Coquilles Saint Jacques

This translates into scallops in a Bordelaise style sauce

    

Yield: 6 servings

45 minutes to prepare

For Scallops

• 1 tablespoon butter
• 2 slices of bacon  
• 1 pound/450 g scallops
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Duxelles

• 1 tablespoons butter
• 8 ounces/250 g mushrooms
• 2 shallots, minced
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley or cilantro

Sauce

• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 shallot, minced
• 1 tablespoons flour (optional)
• dried tarragon to taste (optional . . . I use about a teaspoon)
• dried thyme to taste (optional)
• dash of cayenne pepper (optional)
• 1/2 cup125 ml white wine
• Liquid from bowl where scallops thaw
• 2 tablespoons Greek Yogurt 
• a few tablespoons of seafood or chicken broth to thin if necessary
• Lemon juice, to taste (I use the juice from 1 whole lemon)

Topping

• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley or cilantro
• 6 tablespoons butter cracker crumbs
•  Dab of butter, melted
• reserved bacon bits

Directions

Prepare the scallops: Cook bacon in a large sauté pan.  Remove, drain, and crumble bacon for later use.  Add butter to the sauté pan.   Season the scallops with salt and pepper and sear 1 minute per side, to brown.  Do not overcrowd the pan and do not cook completely.  Slice large scallops in half.  Set aside.
To make the duxelles: Melt the butter in the large sauté pan. Add the shallot, mushroom, salt and pepper.  Cook until the mushrooms have released all their liquid and the pan is dry, about 10 minutes. Transfer the mushrooms to a bowl and stir through the parsley.
To make the sauce: Melt the butter in the sauté pan until foaming. Add the shallot and cook until soft. Stir in the flour and cook, stirring, 3 minutes. Whisk in the wine and boil down by half. Add the scallop liquid and cook, stirring, until the sauce is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Remove from the heat and stir in the yogurt. Check the seasonings, adding salt, pepper, tarragon, thyme, cayenne pepper, and lemon juice as needed.
To assemble the dish: Heat the oven to broil with the oven rack at the top. Lay 6 large scallop shells or individual gratin dishes on a baking sheet. Divide the mushroom mixture among the shells. Arrange six scallops on each, then spoon over the sauce. For the topping, scatter over the cracker crumbs, parsley, and crumbled bacon;  drizzle over the melted butter, and broil until golden and bubbly, 2 to 3 minutes. Serve immediately.