On The Line: Manuel Gonzalez Of TAPS Fish House & Brewery, Part Three

Photo by Kevin Lara

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Our last installment of On The Line with Chef Gonzalez finds him cooking some seasonal seafood. The addition of fresh peas and corn make for a bright dish, both in color and flavor. If you haven't already done so, be sure to check out parts one and two of our interview.

Pan Seared Scallops with Dungeness Crab, Cream Corn & Spring Peas

Ingredients:

2 pounds fresh scallops
8 ears yellow corn
1 pint heavy cream
1 cup freshly shucked English peas
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 pound pea greens (pea vines)
1 tablespoon canola oil
Salt & pepper to taste
1 pound Dungeness lump crab


Directions:

Clean and boil corn in lightly salted water; cook until tender. Remove corn and chill. Continue to simmer water. Cut corn cleanly from cob; return cobs back into simmering water. Reduce broth by 50 percent.

Dry off and clean scallops. Get your skillet smoking hot. Salt and pepper scallops and carefully place in pan, making sure not to overcrowd. Reduce to medium heat and leave alone. Let scallops build a brown crust and detach slowly. Then turn over to desired temperature. Remove scallops from pan and add pea greens. Saute lightly, adding seasoning to taste.

In a pot, heat heavy cream and add 2 cups of corn broth. Let simmer 5 minutes; add corn and peas. Continue to cook about 5 minutes more. Add grated Parmesan cheese. Cook down until it thickens. Season with salt and pepper.

Spoon cream corn onto plate. Sprinkle with crab meat and top with sauteed pea greens and scallops.

Serves 4