French Coquilles St. Jacques (scallops) in garlic butter sauce
Ingredients
 | 4 fresh Coquilles St. Jacques or scallops, (optionally with shells for decoration) |
 | half of a shallot |
 | 1 tablespoon of butter |
Spices, herbs and flavoring ingredients:
 | 2 sprigs of parsley |
 | 2 sprigs of basil |
 | 1 clove of garlic or 1 teaspoon of garlic powder or flakes |
 | 2 tablespoons of lemon juice |
 | 1/4 cup of olive oil |
 | Salt and pepper |
How to make Coquilles St. Jacques in garlic butter sauce
- Soften the butter gently in a saucepan over low heat, then stir in the grated shallots. Cook slowly until fragrant and translucent, not browned. You want sweet and soft, not crispy.
- Blend the other ingredients: olive oil, lemon juice, crushed garlic, salt, pepper, fresh basil, and four parsley leaves until smooth and well combined.
- Heat the blended mixture in a saucepan at low-medium temperature for about 5 minutes, stirring continuously so it doesn’t separate or stick. This helps the flavors come together.
- Arrange the scallops on their cleaned shells (or in a baking dish if you’re skipping the shells).
- Spoon the prepared sauce generously over each scallop, making sure they’re nicely coated.
- Sprinkle the remaining chopped parsley over the top for freshness and color.
- Bake in a preheated oven at 200°C (400°F) for about 15 minutes, or until the tops are golden and slightly bubbling. If using frozen scallops, add an extra 10 minutes to the cooking time.
- Serve while warm.
A savory yet delicate seafood starter? The Coquilles St Jacques à l’ail is perfect. Known as scallops in English, (but it just sounds better in French, doesn’t it?) they will add a touch of refinement to any meal.
A recipe that is easy to prepare, healthy and delicious with a tangy sauce on top, you might even get the kids to love it!
French Christmas Tradition
The first time I had it was at Christmas with the French side of my family, so I tend to always associate it with Christmas. But there is no need for any such restrictions, in France you can buy it all year round at Picards’ (a frozen grocery food chain)!
Fresh scallops, however, are more of a winter tradition. In France, the fishing season for scallops starts in October, so they are peak freshness in December, right on time for Christmas. The tradition goes back to the pilgrims of Saint Jacques de Compostela (hence the name) who crisscrossed France and Spain with the shells around their neck.
While we don’t focus much on seafood at Christmas in North America (hello turducken!), in France there is usually at least one seafood item on the Christmas meal menu, such as scallops, smoked salmon or lobster.
Different ways of cooking
There are many ways to prepare the scallops: raw, marinated, fried or grilled. But one of my favorites has to be Coquilles St Jacques with garlic sauce sauce (or the French pistou), which has a bit of a kick to it and has the added benefit of being gluten-free, lactose-free and alcohol-free.
My other favorite is Coquilles St Jacques en gratin, where it is cooked with a creamy sauce and breadcrumbs. That one is obviously not gluten-free, since it has breadcrumbs. And if you like, here is a scallops and pasta in pesto sauce recipe to serve as a main dish.
Now I’ve seen a lot of recipes where mushrooms, potatoes or leeks have been cooked into it as well. You can, of course, it would make the starter heartier, but I’m keeping with the traditional French recipe which was meant to emphasize the freshness and delicateness of the scallops. Too many ingredients and the scallops will drown!
☞ Similar Recipe: Sautéed calamari with garlic and parsley
Coquilles St. Jacques in garlic butter sauce (Scallops)
Equipment
Ingredients
- 4 Coquilles Saint Jacques (4 scallops drained and patted dry in open shell)
- 1/4 cup of olive oil
- 2 tablespoons of lemon juice
- 1 clove of crushed garlic
- 1 tablespoon of butter
- 1/2 a grated shallot
- 2 sprigs of basil (5-6 leaves)
- 2 sprigs of fresh parsley (6-7 leaves)
- Pinch of salt and pepper
Instructions
- Soften the butter and mix in the grated shallots in a saucepan at a low temperature.
- Mix the olive oil, lemon juice, crushed garlic, salt, pepper, basil and 4 leaves of parsley in the blender.
- Bring the mixture to a boil for 5 minutes while mixing.
- Place the scallops on the shells and add prepared sauce on top.
- Sprinkle the rest of the parsley on top of the sauce and the scallops.
- Bake the scallops in the oven for 15 minutes at 200C (400F°) until it turns golden brown. (If scallops were frozen, cook for an additional 10 minutes.)
- Serve while warm.
Notes
Nutrition
Please note: We are not certified nutritionists and these estimates written and produced for entertainment purposes only.
What to serve with it?
In terms of meals, Coquilles St Jacques is usually served as a starter. For the main, consider a mushroom risotto or a garlic spaghetti (with aïoli) to complement the scallops. And for dessert, perhaps a crème brûlée?
What drinks to serve with it?
Paired with some fine champagne, you will certainly raise a few “la di das!” at a sophisticated dinner party.
If you don’t care for champagne, try a white wine which has been chilled in the fridge. A Sancerre from France’s Val de Loire, Chablis from Bourgogne, or Reisling from Alsace will be excellent. You can read more about French wines here.
