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Coquilles Saint Jacques – A French Classic
- 25 mins total
- 5 mins prep
- 20 mins cook
- serves 4 people
Coquilles Saint Jacques is a Classic French dish that has been 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 Years’ Eve alongside Champagne, oysters and foie gras.
What are coquilles St. Jacques?Skip To The Recipe
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?
When shopping for fresh scallops, they should have a pale pink or bluish tint.
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 to use two scallops per guest.
If you choose to serve it as a dinner plate, I would 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, definitely. 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 used as a replacement.
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
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 for cooking 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:
Farfalle with Peas, Ham and Cheese
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.
Nutrition Facts
Coquilles Saint Jacques
Amount Per Serving
Calories 372
Calories from Fat 252
% Daily Value*
Fat 28g43%
Saturated Fat 18g113%
Cholesterol 90mg30%
Sodium 611mg27%
Potassium 263mg8%
Carbohydrates 8g3%
Sugar 1g1%
Protein 10g20%
Vitamin A 885IU18%
Vitamin C 0.8mg1%
Calcium 134mg13%
Iron 1.1mg6%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Coquilles Saint Jacques
- 25 mins total
- 5 mins prep
- 20 mins cook
- serves 4 people
Ingredients
-
12 medium sea scallops
-
1/2 teaspoon salt
-
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
-
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
-
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
-
4 ounces mixed mushrooms, chopped
-
2 shallots, minced
-
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
-
1 garlic clove minced
-
1 cup dry white wine
-
1/2 cup heavy cream
-
1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano
-
1/4 cup freshly grated Comte cheese
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.
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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.
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Preheat the broiler to high.
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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.
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Originally published on October 25, 2019. Updated on December 3, 2022.
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Unbelievably good. A “Must Make”!
I am so happy you enjoyed it. Thank you!
Absolutely delish!
Thank you.
Can I make this a day in advance?
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.
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.
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
This is one of my favourite things to order when we go to the East coast. So delicious!
Thank you!
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.
I do hope you will prepare it for you and your loved one.
Enjoy!
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.
I found scallops to be the easiest food to cook, less than 2 minutes on each side and you are done.
Enjoy!
I never heard of this dish but it looks mouth watering. Saved it for the weekend.
Thanks
Marita
The pleasure is all mine, I am sure you will enjoy it.
Bon Appetit!
Thanks on the tip for not using the salt during the browning of mushrooms. It helps a lot.
You are most welcome, I love how crisp and less soggy the mushrooms are.
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!)
A bit of romanticism combined with the love of food, yes, perfect for Valentine’s Day and any other occasion.
Enjoy!
Scallops and mushrooms. Two of my favorite things! Such a great recipe!!
Thank you!
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…
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.
Thank you! I am sure you will enjoy them.
Bon Appetit!
Thank you for the mention on your great post.
I made this recipe today for my birthday dinner and it was amazing!!! Thank you for the recipe.
The pleasure is all mine, Elizabeth!
Happy Birthday!
So delicious! I will definitely be making it again soon.
Thank you.
A new recipe for me and so delicious!
Thank you, I am so happy you enjoyed it.
Absolutely delish!
Thank you.
This turned out so delicious!
Thank you.
These are AMAZING. Can’t wait to make them again!
Thank you! I am so happy you enjoyed it, Lindsay.
Scallops are one of my favourites – such a delicious dish!
Thank you.
So delicious. Thanks for a great recipe.
Any time, my pleasure.
forever a classic! this dish turned out absolutely amazing for dinner this week!
Excellent, so happy you enjoyed it.
This is such a simple yet elegant dish. And very romantic.
I love the romantic side of this dish, some chilled wine, candles soft music, just perfect.
This looks like a perfect date night dinner! I cant wait to try this, thank you!
Thank you and I hope you will enjoy it soon.
This looks so delicious – perfect for the upcoming holiday! Thank you for the recipe!
The pleasure is all mine, thank you and enjoy!
Elegant and festive for the holidays. Perfect for entertaining my dinner guests.
Thank you, France’s favorite NYE dish.
Enjoy!
This scallop dish looks so tempting. I have saved the recipe and am going to try it soon!
Thank you and enjoy!
Yum! This looks so yummy and fairly easy to make. Thanks for sharing.
You are most welcome, enjoy!
Love this recipe, it turns my kitchen into a gourmet restaurant with minimal effort. Thank you!
The pleasure is all mine.
I love this French classic but never attempted to make it. Thanks for your tips
You should try it; much easier than it seems.
Enjoy!
Such an interesting dish! I have never heard of this before. It sounds so flavorful!
Very classic French dish, I hope you will give it a try.
Enjoy!
My husband loves scallops and I made these for his birthday last week. They were a huge hit!
Thank you for making my recipe, and so happy you enjoyed it.
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.
The pleasure is all mine, and so happy that you and your partner enjoy this dish.
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.
You will enjoy how quickly it is put together and how delicious it tastes.
Bon Appetit!
This looks delicious I haven’t tried scallopes in this way. Need to try this.
A great dish when you’re hosting as it’s always a hit!
Thank you!
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!
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!