Coquilles Saint-Jacques: French Scallop Gratin with Mushroom Béchamel and Cheesy Crust Recipe
Coquilles Saint-Jacques is a classic French scallop au gratin recipe featuring sweet scallops baked in a rich and creamy mushroom béchamel sauce topped with a golden, cheesy panko crust. This comforting and elegant starter combines delicate seafood flavors with a luscious cream sauce and a crisp gratin topping, perfect for an impressive appetizer or seafood starter.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 50 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings
- Category: Appetiser
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: French
Ingredients
Scallops
- 220g / 7 1/2 oz medium raw scallops
- 1/4 tsp cooking salt / kosher salt
Mushroom Béchamel Sauce
- 30g / 2 tbsp unsalted butter
- 1 eschalot (shallot), finely diced
- 200g / 7 oz white mushrooms, diced 8mm / 1/4″
- 2 tbsp plain flour (all-purpose)
- 1/2 cup hot milk (preferably full fat)
- 1/2 cup hot thickened cream (heavy cream) or any full fat cream
- 1/4 tsp cooking salt / kosher salt
- 1/8 tsp black pepper
- 1 pinch ground nutmeg
Cheesy Crust
- 3/4 cup panko breadcrumbs
- 50g / 3 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
- 50g / 1/2 cup Gruyère cheese, shredded
- 1/8 tsp cooking salt
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 200°C / 400°F (180°C fan-forced) to prepare for baking the gratin.
- Prepare Scallops: Pat the scallops dry with paper towels and remove the chewy side muscle (foot). Slice medium scallops in half for even cooking and set aside.
- Make Cheesy Crust: In a small bowl, combine panko breadcrumbs, melted butter, shredded Gruyère cheese, and salt. Mix thoroughly and set aside.
- Cook Mushrooms and Shallot: Melt butter in a medium pot over medium heat. Add the finely diced eschalot and mushrooms, stirring regularly for 4–5 minutes until mushrooms soften.
- Create Béchamel Sauce: Stir in the flour and cook for 30 seconds until it forms a slightly pasty mixture. Slowly pour in hot milk and cream while stirring continuously to prevent lumps.
- Thicken Sauce: Add salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Cook until the sauce starts to bubble and thicken slightly, about 30 seconds more. Remove from heat; sauce should be pourable and silky.
- Assemble Ramekins: Season scallops with salt and place evenly in four shallow round ramekins (11cm diameter, 2.5cm deep). Pour mushroom béchamel sauce all over scallops, filling gaps and smoothing the surface.
- Add Cheesy Crust and Bake: Evenly sprinkle the prepared cheesy crust on top of each ramekin, covering fully from edge to edge. Place ramekins on a tray and bake for 20 minutes until the top is golden and crispy.
- Rest and Serve: Let the gratins rest 2 minutes after baking to allow the sauce to settle and thicken slightly. Serve warm and enjoy.
Notes
- Scallops: Use approximately 50-55g per person. Small scallops are best kept whole; medium should be halved, large cut into thirds for even cooking.
- Side Muscle: Remove the side foot muscle from scallops to avoid chewy texture.
- Sourcing Panko: Panko breadcrumbs are preferred for a lighter crust and can be found in Asian food sections or specialty stores.
- Cheese: Gruyère is recommended for its meltability and flavor. Swiss or Emmental can be substitutes, or any mild melting cheese.
- Mushroom Béchamel: Use half milk and half cream for a balanced richness; all cream is too heavy, all milk too light.
- Ramekins: Flat shallow ramekins provide the best crust surface and even cooking; adjust ingredient quantities if using different sizes.
- Leftovers: Keep refrigerated for up to 2 days. Reheat in a 180°C / 350°F fan oven for 15 minutes or until hot and crispy. Avoid freezing as texture may degrade.
