JB’s Coquilles Saint-Jacques

Coquilles Saint-Jacques is a French scallop au gratin starter, a true bistro classic I’ve always loved. With sweet scallops baked in a creamy mushroom Béchamel and a golden cheesy crust, you’ll be surprised how easy it is to make. Comforting and rich, a lovely way to start a dinner.

Coquilles Saint-Jacques

Coquilles Saint-Jacques “scallop gratins” are a classic French recipe, well-known and loved by many. It’s the sort of thing families make as a starter for holidays and special dinners. It uses simple ingredients, has beautiful comforting flavours, a recipe that always feels a bit special without being complicated. It’s also commonly on the menu of proper bistros across France. And the name? Coquilles Saint-Jacques might sound confusing, but it’s simply the French word for scallops.

There are a few different ways to make Coquilles Saint-Jacques. Some people use a creamy white wine sauce with vegetables like onions or leeks. Others like me love the béchamel version, creamy, rich and the perfect base for adding mushrooms which bring a lovely balance and depth of flavour. And of course… I can’t say no to a Gruyère crust!

Ingredients

Here’s what you need to make Coquilles Saint-Jacques.

1. Scallops

Of course the better the scallops the better the dish. But I have also tested this with the best value scallops I could find (freezer aisle of supermarkets) and I was still really happy with the result thanks to the fact that it’s gently cooked covered in the creamy mushroom sauce which keeps it soft.

Scallops – Scallops are one of my favourite seafoods to cook and eat! They are delicate, naturally sweet, cook in minutes and always feel a little bit special on a plate.

If you’re looking for the best scallops, go to your local fish monger or fish markets and get them over the counter or look for good quality ones in the freezer. We get frozen Hokkaido scallops (Japan, see photo below) which are excellent even eaten raw for sashimi and crudos. If frozen, thaw them in the fridge or counter (~ 2 hours) before using. We get ours from the fish market or Japanese grocery store.

However, as mentioned above, for this dish you can also go for the better value frozen scallops from supermarkets and Asian stores. But I wouldn’t recommend them for regular pan-seared scallops because in my opinion you need better quality.

• Little side foot – See photos in the post for what it looks like. Most but not all scallops have it. If you see it, best to remove as it can get a little chewy when cooked.

• Roe / coral (the orange part) – Most scallops come without it. It has a lightly firmer texture and a mild flavour. It’s 100% edible and can be used in this recipe depending on your taste. Most restaurants remove it but still save it for another purpose (chefs love it for its flavour, richness and colour).

Frozen scallops from Japan. Our favourite go-to option.

2. mushroom béchamel sauce

• Unsalted butter – For sautéing the eschalot and mushrooms, and the base of the béchamel.

• Eschalot – Adds gentle onion sweetness. Softer and milder than regular onions. Eschalots are the small purple skinned onions with a mild, sweet flavour. They’re called shallots in the US, not to be confused with the long green shallots (Aus)/spring onions(US). Substitute with brown onion.

• Mushrooms – Bring savoury depth and earthiness to balance the sweetness of the scallops. I use white mushrooms to keep the béchamel light in colour.

• Flour – Thickens the sauce. Just regular plain/all-purpose flour

• Milk and cream – Heating it helps the sauce come together lump-free. You could substitute the cream with more milk, but it will reduce the richness. Lactose-free milk and cream work too.

• Nutmeg – Classic spice in a Béchamel.

3. cheese crust

• Panko breadcrumbs – Light Japanese breadcrumb, perfect for what we are after, an extra-crispy topping. You can buy it at most big supermarkets (Coles, Woolworths) in the Asian foods section and Asian stores. Substitute with regular breadcrumbs if you can’t find it.

• Unsalted butter – Helps the panko to brown evenly and adds flavour.

• Gruyère cheese – From the Swiss Alpes, it’s the traditional cheese for Coquilles Saint-Jacques. Nutty and melts well, perfect for gratins. Swiss/Emmental is the closest match. Otherwise, use any mild melting cheese like Cheddar, Monterey Jack, Colby or Tasty.

How to make Coquilles Saint-Jacques

The steps to make Coquilles Saint-Jacques are simple. A quick mushroom béchamel, prep a crunchy Gruyère topping, then layer everything over scallops and bake until golden.

1. prepare the scallops

1. Dry and trim – Pat them dry with paper towel. Remove the little side muscle (the “foot”), it’s edible but gets chewy when cooked. 

2. Slice – Then slice each scallop in half. Set aside until needed.

2. Prepare the Cheesy Crust

1. Add all the crust ingredients in a bowl. 

2. Combine – Toss together until combined. The topping is ready. Set aside until needed.

3. Making the Mushroom Béchamel Sauce

1. Butter – Melt butter in a medium pot over medium heat.

2. Cook mushrooms – When the butter is foamy, add eschalot and mushrooms. Stir regularly and cook for 4–5 minutes until the mushrooms are soft.

3. Flour – Add flour. Stir and cook for 30 seconds. It will look a bit pasty, that’s normal.

4. Milk and cream – Pour in the hot milk and cream then stir until incorporated.

5. Season and simmer – Season with salt, pepper and nutmeg. Stir well, then when you see the first small bubbles appearing, let it cook for 30 seconds and take it off the stove and set aside. 

6. Check the texture – It should not be as thick as a classic béchamel because of the ratio of flour to liquid being lower than normal. It’s creamier and more pourable, so it spreads easily around the scallops and fills the ramekins without feeling heavy.

4. Assemble the Coquilles Saint-Jacques

1. Season the scallops with salt and divide them between 4 shallow ramekins. Spread them out so they sit in a single layer. (We use flat round ramekins: 11cm / 4.3” diameter, 2.5cm / 1” deep.) Shallow ramekins are best for this dish because the scallops sit in one even layer and cook perfectly in the sauce, plus you get a nice wide surface for the crust, the best balance of crust to sauce! Regular deeper ramekins will also work, just don’t fill them all the way to the top, and you may need to adjust the amount of scallops, sauce and crust to suit the size.

2. Add the sauce – Pour the mushroom béchamel over the top. It should spread around the scallops and fill up all the gaps. Use a small spatula or the back of a spoon to flatten the surface and to make it even and tidy. Use all the sauce! The dish relies on that creamy goodness!

3. Top with crust – Scatter the crust evenly over each ramekin, right to the edges. We want a golden top with no empty spots.

4. Bake – Place ramekins on a baking tray and bake for 20 minutes until the tops are golden and crisp. Rest 2 minutes on the counter, then serve!

How to serve Coquilles Saint-Jacques

Of course, these little gratins are best enjoyed hot! Bring them straight to the table after resting while the tops are still crisp. I love them just by themselves, but you can add a little salad on the side or some crusty bread to scoop up the sauce. Or even add tarragon to the sauce (use your leftovers from the Chicken Chasseur) to make it extra French!

Coquilles Saint-Jacques is one of those dishes that feels special every time you make it. Perfect for holidays, date nights or whenever you want something cosy without spending hours in the kitchen. But now that you know how easy it is, don’t wait for a special occasion! Hope you love it and try not to steal the crust from the person next to you like Nagi does, that’s just mean. Bon appétit! – JB 👨🏻‍🍳

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