Recipe: Julia Child's Coquille Saint-Jacques and Scallops Poached in White Wine for Nicole,NB

Hi Nicole :-) I have made Coquille Saint-Jacques before but not for a very long time so I'm not sure whether or not this is the recipe I used. Since I wasn't sure, I decided to just check the "recipe" box rather than the "recipe tried" box. This recipe is from Julia Child's The Way to Cook.

Coquille Saint-Jacques (Scallops Gratineed in Their Shells)
"This recipe and it's following variation are useful for ahead-of-time preparation. The scallops are poached as usual, and then enrobed in a delicious winey cream sauce made from their cooking liquid. It is classic French treatment, and makes a most attractive first course or luncheon dish."

For 8 people as a first course or luncheon dish

The master recipe for scallops poached in wine (recipe below)
3 Tbssp. butter
3 Tbsp. flour
3/4 cup or so heavy cream
Salt, freshly ground white pepper and drops of freshly squeezed lemon juice
Milk, as needed
1/4 cup grated Swiss cheese

Special equipment suggested:
8 buttered scallop shells or individual ovenproof serving dishes

Poached Scallops
"When you want to serve scallops in a sauce, poaching is the best way to go. They cook in a minute or so, and the poaching liquid makes a perfectly flavored sauce base."

Scallops Poached in White Wine
"Here is the master method. Scallops cook so quickly you must watch them closely - they should be tender and juicy; overcooking toughens them." For 8 to 10 as a first course; 6 as a main course

1 1/2 Tbsp minced shallots or scallions
2/3 cup dry white French vermouth
1/2 cup water, plus more if needed
1 smallish bay leaf
1/2 tsp salt
3 cups (1 1/2 pounds) scallops prepared for cooking; left whole if small, quartered or sliced if large

Look over each large sea scallop and pull off (or cut off with a sharp paring knife) the hard little nubbin (I think it's a muscle) fastened to the side of the cylinder (it's tough when cooked). After denubbing, swish them in a bowl of cold water to rid them of any sand.

In a 2-quart saucepan with a lid, simmer the shallots or scallions slowly in the covered pan with the vermouth, water, bay leaf, and salt for 3 minutes. Add the scallops and a little water, if needed: the liquid should almost but not quite cover the scallops. Bring just to the simmer, and time as follows:

For whole sea scallops, cover the pan and simmer slowly for 1 1/2 to 2 minutes, just until scallops are lightly springy rather than squashy to the touch. For quartered sea scallops, simmer just a few seconds, until lightly springy. For Calicos (bay scallops), bring just to the simmer.

Let the scallops cool in the liquid 10 minutes or more, to pick up it's flavor.

After poaching the scallops in white wine, remove them to a bowl. Boil down the poaching liquid to 1 cup.

Veloute Sauce: Cook the butter and flour together for 2 minutes without coloring (low heat); off the heat beat in the hot poaching liquid and the cream. Season and simmer 3 minutes, adding droplets of milk if the sauce is too thick.

Assembling: Fold enough of the sauce into the scallops to enrobe them, dividing them among the shells and top each with 1/2 tsp. grated cheese. Arrange the shells on a baking sheet (the sheet lined with crumpled foil if they are unsteady).

*May be prepared ahead to this point; cover and refrigerate.

Shortly before serving, set 4 inches from a hot broiler element just until bubbling hot and the cheese topping has browned nicely.

If you want, you can add mushrooms by simmering them in the poaching liquid after removing the poached scallops. Then boil down this even more delicious liquid. and add the cream as described.

Accompaniments to Coquilles saint-Jacques: As a first course, just French bread. As a luncheon dish, a tossed salad or fresh green vegetable could follow. A chardonnay or white Burgundy would be the wine of choice here.

Variation: Gratine of Scallops Florentine

Fold a spoonful or so of the sauce into 2 cups beautifully flavored cooked fresh spinach, and layer that into a baking dish or individual shells. Spread sauced scallops on top, sprinkle on the cheese, and brown under the broiler.