Gratinee de Coquille St. Jacques
Classic French cuisine.
INGREDIENTS:
6 fresh scallops
20 small shrimps (already cooked)
100 gr [3 oz] mushrooms
30 gr [1 oz] butter
40 gr [1 1/2 oz] all-purpose flour
1 cup of water (250 ml)
1/2 cup dry white wine (125 ml)
2 Tablespoons + 1 drop olive oil
1 drop of lemon juice
1 large shallot
1 bay leaf
1 Tablespoon sour cream or yogurt
6 Tablespoons of dry breadcrumbs
grated nutmeg, salt & pepper
YIELD: serves 4 persons
COURSE: Seafood
CUISINE: French
DIRECTIONS:
- Peel the shrimps ; peel the shallot and cut it in 4 lengthwise pieces. Cut the scallops in half crosswise. Slice the mushrooms thinly.
- In a small saucepan, pour the water and wine ; add the shallot, bay leaf, the drops of oil and lemon juice, and salt. Add the scallops; they should be entirely covered by the liquid. Gently bring to simmer, cover with a lid, and let cook for 5 minutes.
- Remove the scallops from the cooking liquid and strain them, but keep the cooking juice.
- In a frying pan, cook the sliced mushrooms in the olive oil, for about 5 minutes (medium-high heat, stirring often).
- Prepare your individual scallop dishes : put 3 slices of scallop in the bottom of each, put 5 shrimps on them, equally divide the mushrooms on top of them.
- In a medium saucepan, prepare a white sauce : melt the butter, medium flame, and pour the flour on it while stirring until well blended. On a more gentle flame, start pouring a bit of the cooking juice and gently stir until it is incorporated; keep doing this way until the white sauce is ready (it must get thicker, but not too much ; reckon 10 minutes). The quantity of liquid you have might be slightly too much, don't hesitate to throw some away.
- Season with salt, pepper and nutmeg ; finally add the sour cream.
- Pour the white sauce equally in each individual scallop dish.
- Sprinkle equally the breadcrumbs on each dish and put one or two thin butter knobs on.
- Put under oven broiler until golden brown (about 8-10 minutes). Serve immediately.