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Usher in spring with scallops and snap peas

Grab a plate and dig in! Thomas Keller shares a tasty shellfish dish

Video
  Chef Keller’s scallops and peas
Feb. 11: The owner of the Per Se and French Laundry restaurants makes a delicious and flavorful recipe that has a taste of spring in every bite.

Today Show Kitchen

updated 11:07 a.m. ET Feb. 11, 2008

Grab a plate and dig in! World-renowned chef Thomas Keller, owner of the French Laundry restaurant in California's Napa Valley and Per Se in New York City, shares a flavorful shellfish recipe that captures the taste of spring in every bite. On the menu: Scallops and snap peas.

Maine diver scallop poele with gray morel mushrooms, sugar snap peas, golden pea shoots in a green onion pudding
Thomas Keller

Serves four

INGREDIENTS

4 pieces Maine diver scallop, cleaned and patted dry
12 pieces morel mushrooms, about 1 1/2” to 2”, cleaned
12 pieces sugar snap peas, plump
1/2 cup golden pea shoots, picked into small clusters of 2 to 3 leaves
2 oz. clarified butter
4 oz. sweet butter
Kosher salt
Maldon salt
Lemon oil (olive oil-based)
Lemon juice
4 large bunches scallions, green part only, trimmed into 1” pieces and washed
4 oz. clam stock (obtained by steaming clams w/ w. wine, garlic and thyme)
4 oz. chicken stock (white)
4 oz. heavy cream
1/4 oz. flour
1/2 egg yolk

Recipe continues below ↓
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DIRECTIONS

Bring a large pot of water to a heavy boil, season heavily with salt. Add the sugar snap peas and blanch until tender, shock in ice bath. Next, blanch the scallion greens until very tender, shock in ice bath, remove and squeeze out excess moisture. Split the peas in half; the peas should be still attached to the pods. Puree the blanched scallion tops in a blender at high speed until smooth. You can add a little ice water if necessary to facilitate the blending. Pass the pureed scallions through a chinois and keep cold for the time being.

Combine the chicken and clam stock in a small saucepot and reduce by half. Mix the cream and flour together; make sure there are no lumps. Add the cream mixture and reduce by a quarter; make sure there is no raw flour taste. Remove from heat and quickly beat in the egg yolk. Return to low heat and whisk vigorously until mixture thickens; make sure to not let the mixture boil. Adjust seasoning and strain into a clean small saucepot. Whisk in enough green onion puree to give a bright green color and flavor. Cover and reserve.

Heat a medium sauté pan over medium heat. Add about 2 tablespoons of butter, allow to foam then add the morels. Season with salt and cook until all excess moisture has been reabsorbed by the mushrooms. Toss in the snap peas with a little fresh butter and keep warm.

Heat a heavy 10”-12” skillet over medium-high heat. Pat the scallops dry, then season scallops on both sides with kosher salt. Add clarified butter to the pan. When the clarified butter starts to smoke, add the scallops. Sear for about a minute or two until the scallops develop a nice golden brown color. Turn the scallops over and repeat the process on the other side. Remove scallops from pan and drain on a paper towel. Sprinkle a couple flakes of Maldon salt on each scallop. Warm the scallion sauce and spoon into a 1½” pool on the plate, place the scallop on the plate and arrange 3 morels and 3 snap peas attractively. Dress the pea shoots in a couple drops of lemon oil and lemon juice and allow to fall naturally over the scallops.

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