Coquille St Jacques Recipe

This Coquille St Jacques recipe combines golden seared sea scallops with mushrooms, shallots, dry white wine, heavy cream, Gruyère cheese, and crisp Panko breadcrumbs for an elegant French seafood dish. Featured on Dinner in Paris with host Romain Avril, this luscious scallop gratin is assembled in individual shell-shaped dishes with creamy mashed potatoes piped around the edges before being broiled until bubbling and golden.

The Inspiration

Coquille St Jacques is a classic French seafood preparation centred around scallops and a rich, savory sauce. In this version from Dinner in Paris, host Romain Avril pairs large sea scallops with mushrooms and shallots cooked in butter and olive oil, then finishes the mixture with white wine, heavy cream, fresh parsley, Gruyère, and breadcrumbs.

The final presentation is especially distinctive. Creamy mashed potatoes are piped around the edges of individual shell-shaped baking dishes, creating a decorative border. The mushroom cream sauce goes into the centre, followed by three seared scallops per serving. Gruyère and Panko breadcrumbs form the top layer before the dish is placed under the broiler.

Ingredients

12 large sea scallops (size U10), side muscle removed
1 lb white button mushrooms, halved
2 large shallots, finely minced
2 tbsp olive oil, plus 2 tbsp olive oil (divided)
2 tbsp of butter, plus 2 tbsp butter (divided)
120 ml (½ cup) dry white wine
120 ml (½ cup) heavy cream
2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
50 g (½ cup) grated Gruyère
1/4 cup of Panko breadcrumbs
1 lb (2 cups) of creamy buttery mashed potatoes, home made
Salt and white pepper, to taste

Method

Pat scallops completely dry with paper towels. Season lightly with salt and white pepper just before cooking.
Heat 2 tbsp butter and 2 tbsp olive oil in a pan over medium-high heat.
Add mushrooms and cook 5–7 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Once they are golden brown and the liquid has evaporated, add shallot and cook 2 minutes until softened.
Add white wine and reduce by half (3–4 minutes). Reduce heat to medium and add cream.
Simmer for 4-5 minutes. It is done when the sauce lightly coats the back of a spoon.
Stir parsley into the sauce and adjust seasoning with salt and white pepper.
In a separate non-stick pan, heat oil over medium-high heat.
Add scallops and sear for 2-3 minutes. Once golden brown, flip and cook for another 2 minutes.
Preheat oven to broiler setting (high heat). Transfer mashed potatoes to a piping bag with a star shaped tip.
Pipe a nice line of mashed potato around the edges of 4 sea shell shaped baking dishes.
Divide mushroom and sauce mixture into the centre of each dish.
Place 3 seared scallops over the mushrooms. Top with grated cheese and breadcrumbs.
Pour juices from the scallop pan over the cheese and breadcrumbs.
Broil 2–3 minutes. When the cheese is melted and the topping is golden brown, remove from the oven.
Let sit for 2 minutes and serve hot. Enjoy!

Serving Suggestions

This Coquille St Jacques recipe is ideal for a French-inspired dinner, special occasion, holiday meal, or elegant seafood night. Serving the dish in individual shell-shaped baking dishes gives it a classic presentation while keeping the creamy mushroom sauce, scallops, mashed potatoes, and golden topping neatly contained.

The piped mashed potatoes make the dish substantial enough to serve as a main course, while the scallops and sauce remain the centrepiece. A simple green salad or lightly cooked vegetable can add freshness if you want to balance the richness of the cream, butter, and Gruyère.

For entertaining, serve the gratins immediately after their short resting time so the topping stays crisp and the cheese remains warm and melted. The contrast between creamy potatoes, tender scallops, mushroom sauce, and crunchy breadcrumbs is best enjoyed straight from the broiler.

Final Thoughts

This Coquille St Jacques recipe brings together the elegance of seared scallops and the comfort of a creamy French gratin. Each component contributes a different texture, from the tender scallops and smooth white wine cream sauce to the buttery mashed potatoes and crisp Panko topping.

Find more recipes from Dinner in Paris here!