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Saturday, February 25, 2012

Coquilles Saint Jacques

Seasonal Recipe of the Week
This is such a classic! It's not hard to prepare, you can prep it the night before and broil when the guests arrive. Scallops are the classic choice, but you can use small shrimp if you like.

Ingredients
1 3/4 cups water
3/4 cup dry white wine
1 small onion, chopped
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 pound very fresh scallops
8 ounces mushrooms, washed and chopped
6 tablespoons butter
4 tablespoons flour
1/2 cup heavy cream
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1 cup Panko
1 cup Gruyère cheese, grated

Procedure
Heat the water, wine, onion, and lemon juice to a boil in a saucepan. Add the scallops, cover, and simmer on very low heat until cooked through, about 5 minutes. Remove the scallops with a slotted spoon and set aside. Add the mushrooms to the scallop poaching liquid and simmer uncovered for 10 minutes. Strain, reserving the liquid and mushrooms separately. Melt the butter in a medium saucepan and whisk in the flour. Do not let it get dark. Add 2 or 3 tablespoons of the scallop liquid and mix until blended. Over very low heat, blend the flour mixture into the scallop liquid. Add the cream and simmer and stir until blended and thickened. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Add the scallops and mushrooms, and stir.

Fill 6 scallop shells or shallow 6-inch ramekins almost to the top with the scallop mixture. Dust the top lightly with bread crumbs and sprinkle with the grated cheese. (If you're not ready to serve the scallops, cover them with plastic wrap and refrigerate.) Preheat the broiler. Broil the scallops until the mixture bubbles and the cheese melts and turns golden brown.