Coquilles St Jacques

I’ve gotta say, one of my favourite things to do is to simplify “fancy” recipes so they’re much easier to create and still retain their wow factor. Coquilles St Jacques is an old-school French recipe of scallops dressed in a creamy wine and Gruyere sauce and dressed with piped mashed potatoes. It’s the kind of dish traditionally reserved for dining out, until now… I felt it time for a reintroduction to this decadent treat because it’s a cinch to prepare and is the perfect starter course for a dinner party. Fun fact: it can be fully assembled a day in advance and baked when guests arrive. My favourite size of scallop for this are the small bay scallops because they are much easier to eat and less finicky in terms of cooking time, and either scallop shells or mini 4” cast iron pans (my favourite) can be used as baking vessels. Just be sure to make this the next time you have a dinner party and want to make an impression.

Makes 6 servings

Ingredients

Scallop Filling

2 Tbsp unsalted butter, divided
1 shallot, finely chopped
1/8 tsp sea salt, plus more to taste
1/8 tsp ground white pepper, plus more to taste
1 Tbsp all-purpose flour
1/3 cup dry white wine
3/4 cup 2% milk
2 pinches nutmeg, freshly grated
1 cup Gruyere cheese, grated, divided
Potatoes  
2 russet potatoes (approx 700g), peeled and chopped into large chunks
1 Tbsp + 1/8 tsp sea salt, divided
1 clove garlic, peeled and lightly pressed
3 Tbsp unsalted butter
1/4 cup 2% milk
1/8 tsp ground white pepper
1 egg yolk, large
Garnish  
  Freshly chopped chives and tarragon
 

Directions

Scallop Filling

  1. Heat a medium-sized non-stick pan over medium heat. once heated, add 1 tablespoon of the butter and melt until foamy. add shallot and cook 2 minutes until soft and translucent.
  2. Add the remaining tablespoon of butterm salt, white pepper, and flour. Cook 2 minutes, stirring constantly. 
  3. Add white wine and cook at a simmer until reduced – you may have to increase the heat slightly until it starts bubbling. Add milk and nutmeg, stir well to combine. Simmer 1 minute until thickened, stirring constantly. Remove pan from heat, add half of the Gruyere and stir until melted and combined. Taste and adjust seasoning as you prefer. Remove pan from heat.
  4. With the pan off the heat, stir in scallops.

Potatoes

  1. To a pot, add potatoes, 1 tablespoon salt, and garlic clove. Cover with cold water and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce to a simmer and cook until potatoes are tender when pierced with a paring knife.
  2. Drain potatoes well and mash with remaining salt, butter, milk, and white pepper. Stir in egg yolk and transfer mixture to a piping bag fitted with a large tip of your choice (I like the round or star-shaped tips for this). Alternatively, use a plastic food storage bag with a corner snipped off (same-same, don’t stress).

Assembly

  1. Preheat oven to 400°F.
  2. Divide scallop mixture evenly among 6 cleaned scallop shells or 4-inch cast iron ramekins, leaving a 1-inch perimeter bare. Pipe potatoes around scallops to fill said perimeter. Top each with an equal amount of the remaining Gruyere. If making these ahead, place shells/dishes onto a parchment-lined baking sheet and refrigerate for up to 1 day. Otherwise, bake on the centre rack of the preheated oven for 15 minutes. After 15 minutes, increase temperature to 425°F and bake additional 5-7 minutes to ensure golden brown tops. 
  3. Garnish with freshly chopped chives and tarragon and serve immediately.