Has anybody ever tried Coquilles Saint-Jacques?

[Jasper]

I'm guessing ECH has tried it, at least.



There are recipes everywhere online. 

What I did was use scallops and shrimp for the sauce, plated onto seashells with potato mash around the edges to increase sauce capacity.  The topping is bread crumbs and gruyere.  Good stuff.

[Darth Cupcake]

Holy hell that looks delicious.

[Jasper]

Thanks, I'm proud of it.

[Mesozoic Mister Nigel]

Jesus fuck that looks good I want it!

[East Coast Hustle]

yeah, usually around here you find it made very traditionally (shrimp and/or potato would draw strange looks), but I approve of tinkering and that sounds like good tinkering.

another good variation is to do it with newburg sauce or chardonnay cream sauce instead of white sauce.

[Jasper]

Do you have any good tricks to bring down the prep time?  I'd make this more than a couple times a year if it didn't take all damn day.

[Richter]

Gruyere?  Edit: Cheese.  Got it.

Also, DAMN that looks delicious.

[Jasper]

It was.

Thanks for all the compliments, guys!

I'd really like to play with a chardonnay cream sauce in this.

[East Coast Hustle]

Do you have any good tricks to bring down the prep time?  I'd make this more than a couple times a year if it didn't take all damn day.

huh? shouldn't take more than an hour or so, all prep included.

spray a large ramekin or seashell-style bowl with pan spray. put your scallops in it. drizzle some butter on them and stick them in a 450 oven for 3 or 4 minutes, or until they are about half-cooked. (note: use the big scallops. If using the little scallops, cut time in half or even omit this step. but really, use the big ones.) remove from oven and add white sauce (sauce should be at room temp, not just from the fridge). top with shredded gruyere. put it in the broiler until the gruyere bubbles and starts browning. mix crumbled ritz crackers with a little clarified butter and spread on top of scallops to cover. return to broiler until breadcrumbs brown. garnish with finely chopped parsley.

[East Coast Hustle]

I'd really like to play with a chardonnay cream sauce in this.

here's the recipe I use at the restaurant. we serve it over angel hair, but it would be good in a St. Jacques-style dish. We also use a bunch of cheaper seafood (mussels and maine shrimp and haddock) as filler since scallops are so expensive. I'm posting it here as a scallop-only dish, although if you feel the need to add to it I suggest throwing some cherrystone clams in towards the start of things.

in a HOT aluminum or cast iron skillet (NOT non-stick):

2 tbsp olive oil. allow to heat up.

4 oz. pancetta, medium dice. allow to render and begin crisping.

1 tbsp minced garlic. allow to barely begin browning.

deglaze pan with 1 cup chardonnay or similar white wine.

2 oz. sun-dried tomatoes, medium dice.

8 oz. big scallops. (if using small scallops, do not add until after cream begins reducing.)

(add the clams at this point, if you're using them

once wine is boiling rapidly, add 3 cups heavy cream (cream should be room temperature when added)

keep on high flame, boiling rapidly until cream sauce has reduced to desired consistency. shake pan over flame occasionally to keep scallops from settling to the bottom of the pan and sticking.

(at the restaurant, we serve it over angel hair. I'm gonna proceed as if you are doing it St. Jacques style)

put scallop/cream sauce mixture into 2 large ramekins or broiling dishes. top with finely sliced scallions. top with gruyere cheeses and broil until cheese bubbles and browns. remove from broiler, top with ritz crumb mixture, and return to broiler until crumb topping browns.

serve with a lemon wedge and garnish with finely chopped parsley.

[Cramulus]

so who's Lorraine?

[Jasper]

My financial aid counselor.

[Darth Cupcake]

I'd really like to play with a chardonnay cream sauce in this.

here's the recipe I use at the restaurant. we serve it over angel hair, but it would be good in a St. Jacques-style dish. We also use a bunch of cheaper seafood (mussels and maine shrimp and haddock) as filler since scallops are so expensive. I'm posting it here as a scallop-only dish, although if you feel the need to add to it I suggest throwing some cherrystone clams in towards the start of things.

in a HOT aluminum or cast iron skillet (NOT non-stick):

2 tbsp olive oil. allow to heat up.

4 oz. pancetta, medium dice. allow to render and begin crisping.

1 tbsp minced garlic. allow to barely begin browning.

deglaze pan with 1 cup chardonnay or similar white wine.

2 oz. sun-dried tomatoes, medium dice.

8 oz. big scallops. (if using small scallops, do not add until after cream begins reducing.)

(add the clams at this point, if you're using them

once wine is boiling rapidly, add 3 cups heavy cream (cream should be room temperature when added)

keep on high flame, boiling rapidly until cream sauce has reduced to desired consistency. shake pan over flame occasionally to keep scallops from settling to the bottom of the pan and sticking.

(at the restaurant, we serve it over angel hair. I'm gonna proceed as if you are doing it St. Jacques style)

put scallop/cream sauce mixture into 2 large ramekins or broiling dishes. top with finely sliced scallions. top with gruyere cheeses and broil until cheese bubbles and browns. remove from broiler, top with ritz crumb mixture, and return to broiler until crumb topping browns.

serve with a lemon wedge and garnish with finely chopped parsley.

I gotta try this. That sounds freaking amazing.

I'm going to ask a dumb question, though... What is "deglazing"? I see it used all the time, and I THINK I know what it is, but I'd rather not fuck up with a nice recipe because I thought wrong.

[LMNO]

Little bits of food that sticks to the bottom of a pan when cooking is called "fond".  It's where flavor hides out.

Adding liquid to the pan and scraping the bottom pulls the fond into the liquid, and creates a sauce when the liquid evaporates.  If the liquid is flavored, then the flavor will concentrate as the water evaporates.

Try this:  Season a chicken breast, and sear it it a pan, each side about 5 minutes, maybe 7 depending on thickness.  Remove.  Add 1/4-1/3 cup of white wine to hot pan, scrape up the fond.  in about 1-2 minutes, add a pat of butter, and stir constantly.

Congrats, you've made a pan sauce that perfectly matches the chicken.

[Darth Cupcake]

Awesome. I will try that soon. Thank you