Coquilles Saint Jacques is a Classic French dish gracing tables worldwide.
This wonderful dish always held a bit of mystery to me. It always mesmerizes me how such a complex flavor recipe can be quite the opposite of preparing: super easy.
That is why I love French cooking so much. Easy ingredients that can turn into something magical for your taste buds.
Please do not take me wrong, we have many complicated and complex recipes in French cuisine, but most recipes are easy to materialize in your kitchen. This dish is one of them.
Nothing is more delightful than tender scallops or bay scallops nestled in a bed of mushrooms, cream, and wine topped with bubbly cheese under the broiler.
Served into individual gratin dishes, it makes for a dramatic table presentation.
During the holiday season, they are served often, either for Christmas eve dinner or Souper de Noel.
As well as for the Reveillon du Nouvel An or New Year’s Eve alongside Champagne, oysters, and foie gras.
In this Article
- What are coquilles St. Jacques?
- How to select your scallops at your fishmonger?
- Rule of thumb on the quantities of scallops to be served:
- Here are a few helpful tips for the ingredients needed
- Equipment you will need
- Cooking tips and step by step to make this fantastic recipe for Coquilles St Jacques
- What do you eat with Coquilles St. Jacques?
- Can you make this dish ahead of time?
- Reheating instructions
- If you enjoyed this Coquille St. Jacques, look at some of my other recipes:
- Equipment used to make this delicious Coquilles St. Jacques recipe.
- Coquilles Saint Jacques
What are coquilles St. Jacques?
Coquille St. Jacques means scallops or St. James scallops.
Coquille St Jaques is a French dish of scallops cooked with wine and cream and served over or amongst a mushroom puree or medley in a scallop dish.
Finished up with cheese under the broiler until golden brown.
How to select your scallops at your fishmonger?
They should have a pale pink or bluish tint when shopping for fresh scallops.
Ensure that they all are the same size so they will cook evenly.
Rule of thumb on the quantities of scallops to be served:
You can make this scallops recipe as an appetizer; in that case, you will only need two scallops per guest.
If you choose to serve it as a dinner plate, I recommend serving three per guest. Make sure each scallop is more significant in size to make it a copious dinner.
Here are a few helpful tips for the ingredients needed
Sea scallops: All the same size will help with the cooking process. Medium size.
Unsalted butter: It will not modify the flavor of your dish.
Mixed mushrooms: I used three types: crimini, white caps, or wild mushrooms. Use all white caps or crimini.
Shallots: Favorite French child when it comes to cooking. Mine. The flavor is more intense. Of course, you can substitute with yellow onion, sliced thinly.
All-purpose flour: Binding agent. Give it time to be well cooked to release the nuttiness in flavor.
Garlic clove: Chop it finely. It is here to add a layer of flavor, not take over your dish.
Dry white wine: Crucial step and taking the stage with all the other ingredients. I always recommend using the exact wine you will be enjoying for dinner. Do not skimp on this crucial ingredient. A great wine will elevate this dish.
Heavy cream: Refines the flavors and blends them well together.
Fresh Oregano: Nothing beats the fresh flavor of fresh oregano. If you cannot find some, tarragon can be replaced.
Comte cheese: Gluten-free cow’s milk cheese. Creamy and nutty in flavor. Gruyere can be a good substitution for it if your local market does not carry the Comte cheese.
Equipment you will need
Large skillet : to accommodate the cooking process of the scallops and create the mushroom shallot sauce.
Cooking tongs: always best to use cooking tongs to turn over your food as it will not leave dents in your food, allowing heat in and cooking faster on that spot and uneven.
Shallow gratin dishes: The perfect presentation for the Coquilles St. Jacques. It goes from oven to table.
Cookie sheet: Place your gratin dish over for the broiling part of your recipe. This will allow you to place and remove your dishes from the oven without spillage or burning yourself.
Cooking tips and step by step to make this fantastic recipe for Coquilles St Jacques
Scallops are the easiest fish to cook. My recommendation is to use cooking tongs to handle them. This will eliminate any unnecessary holes caused by a fork which will cook your scallop faster.
Use the clockwise pattern to cook them to perfection.
- Have the skillet very hot, and add the scallops to the skillet in a clockwise pattern. They should not sear longer than 2 minutes per side.
- Gently nudge them to see if they are cooked. A simple shaking of the pan or light touch. Turn them over once done and sear the other side.
- Lightly flour and cook the mushrooms once they are nicely brown.
- Do NOT add salt to the mushroom while trying to brown them. The salt will induce all the moisture out of the mushrooms, which will remain soggy instead of browning.
- Finely slice the shallots. It will help the cooking process and give it a more refined taste when you bite into it.
- Use good wine and let it evaporate for a minute or so to intensify the flavor.
- Add all the juices with the scallops back into the skillet.
- Be generous with the cheese; Comte cheese is so rich in flavor you do not want to skip it.
- I like to use individual gratin dishes; however, if you have or can find some “coquilles” which means shells dishes, use them for a beautiful table presentation.
- Divide and nestle the shallots in your gratin dishes.
- So my oven stays clean, and I do not burn myself, I place the individual gratin dishes on top of a cookie sheet and then place it in the hot oven.
What do you eat with Coquilles St. Jacques?
You can serve the coquilles as an appetizer; however, serve two scallops instead.
Or, enjoy them as a first course or as a light lunch with a light green salad on the side.
Rich in flavor, a mixed green salad or steamed spinach is an appropriate side dish to go alongside the scallops.
I also will recommend a chilled glass of your favorite white wine: Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Grigio, or Chenin Blanc, some of my suggestions, to be enjoyed alongside the Coquilles St. Jacques. The balance of the two is fantastic.
And as with anything you cook with wine, make sure it is the wine you will enjoy with your family and guests.
A good wine always makes a great dish when cooked with it.
Can you make this dish ahead of time?
Yes, you can.
Follow the recipe to divide the scallops evenly in your serving dishes. Add the mushroom wine sauce to it. Do not add the cheese.
At this point, cover it lightly with foil or plastic wrap and store it in the refrigerator for up to a day.
Reheating instructions
I recommend placing your serving dishes on the cookie sheet, thus eliminating any chance of spillage when you are ready to remove them from the refrigerator.
When ready to cook, preheat the oven to 350F. Remove the foil of the plastic wrap and place the cookie sheet with the serving dishes in the warm oven for 20 minutes. Add the cheese and lightly brown it and start to bubble.
If you enjoyed this Coquille St. Jacques, look at some of my other recipes:
This Coquilles St. Jacques recipe is beautiful to prepare any time of the year. The perfect Valentine’s Day dinner, date night, family night, or just because.
Equipment used to make this delicious Coquilles St. Jacques recipe.
Coquilles Saint Jacques
Ingredients
- 12 medium sea scallops
- .50 teaspoon salt
- .25 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 4 ounces mushrooms, chopped
- 2 shallots, minced
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 1 cup dry white wine
- .50 cup heavy cream
- 1 tablespoon fresh oregano, chopped
- .25 cup Comte cheese, freshly grated
Instructions
- Blot and dry the sea scallops.
- Season with ¼ teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon pepper. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, warm the oil. Sear the scallops on both sides for about 1-2 minutes per side, flipping once. When easily lifted with a pair of cooking tongs, transfer to a plate.
- Melt 2 tablespoons of butter in the skillet. Stir in the mushrooms and sauté until they begin to brown and soften, about 3-4 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium, add the shallots and garlic and cook until the shallots are tender. Season with the remaining salt and pepper.
- Melt the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter in the skillet. Sprinkle the flour over the mushrooms mixture and cook stirring constantly for 1 minute. Deglaze the skillet with the wine, stirring to loosen any bits that stock to the skillet.
- Stir in the cream and oregano and bring to a simmer. Return the scallops and any accumulated juices to the skillet. Return to a simmer and remove the skillet from the heat.
- Preheat the broiler to high.
- Evenly divide among four shallow stoneware dishes.
- Nestle 3 scallops into each dish. Sprinkle each dish with some of the Comte cheese. Broil until the cheese is browned and bubbling, 3 minutes. Serve hot.
Notes
Can you make this dish ahead of time?
Yes, you can. Follow the recipe to divide the scallops evenly in your serving dishes. Add the mushroom wine sauce to it. Please don’t add the cheese. At this point, could you cover it lightly with foil or plastic wrap and store it in the refrigerator for up to a day?Reheating instructions
- I recommend placing your serving dishes on the cookie sheet, thus eliminating any chance of spillage when you are ready to remove them from the refrigerator.
- When ready to cook, preheat the oven to 350F. Remove the foil of the plastic wrap and place the cookie sheet with the serving dishes in the warm oven for 20 minutes. Add the cheese and lightly brown it and start to bubble.
Nutrition
Giangi’s Kitchen provides nutritional information, but these figures should be considered estimates, as a registered dietician does not calculate them.
- Course: Appetizers, Fish, Dinners
- Cuisine: French
- Occasion: Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day, New Year
- Season: Spring, Summer
- Type: Under 45 minutes
Did you make this?
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Originally published on October 25, 2019. Updated on December 3, 2022.
Art
Unbelievably good. A “Must Make”!
Giangi Townsend
I am so happy you enjoyed it. Thank you!
Linda
Absolutely delish!
Giangi Townsend
Thank you.
Sindy
Can I make this a day in advance?
Giangi Townsend
You can prepare all the ingredients the day before, but cooking in, unfortunately, the scallops, cream, the cheese will not reheat well after a night in the refrigerator. Your scallops will be overcooked, your cheese and cream breaking down.
I hope this helps you.
Enjoy a fantastic recipe, you will love it.
Crispy
Only modification to recipe was scallops decreased by 50% ( thought I had more 🥴). Although the taste was good, it was too heavy & rich for my taste. In fact, it bordered on oily. Recipe generates lots of dishes! Taste : #7.5/10.
Giangi Townsend
Thank you so much for your feedback, I sincerely appreciate them. Yes, Coquilles St Jacques can be a bit rich, thus more of a winter dish.
Thank you for preparing my dish and hopefully, you will prepare more.
xoxo
Cindy Mom the Lunch Lady
This is one of my favourite things to order when we go to the East coast. So delicious!
Giangi Townsend
Thank you!
Jere Cassidy
I can’t believe it but I have never cooked scallops, I just order them in restaurants. Your photos have me wanting to make this dish.
Giangi Townsend
I do hope you will prepare it for you and your loved one.
Enjoy!
Jeannie
Glad I can make this at home for a quick dinner and lunch meals paired with my salad. Im intimidated to cook with scallops but this recipe is easy.
Giangi Townsend
I found scallops to be the easiest food to cook, less than 2 minutes on each side and you are done.
Enjoy!
Marita
I never heard of this dish but it looks mouth watering. Saved it for the weekend.
Thanks
Marita
Giangi Townsend
The pleasure is all mine, I am sure you will enjoy it.
Bon Appetit!
Daniel Ng
Thanks on the tip for not using the salt during the browning of mushrooms. It helps a lot.
Giangi Townsend
You are most welcome, I love how crisp and less soggy the mushrooms are.
Mihaela | https://theworldisanoyster.com/
Another hit and a recipe I never tried before, but I am inspired to after reading the steps and tips. I like that you suggest the right wines to pair it with! It sounds perfect for Valentine’s too (perhaps the fact that it is French inspires romanticism!)
Giangi Townsend
A bit of romanticism combined with the love of food, yes, perfect for Valentine’s Day and any other occasion.
Enjoy!
Cayla
Scallops and mushrooms. Two of my favorite things! Such a great recipe!!
Giangi Townsend
Thank you!
Jeanine
Wow… this looks to be an amazing dish & I can’t wait for scallop season here now… My Zia always used to say about wine in cooking, if you wouldn’t drink it you shouldn’t cook with it… advice I follow today…
Sarah James
Your scallops look amazing, looking forward to making these. Thanks for the tips, very useful and I’ll make sure I can get hold of some Comte cheese.
Giangi Townsend
Thank you! I am sure you will enjoy them.
Bon Appetit!
20+ Luscious French Appetizers That Can Satisfy Your Hunger
[…] Coquilles St. Jacques (French Scallop Dish) […]
Giangi Townsend
Thank you for the mention on your great post.
Elizabeth
I made this recipe today for my birthday dinner and it was amazing!!! Thank you for the recipe.
Giangi Townsend
The pleasure is all mine, Elizabeth!
Happy Birthday!
Angela
So delicious! I will definitely be making it again soon.
Giangi Townsend
Thank you.
Emily
A new recipe for me and so delicious!
Giangi Townsend
Thank you, I am so happy you enjoyed it.
Audrey
Absolutely delish!
Giangi Townsend
Thank you.
Jamie
This turned out so delicious!
Giangi Townsend
Thank you.
Lindsay
These are AMAZING. Can’t wait to make them again!
Giangi Townsend
Thank you! I am so happy you enjoyed it, Lindsay.
Alexandra
Scallops are one of my favourites – such a delicious dish!
Giangi Townsend
Thank you.
Megan
So delicious. Thanks for a great recipe.
Giangi Townsend
Any time, my pleasure.
Andrea
forever a classic! this dish turned out absolutely amazing for dinner this week!
Giangi Townsend
Excellent, so happy you enjoyed it.
Helen at the lazy gastronome
This is such a simple yet elegant dish. And very romantic.
Giangi Townsend
I love the romantic side of this dish, some chilled wine, candles soft music, just perfect.
Alyssa
This looks like a perfect date night dinner! I cant wait to try this, thank you!
Giangi Townsend
Thank you and I hope you will enjoy it soon.
Elizabeth
This looks so delicious – perfect for the upcoming holiday! Thank you for the recipe!
Giangi Townsend
The pleasure is all mine, thank you and enjoy!
Gloria
Elegant and festive for the holidays. Perfect for entertaining my dinner guests.
Giangi Townsend
Thank you, France’s favorite NYE dish.
Enjoy!
Priya
This scallop dish looks so tempting. I have saved the recipe and am going to try it soon!
Giangi Townsend
Thank you and enjoy!
Jordan Akana
Yum! This looks so yummy and fairly easy to make. Thanks for sharing.
Giangi Townsend
You are most welcome, enjoy!
Rachael
Love this recipe, it turns my kitchen into a gourmet restaurant with minimal effort. Thank you!
Giangi Townsend
The pleasure is all mine.
Nancy
I love this French classic but never attempted to make it. Thanks for your tips
Giangi Townsend
You should try it; much easier than it seems.
Enjoy!
marysa
Such an interesting dish! I have never heard of this before. It sounds so flavorful!
Giangi Townsend
Very classic French dish, I hope you will give it a try.
Enjoy!
Lindsay Howerton-Hastings
My husband loves scallops and I made these for his birthday last week. They were a huge hit!
Giangi Townsend
Thank you for making my recipe, and so happy you enjoyed it.
Oscar
I made these for my partner who is originally from France. They loved them so much and asked me to make them again. Thanks for the recipe, this one is a keeper.
Giangi Townsend
The pleasure is all mine, and so happy that you and your partner enjoy this dish.
Tina
I’ve never heard of this French dish before, but now I can’t wait to try it. I love how quickly everything comes together.
Giangi Townsend
You will enjoy how quickly it is put together and how delicious it tastes.
Bon Appetit!
swathi iyer
This looks delicious I haven’t tried scallopes in this way. Need to try this.
Shelby
A great dish when you’re hosting as it’s always a hit!
Giangi Townsend
Thank you!
Christina’s Bread Bakes
Once again, your flavors are amazing. I love mushrooms, shallots and my favorite cheese is a French Comte! I agree with some other comments that the dish is on the heavy side and is appropriate for winter. I served it with a simple side salad and fresh homemade bread, and it was delicious. I definitely recommend!
Giangi Townsend
Thank you, Christina, for your kind comment. Yes, a fall-winter dish. But then you know us French, butter, cream and cheese are in our DNA.
I am so happy you enjoyed it.
Thank you!
Mary Luna
I make Coquilles St. Jacques once a year for my son’s birthday. This is one of the best recipes I’ve found. Very rich but so delicious!!!
Giangi Townsend
Thank you so much, I am so happy you enjoyed it.
Addison
This French dish was stunning and so flavorful! The scallops came out tender, juicy and delicious.
Giangi Townsend
Thank you!
Vladka
I love the mushrooms added to this dish, they make a great blend with scallops.
Giangi Townsend
Thank you!
Traci
This was the perfect dinner! I loved all the flavors of this meal! It was so tasty and delicious thank you!
Giangi Townsend
The pleasure is all mine, Enjoy!
Sharon
These were so delicious! We have access to such great scallops where we live and finally, I found a recipe to do them justice. Will be making this recipe again and again.
Giangi Townsend
Thank you, Sharon. I am so happy you liked it.
Michelle
This recipe is definitely worth the effort to make. The creamy sauce, tender scallops, and cheese topping create a perfect balance of flavors and textures.
Giangi Townsend
I am so happy you enjoyed it.
Bernice
I loved your version of this French seafood classic!
Giangi Townsend
Thank you.
Audrey
The instructions were so helpful, I had never made this before!
Giangi Townsend
You are welcome, I am glad you tried it.
Liz
I adore scallops and I can’t believe it’s taken me so long to make this recipe! It’s definitely a winner!!
Giangi Townsend
Thank you! So happy you enjoyed it.
Jessica
I made this with gruyere since it’s what I was able to find at my nearest supermarket. It was heavenly! I hope to eventually find comte and make it again!
Giangi Townsend
I am sure you will and I am glad you enjoyed it.
Thank you!
Jane
I am not a big fan of scallops, but I have to say that this dish was absolutely delicious. This is the kind of food that makes you want to go back for more and more.
Giangi Townsend
Thank you for your kind feedbacks.
nancy
very tasty french scallop recipe. will make again
Giangi Townsend
Thank you!
Nicole NK
This looks amazing! I just picked up all the ingredients and plan to make it this week!
Giangi Townsend
Thank you and enjoy!
Janice
I recently made this recipe, and it is absolutely delicious! The combination of ingredients complements each other. I will definitely make some for my sister’s upcoming birthday!
Giangi Townsend
I am sure she will be delighted.
Enjoy!
Helen at the Lazy Gastronome
Fabulous dish. Everyone loved it.
Giangi Townsend
Thank you!
Lindsey
Ok, at first I was super intimidated but you made it really simple. This is now my new favorite way to prepare scallops. I followed your instructions to prep most of it ahead of time and it was perfect! Even my MIL raved lol
Giangi Townsend
Wonderful! I am so happy you and your family enjoyed it.
Thank you for the feedback.
Sharina
This classic French dish is so delicious and rich in flavors! Even the kids loved it!
Giangi Townsend
That is wonderful! Thank you for your feedback.
swathi
Coquillies saint jacques looks delicious and great to add in menu. I am going to give this one a try .
Giangi Townsend
Enjoy!
amy
Such a delicious recipe! Had a dinner party and everyone loved it.
Mina
I’m definitely making this over the weekend! Can’t wait for my family to try this delicious recipe.
Shelby
This dish comes out so rich, I love the flavor blend! And it wasn’t nearly as hard as I had originally assumed lol.
Giangi Townsend
I am glad you liked it.
Thank you for stopping my corner of the web.
Sharon
These scallops were absolute perfection! I used a dry chardonnay – and served the rest with dinner – and it turned out delicious. Thanks!
Giangi Townsend
My pleasure, anytime.
Enjoy!
Addison
Such a comfort food classic! This dish was warm, hearty, flavorful and stunning.
Giangi Townsend
Thank you!
Rebecca
This dish is absolute perfection and the perfect example of why I love French food so much. It’s rich, but not overwhelming, complex yet simple, and oh-so-satisfying. Thank you for a delicious recipe. We will be making these buttery scallops again and again.
Giangi Townsend
Thank you, Rebecca, for making my recipe and your kind feedback.
I am pleased to have your feedback as so many feel French cooking is not easy, when in reality it is.
Enjoy!
Jessica
I was always too intimidated to venture into French cuisine, until I found this recipe. I have made this 3 times in the last month because it’s that delicious and so easy.
Giangi Townsend
Wonderful! I am so happy you enjoy it.
Thank you for your feedback.