Coquille St. Jaques

This recipe is from Aunt Julie, a boarding school roommate of Mom's at Ms. Porters School. Her husband Charlie was my brother's Godfather. Their family story is a tragic one, but I am thankful for their contribution to my childhood. Julie's famous chocolate chip cookie recipe can be found here.

Ingredients
1 to 1 and 1/2 pounds scallops
Flour
White wine
butter
shallots or onion
mushrooms
heavy cream

Process

1. Make a beurre manie (a dough consisting of equal parts butter and flour, used to thicken soups and sauces) by melting 3 Tablespoons butter and adding 4 Tablespoons flour. Cook and set aside. 
2. Saute together 1 Tablespoon butter and 3 tablespoons chopped shallots. 
3. Add 1/2 cup dry white wine and cook, reducing by 1/2. 
4. Add scallops and 1 cup chopped mushrooms. 
5. Cook over high heat for 3 to 4 minutes. 
6. Reduce heat and add 1 cup heavy cream, salt and pepper, and cayenne. 
7. Add beurre manie and cook until thickened. 
8. Top with Parmesan cheese. 
9. Put into dish under broiler and cook until brown.

Coquilles St. Jaques - Scallops in Bechamel sauce

This one was sent to me by my sister Mushy in honor of the up coming opening of bay scallop season. She said, "Living on Eastern Long Island with seafood a plenty, this recipe is great when our local sea scallops are in season. It's a late start this year, but I am looking forward to November 3rd!"
Enjoy!

Bechamel Sauce
Ingredients
2 Tablespoons unsalted butter
1.5 Tablespoons flour
1 cup milk or half and half
salt and pepper to taste
Pinch of mace or freshly grated nutmeg.

Process:

1. In a saucepan melt butter over low heat.
   
2. Stir in flour and cook roux, stirring for 3 to 5 minutes. Do not let brown.
   
3. Slowly stir in milk. Cook, stirring with wire whisk until sauce is thick and smooth.
   
4. Season with salt, pepper, and mace/nutmeg.
   
5. Remove from heat and keep warm until ready to use. The sauce can be made 1 day ahead and be refrigerated, covered. Reheat over low heat.

Scallops
Ingredients
2 pounds (or more) bay scallops
2 cups dry white wine
2 shallots, finely minced
1/2 cup (I use more) grated Gruyere cheese
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
chopped parsley for garnish

Process:

1. Bring wine and scallops to a boil in a large saucepan.
   
2. Reduce heat and simmer until scallops are barely done, about one minute.
   
3. Remove poached scallops with a slotted spoon and set aside.
4. Add shallots to wine and cook over medium-high heat until reduced by about half.
   
5. Preheat broiler.
   
6. Slowly stir the wine-shallot mixture into the Bechamel sauce.
   
7. Stir in Gruyere and Parmesan and cook until the cheese is melted.
   
8. Add scallops and remove from heat.
   
9. Turn the mixture into buttered scallop shells (literally) or buttered ramekins.
   
10. Broil 2 to 3 minutes until bubbly and lightly browned.
    
11. Garnish with chopped parsley and serve at once.