Coquille St. Jacques Recipe

Prepare scallops

Pat scallops dry with paper towels and slice each scallop into approximately 1/4-inch thick pieces. Lightly season with 1/2 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp pepper; set aside.

Sauté aromatics & mushrooms

In a medium skillet over medium heat, melt 2 tablespoons of butter. Add the minced shallot and cook until translucent, about 2 minutes. Add the minced garlic and cook 30 seconds more until fragrant. Add the chopped mushrooms and cook until they release their liquid and it evaporates, about 6–8 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Deglaze & reduce

Increase heat to medium-high, pour in the white wine to deglaze the pan, scraping up any browned bits. Simmer until the wine is reduced by roughly half, about 2–3 minutes.

Finish sauce

Reduce heat to medium-low, add the heavy cream and Dijon mustard; stir to combine. Simmer gently until the sauce thickens slightly, about 3–4 minutes. Stir in 70 g of the grated Comté until melted and smooth. Add lemon juice, chopped parsley, and the remaining 1/2 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp pepper. Taste and adjust seasoning.

Cook scallops in sauce

Gently fold the sliced scallops into the warm mushroom-cream sauce and cook just until the scallops turn opaque and are cooked through, about 2–3 minutes (do not overcook). Remove from heat.

Preheat oven to 200°C (400°F). Butter four 6–8 oz ramekins or small gratin dishes with the reserved 1 tbsp butter.

Divide the scallop and mushroom mixture evenly among the prepared ramekins (about 3 per ramekin if 12 scallops total). Smooth the surface slightly.

In a small bowl, combine the breadcrumbs with the melted 2 tbsp butter, the reserved 30 g grated Comté, and the lemon zest if using. Mix until crumbs are lightly moistened and clump together slightly.

Sprinkle an even layer of the breadcrumb mixture over each filled ramekin, pressing gently to adhere.

Place the ramekins on a baking sheet and bake in the preheated oven until the topping is golden brown and the filling is bubbling at the edges, about 10–12 minutes. For a more gratinéed top, finish under a broiler for 1–2 minutes watching closely to avoid burning.

Remove from oven and let rest 2 minutes. Garnish with a light sprinkle of chopped parsley and an extra pinch of lemon zest or a few drops of lemon juice if desired. Serve immediately with lemon wedges or toasted country bread.