Baked Scallops in Mushroom Cream Sauce
Baked Scallops in Mushroom Cream Sauce is a recipe with fancy French origins, but our family-style version couldn’t be simpler.
Baked Scallops in Mushroom Cream Sauce
Photo Credit : Nina GallantIf we were going to be fancy about it, we could call this coquilles Saint Jacques (or a variation thereof), the classic French dish of poached scallops in wine with mushrooms and cream. Traditionally, the scallops are served in their shells. Here, we’ve gone family-style, baking them in an ovenproof skillet. For a more elegant presentation, you could transfer the baked scallops with the sauce and cheese to individual gratin dishes before broiling.
Yield:
4 servingsIngredients
4 large shallots
3 ounces sliced white (button) mushrooms
4 tablespoons salted butter, divided
2/3 cup white vermouth or dry white wine
1 pound medium sea scallops (20–30 per pound)
1 ½ tablespoons all-purpose flour
½ cup heavy cream
¼ cup chopped Italian parsley
1 ¼ teaspoons Dijon mustard
½ cup grated Gruyère cheese
Minced Italian parsley, for garnish
1 loaf crusty bread, for serving
Instructions
Preheat your broiler and set a rack so that the scallops will be about 3 to 4 inches from the heating element.
Put shallots in the bowl of a food processor and pulse 4 or 5 times until roughly chopped. Add mushrooms and pulse several more times until mixture is finely chopped.
Melt 2 tablespoons butter in an ovenproof 10-inch skillet over medium high heat. Add the mushrooms and shallots and sauté until mushrooms give off their water and begin to brown, about 5 minutes. Remove from pan and reserve.
Reduce heat to low, add vermouth to the pan, and bring to a gentle simmer. Add scallops and poach gently, basting often, until just barely cooked through, 3 to 5 minutes, depending on size. Remove and reserve scallops and poaching liquid.
Melt remaining 2 tablespoons butter in the pan and add the flour, whisking to combine. Gradually add the reserved poaching liquid and cream, and whisk until sauce is smooth. Stir in parsley and mustard.
Add scallops and mushroom-shallot mixture to cream sauce. (Here you can transfer the mixture to individual gratin dishes, if you prefer). Sprinkle with cheese and broil till bubbling and golden brown, about 2 minutes. Sprinkle with additional parsley and serve immediately, with crusty bread to mop up the sauce.
