I know I been making a lot of recipes for brunch and desserts for the upcoming Valentine’s Day, but today, we will be doing one of my favorite side dishes/appetizers, the Coquille Saint-Jacques, or the classic gratinéed scallops. This classic French dish with scallops poached in white wine, covered with a sauce made with the poaching liquid, and gratinéed under a broiler, a perfect dish to start a lovely night
You’ll need: 2 tbsp butter; 1 shallot; 1/2 lb button mushrooms, sliced; 1 cup white wine; 1 pound sea scallops; 1/2 cup heavy cream; 1 egg yolk; 2 tsp minced tarragon; 1/4 cup grated Gruyère cheese
- Melt the butter in a medium-size skillet over medium heat, then dice a shallot and cook them in the melted butter for 3 min
- Slice the mushroom, then cook them with the butter and shallots for another 3 min, add the white wine (don’t use anything that’s too dry, sweeter wine like Riesling works, and yes, I know, that’s a German wine, but it’s good with this dish) and bring it to a simmer
- Place the scallops in the pan, poach them in the white wine sauce for about 2 min per side
- Move the poached scallops in a separate bowl, strain the sauce, save the mushroom and shallots, then pour the sauce back to the pan, start to reduce the sauce with heavy cream over medium-high heat
- Once the sauce thickens, turn off the heat, then quickly whisk the egg yolk into the sauce, then add minced tarragon
- Place the mushroom and shallots on top of a scallop shell or baking dish, then place the scallop on top, cover with the sauce, then sprinkle with Gruyère cheese
- Place then in a broiler for around 3 min, the time depends on the thickness of your sauce, so, don’t walk away, just stay there and watch when the top turns golden brown
Cooking with Yusen 