Coquilles Saint-Jacques with Champagne

By TeeSquared

From Brasserie Les Halles, this elegantrecipe makes seared sea scallops with a heavenly Champagne cream sauce—ideal for a romantic meal.

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
• 1 shallot, thinly sliced
• 1 cup fish stock
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• Salt and freshly ground pepper
• 1 pound sea scallops, tensor muscles removed
• 2 tablespoons clarified butter or mixture of butter & olive oil
• 1/2 cup Champagne (buy one of those little bottles, unless you're gonna drink the rest)
• juice of 1/2 lemon
• 4 chives, finely chopped

Details

Servings 4
Preparation time 15mins
Cooking time 45mins

Preparation

Step 1

In a small saucepan, melt 1 tablespoon of the butter, then add the shallot. Cook over medium-low heat until soft but not brown, about 3 minutes. Add the fish stock and bring to a boil. Continue to cook over medium-high heat until the liquid has reduced by half, then add the cream. Bring the mixture to a boil, reduce to a simmer, and cook for 15 minutes. Strain the sauce, season with salt and pepper, and keep warm.

Make sure the scallops are as dry as possible. Season them with salt and pepper. Heat the clarified butter (or butter/oil mixture) in a sauté pan over medium high heat. Once the butter is hot, add the scallops and cook between 1 1/2 to 3 minutes per side, depending on how big they are, until you've got a nice sear. You want a golden-brown crust on each side. Remove the scallops from the pan and set aside.

Discard the excess fat in the sauté pan. Return the pan to the heat, and stir in the Champagne, scraping up the sticky bits with a wooden spoon. Reduce the Champagne over medium-high heat until it's thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, then whisk in the reserved cream sauce. Bring to a boil, then whisk in the remaining tablespoon of butter. Off the heat, stir in the lemon juice and chives. Arrange the scallops on a serving platter and pour the sauce around.