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Coquilles St. Jacques (2)




Source of Recipe


Special to The Desert Sun By Thom Ris


Recipe Introduction


Trying to impress someone? Just tell them you’re serving Coquilles St. Jacques and you’ll get lots of attention and respect.
Some people who love this dish say it’s too complicated to prepare at home. They think they can only enjoy this dish at a high-end restaurant. Obviously, they’ve never really looked at a recipe for Coquilles St. Jacques, since preparation time is less than 20 minutes. That almost means it’s fast food!
The trick to great Coquilles St. Jacques is not the preparation but the selection of the scallops. In food circles there has been a persistent rumor that sometimes when you think you’re buying scallops at the fish counter you are purchasing faux scallops that are shark or skate cut with a small cookie cutter to resemble a scallop.

Look for scallops that range in color from ivory to a pinkish beige or tan or are very pale and a dull orange. They may also be slightly gray.

Raw fresh scallops feel sticky to the touch and are flabby without muscles throughout. They have a clean, sea-like smell. There might be a bit of a touch muscle on the side of the scallop. This is where the scallop was attached to its shell.

Also watch out for scallops that are “processed.” These have been dipped in a phosphate and water mixture and can also contain certain types of acids. This “dipping” extends the shelf life of scallops by 3 or 4 days. These processed scallops are a bright white and generally sit in a pool of milky liquid. Such scallops swollen with water with a resulting increase in weight, are next to impossible to sauté to a light brown color.



List of Ingredients




Coquilles St. Jacques

3 tablespoons butter or margarine, divided
1/2 cup bread crumbs
1 medium onion, sliced
1 pound large sea scallops
1/2 pound mushrooms, sliced
3 tablespoons flour
1/2 cup white wine
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup half-and-half
4 ounces Swiss cheese, grated



Recipe



Instructions: Preheat the broiler. Coat four individual broiler-proof baking dishes with vegetable spray.

In a sauté pan melt 1 tablespoon of butter or margarine over moderate heat. Pour the butter into a bowl and combine with the bread crumbs. Set aside.

In the same pan heat the remaining butter or margarine over low heat. Add onion and sauté until translucent, about 5 minutes.

Increase the heat to medium and add scallops and mushrooms and sauté for 5 minutes. Add flour to the scallops and mix well. Gradually add wine and water.

Bring the mixture to a boil, stirring constantly until the sauce thickens after several minutes. Stir in the half-and-half. Cook until hot, but not boiling. Remove the pan from the heat.

Divide the scallops and sauce among the baking dishes. Sprinkle with an equal amounts of grated cheese and top with the buttered crumbs.

Broil 4 inches from the heat for 1 or 2 minutes or until lightly browned. Serve immediately. Serves 4.

Serve with steamed broccoli, a Caesar salad and lots of crusty bread. The crusty bread will be welcomed as a way to mop up the delicious sauce.