Coquilles Saint-Jacques is one of the world's most delicious dishes. It's rich and decadent, and yet still light. For something fancy, this is pretty easy to make!
Ingredients
- unsalted butter: 2 Tbsp
- shallots: 0.5 cup (diced)
- white button mushrooms: 0.5 pound (sliced)
- salt and freshly ground black pepper: (to taste)
- white wine: 1 cup
- sea scallops: 1 pound
- heavy whipping cream: 0.5 cup
- egg yolk: 1 piece
- fresh tarragon: 2 tsp (minced)
- lemon zest: 1 tsp
- pinch cayenne pepper: 1 piece (to taste)
- oven-safe scallop shells: 4 piece
- Gruyère cheese: 0.25 cup (shredded)
- pinch paprika: 1 piece
- tarragon leaves: 8 piece (fresh)
Metric Conversion
Stages of cooking
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Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat; add 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.
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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.
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Return strained liquid to skillet, pour in any accumulated juices from scallops, and stir in cream. Bring to a boil and cook, stirring often, until cream sauce is reduced by about half, about 10 minutes. Turn off heat and let mixture cool for 1 minute.
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Quickly whisk egg yolk into cream sauce until combined. Transfer skillet to a work surface (such as a heatproof countertop or cutting board) and stir 2 in teaspoons tarragon, lemon zest, and cayenne pepper.
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Divide mushroom mixture into scallop shells, spreading it out to cover the bottoms of shells; place about 3 scallops onto each portion. Spoon cream sauce over scallops to coat; let sauce drizzle down into mushrooms. Sprinkle lightly with Gruyère cheese and paprika.
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Preheat the oven's broiler. Slightly crinkle a large sheet of aluminum foil and place onto a baking sheet. Place filled shells onto foil and press lightly to help them stay level.
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Broil in the preheated oven until bubbling and cheese is lightly browned, 5 to 6 minutes.
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Transfer to serving plates lined with napkins to prevent shells from tipping; garnish each portion with 2 crossed tarragon leaves. Chef John
