Creamy Scallop Crepes

Five weeks. The condo is accumulating wedding-related items. A box of favors (small jars of Jisoo-kimchi-in-miniature, labeled in Korean and English). A box of programs. A suit bag with James's tuxedo. The dress, picked up Friday from Mrs. Kang, hanging in the guest closet under a sheet like a secret.

I called Jisoo on Sunday for a quiet check-in. She is sleeping badly. She is nervous about the flight. She is nervous about meeting Karen. She is nervous about not speaking English well at a wedding full of English speakers. I told her — Hye-jin will be here too (we flew her in; she will stay at a hotel near the winery), James's uncle Eddie is a beginner Korean speaker who will sit near her, and most importantly, nobody is going to test her. I wrote her a letter of reassurance that I wrote in Korean as best I could, and she wrote back: "Dahee. Your Korean is getting better. I am calm now. I will sleep."

Karen had a mild fall on Thursday — no injury, caught herself on the counter, was shaken for a day and then fine. David called me to report. I drove out Friday evening with takeout. Karen ate Thai basil chicken out of a clamshell and said, "I feel dumb for falling." I said, "Falls are not about being dumb. They are about Parkinson's." Karen said, "I am tired of the disease being right." I said, "I know, Mom."

She did not want to talk about the disease. She wanted to talk about the wedding. She had bought her dress for the reception — a navy blue knee-length, simple, elegant. She was going to wear a necklace her mother had given her. She was going to bring a handkerchief because she knew she would cry. She had written a short note to Jisoo that she wanted to give Jisoo in person when Jisoo and Jun-ho arrived. Karen said, "I wrote it by hand. It took me two days because of the tremors. I want her to know I wrote it myself." I said, "Mom. She will know." Karen said, "Good."

Dr. Yoon on Monday: we are in the wind-down. She asked me what I am afraid of. I said, "Losing my self-control." She said, "Why?" I said, "I want to hold the day together." She said, "Stephanie. The day does not need you to hold it. The day holds itself. You can be a person in it." I wrote that down.

Work: I told Priya this week I would be leaving in late October. She did not act surprised. She said, "I knew. I have known for months." I said, "Thank you for not asking me to leave faster." She said, "You are doing the right thing. I will help you land wherever you are going." I said, "I think I am starting a Korean meal kit company." She said, "That is extremely on-brand for you." I laughed. I am laughing more these days.

The recipe this week is haemul sundubu — spicy soft tofu stew with seafood. A dish I made for myself Wednesday night after a long day. Chili oil base, anchovy stock, soft tofu, clams, shrimp, mussels, raw egg cracked on top. Ten minutes. Served over rice. Eaten standing. The dish of five-weeks-out. Hot enough to notice. Mild enough to hold.

The story mentions haemul sundubu — my standing-up Wednesday night stew — but earlier in the week I made something slower, something that asked me to pay attention with my hands. These creamy scallop crepes were that meal. After visiting Karen on Friday, after writing Jisoo’s letter, after telling Priya I was leaving — I needed a dish that was delicate and deliberate, the kind of cooking where you stand at the stove and fold something beautiful and eat it sitting down. Five weeks out from the wedding, this one felt right: steady, warm, worth the care.

Prep Time: 25 minutes | Cook Time: 20 minutes | Total Time: 45 minutes | Servings: 4

Ingredients

For the crepes:
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 large eggs
1/2 cup whole milk
1/2 cup water
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, plus more for the pan
1/4 teaspoon salt
For the filling:
1 pound sea scallops, patted dry
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 shallots, finely diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/3 cup dry white wine
1 cup heavy cream
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons fresh chives, chopped
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon white pepper
Pinch of nutmeg

Instructions

Make the crepe batter. Whisk flour and eggs together in a bowl. Gradually add milk and water, stirring until smooth. Add melted butter and salt, and whisk until combined. Let batter rest for 15 minutes.
Cook the crepes. Heat a lightly buttered 8-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat. Pour about 3 tablespoons of batter into the pan, tilting to coat the bottom evenly. Cook until the edges lift and the underside is golden, about 1 to 2 minutes, then flip and cook 30 seconds more. Repeat to make 8 crepes, stacking between sheets of parchment.
Sear the scallops. Season scallops with salt and white pepper. Heat butter and olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Sear scallops until golden, about 2 minutes per side. Remove to a plate and tent with foil.
Build the cream sauce. In the same skillet, reduce heat to medium. Add shallots and cook until softened, about 2 minutes. Add garlic and cook 30 seconds. Pour in white wine and scrape up any browned bits. Let reduce by half, about 2 minutes.
Finish the sauce. Add heavy cream, lemon juice, and nutmeg. Simmer until the sauce thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon, about 3 to 4 minutes. Taste and adjust salt and pepper.
Assemble. Slice each scallop in half horizontally. Spoon scallops and sauce down the center of each crepe. Fold the sides over and place seam-side down on plates. Spoon remaining sauce over the top and garnish with fresh chives. Serve warm.

Nutrition (per serving)

Creamy Scallop Crepes — A Gentle Dish for the Weeks Before Everything Changes