Corn Crepes And Red Chile Cream Sauce

For the batter, cut off the top half of the corn kernels into a bowl. Scrape the cobs with the back of a knife, squeezing out the remaining milky centers of the kernels. Combine with the remaining batter ingredients in a blender or processor and blend until smooth. Chill overnight.

Heat a lightly buttered 8-inch crepe pan or nonstick skillet over high heat. Cook the crepes, using about 4 tablespoons of batter for each crepe (16 crepes in all).

Melt the remaining butter in a skillet over medium-high heat. Saute the scallops and shrimp until opaque; add the corn and green onion, and garlic and chives to taste. Correct the seasoning with salt and pepper. (Either the crepes or the filling or both can be made ahead of time. Refrigerate the filling if keeping for more than 1 hour; remove from the refrigerator 15 minutes before rolling.)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Mix a third of the red chile cream sauce into the seafood mixture. Spoon a little of the filling into each crepe, roll it up, and place it in a buttered baking dish. Cover with foil and bake 10 minutes.

Reheat the remaining chile sauce and pour it over the crepes. Garnish with chives.

Notes: RED CHILE CREAM SAUCE:

Slit open the chiles and remove the stems and seeds. Soak the chiles in boiling water to cover for 30 minutes. Remove from the bowl, puree in a blender with a little of the soaking liquid, and set aside.

Combine the cream, wine, and garlic in a saucepan and reduce by half. Add the chile puree and seasonings and mix thoroughly.

The sauce can be made up to 2 days in advance and refrigerated. Reheat gently before serving. This sauce can be made with other chile varieties such as cascabel, guajillo, or pasilla, perhaps with a small amount of chipotle included with another variety.

Fresh corn kernels add sweetness to a classic French crepe, and cornmeal adds a crunchy note as well. Note that the batter needs to rest overnight in the refrigerator.