Chicago chef more than Roland Liccioni.

Now chef and co-owner, with his wife, Mary Beth, of Les Nomades on East Ontario Street in Chicago, the reticent Liccioni comes to the style of cooking called "fusion" or "east-west" naturally. He was born in Vietnam and lived in France from age 2. At home, exposure to Vietnamese culture and cooking continued, while three years as a student at the Ecole Hotelier in Biarritz provided a solid grounding in French culinary technique.

After a stint in a Paris brasserie, he moved to the kitchen of the Michelin Guide three-star Waterside Inn near London. In 1980, he jumped at an opportunity to come to this country and to Chicago. His reputation soared during 7-{ years as chef at Carlos in Highland Park, which earned a four-star rating from the Chicago Tribune. In 1989, he and Mary Beth, who had been the pastry chef at Carlos, took over Le Francais in Wheeling. There they earned another four-star rating.

A year and a half ago, Roland joined his wife at Les Nomades, the charming restaurant Jovan Trboyevic had created as a private club. In addition, the chef supervises the kitchen at Rhapsody in the Loop, is an avid gardener who grows a wide variety of herbs and vegetables, and is a fiercely competitive tennis player.

His impressive mastery of French cuisine was proven recently at a dinner to showcase the fine Bordeaux wine Chateau Palmer. His terrine of foie gras and leeks would have stolen the show if it weren't for the foie gras flan with cassis-Armagnac sauce that followed it and the truffle ravioli that followed the flan.

Chef Liccioni is equally happy crafting intricate and remarkably light dishes with favorite Asian ingredients including lemongrass, Thai or Vietnamese basil, ginger and kaffir lime. Sometimes he prepares desserts as well.

The man likes to cook.

Seared Scallops and Sauteed Shrimps With Vietnamese Broth

Four servings

For the broth*

1 quart chicken stock or reduced broth

1 kaffir lime leaf

1 small piece fresh ginger, about 1 inch, peeled and sliced

3 stalks lemongrass, sliced

1 star anise

1 small bunch Thai basil, washed, patted dry and coarsely chopped

Shells from shrimp or lobster, if available

For the garnish

1 red pepper, diced

1 yellow pepper, diced

7 or 8 fresh shiitake mushrooms, stems discarded, diced

For the cucumber salad

2 teaspoons Vietnamese fish sauce

2 drops Sriracha (Thai chili pepper sauce)

1 teaspoon sugar

1 teaspoon chopped roasted peanuts

1 seedless cucumber, finely sliced and squeezed

For the center of the plate

1 tablespoon olive oil

4 or 8 large sea scallops, patted dry with paper towels

8 large shrimps, peeled, deveined and patted dry

1 stalk lemongrass, tender inner part only, chopped

2 shallots, finely chopped

1 clove garlic, finely chopped

1. Combine chicken stock, lime leaf, ginger, sliced lemongrass, star anise, basil and optional shells in a saucepan. (Reserve a tablespoon of basil for garnish.) Bring to a boil, lower heat to a gentle simmer and cook for 1 hour. Strain and set aside.

2. Prepare the peppers and mushrooms. Divide among four soup plates.

3. Combine the fish sauce, Sriracha, sugar and peanuts. Add the cucumber and marinate until serving.

4. Reheat broth. Heat olive oil in a saute pan. Add the scallops and sear until golden, about 1 minute on each side. Add the shrimps. Cook until pink on both sides. Add lemongrass, shallots and garlic and toss for 30 seconds.

5. Arrange one or two scallops and two shrimps on each plate. Place cucumber salad on top of shrimps. Pour \ cup of boiling broth into bowls. Sprinkle with basil; serve.

*There will be extra broth. Save it for a soup or create an Asian risotto.

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PHOTO (from KRT Photo Service, 202-383-6099):

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