Coquilles St. Jacques a la Parisienne

Coquilles St. Jacques a la Parisienne

Starters, Seafood
Scallops, French, First Course, Main Dish, Dinner Party

Serves 6

A beautiful first course, or a light meal, this rich dish can be prepared ahead of time and gratineed just before serving.

Ingredients #

  • 1 cup dry white wine or dry French vermouth
  • 1 small bay leaf
  • 2 tbsp minced shallots or scallions
  • 1 lb. sea scallops, washed and dried
  • 1/2 lb mushrooms, sliced
  • 3 tbsp butter
  • 3 tbsp flour
  • 1 cup milk
  • 2 egg yolks
  • 1/2 cup (or more) heavy cream
  • Drops of lemon juice
  • 6 tbsp grated Gruyere
  • Salt and black pepper
  • 6 cleaned scallop shells or porceline baking dishes

Instructions #

Combine the wine, 1/2 tsp salt, a pinch of black pepper, the bay leaf, and the shallots in a 2-quart saucepan. Bring to a simmer over moderate heat, and simmer for 5 minutes.

Add the scallops and sliced mushrooms to the wine along with enough water to barely cover everything. Return to a simmer, and simmer gently, covered, for 5 minutes.

Use a slotted spoon to remove the scallops and mushrooms to a bowl. Set aside.

Rapidly boil down the cooking liquid until it is reduced to 1 cup.

In a clean saucepan, melt the butter over moderate heat, mix in the flour, and cook slowly for 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and blend in the simmering cooking liquid. Add the milk. Return to a boil and boil for 1 minute. In a bowl, whisk the egg yolks into the cream, and whisk some of the hot sauce into them. Then mix the cream mixture back into the sauce and whisk to combine. Return to a simmer, whisking continually, for 1 minute. Thin out with more cream if neccessary, and season to taste with salt, pepper, and lemon juice. Strain.

Cut the scallops into 1/4-inch slices. Mix 2/3 of the sauce into the scallops and mushrooms.

Butter the shells or baking dishes, and spoon the scallop-mushroom mixture into them. Cover with the rest of the sauce, and sprinkle each serving with 1 tbsp of the grated cheese. Arrange them on a broiling pan.

At this point, you can cover and set aside (or refrigerate) if preparing in advance. Otherwise, broil the scallops under a moderate broiler until heated through and the sauce browned on top. Serve as soon as possible with good French bread to mop up the delicious sauce.