Coquilles St. Jacques

By JimMac

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup coarse fresh bread crumbs
• 1/4 cup finely grated Parmigiana-Reggiano cheese
• 1-1/4 cups dry white wine
• 1 cup water
• 1/2 small onion, sliced
• 1 bay leaf
• 1/2 t salt
• 1/4 t white pepper
• 1 lb sea scallops, cut into 3/4-inch pieces
• 1/4 stick unsalted butter
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1 large egg yolk
• 1 T flour
• 1-1/2 T minced fresh flat-leaf parsley

Details

Servings 6

Preparation

Step 1

Preheat oven to 350˚F.

Toast bread crumbs on a baking sheet in middle of oven until pale golden, 6 to 8 minutes, then toss with cheese.

Simmer wine,water, onion, bay leaf, salt and pepper in 2-1/2to 3 quart heavy saucepan, uncovered, 5 minutes, then add scallops and simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally until just cooked through, about 2 minutes. Transfer scallops to a platter with a slotted spoon to cool, returning any onions to pan, then boil cooking liquid until reduced to about 1 cup, 8 to 10 minutes. Pour cooking liquid through sieve into a bowl.

Cook mushrooms in 2 T butter in a heavy skillet over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until most of li-quid mushrooms give off is evaporated, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

Whisk together cream and yolk in a heatproof bowl. Melt 2 T butter in cleaned 2-1/2-3 quart saucepan over moderately low heat, then add flour and cook roux, whisking, 2 minutes.

Remove pan from heat and add reduced cooking liquid in a stream, whisking constantly. Return pan to heat and simmer, whisking, 1 minute. Pour sauce in a slow stream into cream mixture, whisking constantly, then pour sauce back into pan and simmer, whisking, 1 minute. Remove from heat and season with salt and pepper.

Preheat broiler. Stir scallops and mushrooms into sauce then divide among scallop shells or ramekins and sprinkle with bread crumb mixture. Dot scallops with butter and broil about 4-inches from heat, until golden. Sprinkle with parsley.