Coquilles St Jacques
When I was a little girl, thanks to my parents, they cooked all kinds of foods. Being picky eaters was out of the question. My brother Daniel and I had to finish what was on our plates before even considering leaving the table.
Their parenting rules forced us (in a good way) to enjoy all kinds of dishes without lifting our noses at them. A food group that Daniel and I never had a problem with was seafood. To us, seafood was a “real treat” especially when our father was making Coquilles St Jacques!
This French dish is so scrumptious! With scallops in a lovely cream sauce made with Béchamel and a ring of mashed potatoes, this is a fabulous appetizer! Depending on the size of your shells (coquilles), these can turn out to be a main course served with a green salad, drizzled with a light vinaigrette.
After the seafood and sauce mixture is done and proportionately spooned on each individual coquille, mashed potatoes are then piped around the edges. The shells are carefully transferred to the oven and baked for a few minutes until the top is nicely browned. Voilà! Your Coquilles St Jacques are done!
When I want to put a little twist on my Coquilles St Jacques, I like to add Duxelles which is an amazing mushroom paste. By mixing it with my creamy sauce and scallops, it gives another layer of flavor. This is not the typical way to make this seafood dish but it’s definitely a delicious addition…
This elegant dish is so flavorful! As I mentioned, these can be served either as an appetizer or as a main course… it all depends on the size of your serving shells. With fresh ingredients, surprise your guests at your next event with these incredible Coquilles St Jacques!
Bon Appétit!
Here are some other elegant seafood & fish recipes for you to enjoy…
– Red Snapper en Papillote
– Scallop Pineapple Ceviche
– Fettuccine alle Vongole ~ Clam Fettuccine
– West Coast Smoked Salmon Chowder
– Sautéed Scallops with Beurre Blanc
– Oysters Rockefeller
– Escargot con Funghi in Vol-au-vent
and for even more seafood recipes, click on this link… Recipe Category • Seafood & Fish
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Coquilles St Jacques
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Ingredients
- 1/3 cup shallots, finely chopped
- 1/2 cup dry white wine
- 1/2 cup water
- 500 grams (about 2 cups) bay scallops
- 1 cup béchamel sauce see Recipe
- 1/8 tsp. white pepper
- 1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper
- 1/8 tsp. ground Himalayan sea salt
- 1/4 tsp. cooking sherry, or more to taste
- 1 cup grated Gruyère cheese, or more as needed and divided (substitute Emmental, Comté, or Jarlsberg)
- coarse sea salt as needed, for baking sheet
- 2 cups mashed potatoes
- 1 tbsp. fresh parsley, finely chopped tips & tricks
Directions
- With the rack positioned about 6-inches from the top, preheat the broiler.
- In a baking sheet, add enough coarse sea salt so the shells won't move, place the shells on top; set aside.
- In a large saucepan, add shallots, wine and water; bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium and add bay scallops; cook for 2 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the scallops to a bowl and set aside.
- Return the saucepan to the stove and cook the liquid down to 1/3rd. Add the Béchamel Sauce and season with white pepper, cayenne pepper and ground sea salt. Stir before adding cooking sherry.
- Stir in ½ cup cheese. Return the scallops with their juice to the saucepan and stir well. If the sauce gets too thick, add some heavy cream.
- Remove from the heat and spoon scallop mixture evenly into the shells placed on the prepared baking sheet.
- Transfer the mashed potatoes to a pastry bag and using a large tip, pipe around the outside edge, creating a ring.
- Sprinkle on the remaining cheese and parsley. Transfer to the preheated oven and broil for 8 minutes or until golden brown; serve immediately.
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