Scallops in shell - Coquilles St Jacques
Coquilles Saint-Jacques “scallop gratins” are a classic French recipe, well-known and loved by many. It’s the sort of thing families make as a starter for holidays and special dinners. It uses simple ingredients, has beautiful comforting flavours, a recipe that always feels a bit special without being complicated.
Ingredients:
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 shallot
1 small glass of white wine
3 to 4 mushrooms, sliced very finely
½ leek sliced in julienne (take between the white and green part, for the tenderness and a little bit of pale green colour.
3 sea scallops per shell
2 teaspoons minced fresh tarragon
1 pinch cayenne pepper, or to taste
4 large scallop shells
Shredded Gruyere or Parmesan cheese to taste
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Few branches of fresh thyme or half spoon of dry thyme.
For the Bechamel : see recipe
50g butter
50g flour
50cl fresh milk
50cl white wine
Method :
Coquilles Saint-Jacques “scallop gratins” are a classic French recipe, well-known and loved by many. It’s the sort of thing families make as a starter for holidays and special dinners. It uses simple ingredients, has beautiful comforting flavours, a recipe that always feels a bit special without being complicated.
Ingredients:
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 shallot
1 small glass of white wine
3 to 4 mushrooms, sliced very finely
½ leek sliced in julienne (take between the white and green part, for the tenderness and a little bit of pale green colour.
3 sea scallops per shell
2 teaspoons minced fresh tarragon
1 pinch cayenne pepper, or to taste
4 large scallop shells
Shredded Gruyere or Parmesan cheese to taste
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Few branches of fresh thyme or half spoon of dry thyme.
For the Bechamel : see recipe
50g butter
50g flour
50cl fresh milk
50cl white wine
Method :
- Gather all ingredients,
- Preheat the oven at 180 (no fan).
- Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat,
- Add the very fine cut leek and sauté until very tender, approx. 5/6 minutes and set aside.
- Add to the same pan shallots and sauté until translucent, 5 to 8 minutes. Stir in mushrooms, salt, and black pepper; increase heat to medium-high and cook, stirring often, until mushrooms are golden brown, about 10 minutes.
- Pour wine into the pan and bring to a boil while scraping the browned bits of food off the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon; bring to a simmer.
- Gently place scallops into wine and poach in the mushroom mixture until barely firm, about 2 minutes per side; transfer scallops to a bowl. Strain mushroom mixture into another bowl, reserving mushrooms and cooking liquid separately.
- Prepare the bechamel (recipe) and then add the leek, mushroom, shallots, tarragon and thyme.
- Mix well, you can add cooking liquid at that moment.
- Add salt and pepper.
- Place about 3 scallops onto each shell. Spoon the bechamel sauce over scallops to coat.
- Sprinkle lightly with Gruyère cheese or Parmesan.
- Slightly crinkle a large sheet of aluminium foil and place onto a baking sheet. Place filled shells onto foil and press lightly to help them stay level.
- Broil in the preheated oven (no fan) until bubbling and cheese is lightly browned, 5 to 6 to 10 minutes, depending of your oven behaviour.