Coquilles Saint-Jacques a La Provencale

Submitted by xtine

"This recipe is from "The Cooking of Provincial France" from the Time-Life "Foods of the World" series of books from the late 60s/ early 70s. My mother had the whole series and I remember poring over those books endlessly as she would cook from them. This particular volume was authored by M.F.K. Fisher, nonetheless! It is delicious and a bit less fuss than the scallop shell/ ramekin presentation of the cream sauce version."

 

• Ready In: 45mins
• Ingredients: 10
• Serves: 4

ingredients

• SCALLOPS

• 2 lbs whole bay scallops or 2 lbs sea scallops, cut into 1/4 inch slices
• salt
• pepper
• flour
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 3 tablespoons vegetable oil

• GARLIC BUTTER

• 8 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 teaspoon garlic, finely chopped
• 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, finely chopped
• 1 lemon, quartered

directions

1. FOR THE SCALLOPS:

2. Wash the scallops in cold water and dry them with paper towels.
3. Season scallops with salt and pepper; then dip them in flour and shake them in a sieve or colander to remove all but a light dusting of flour.
4. In a 10 to 12 inch enameled or stainless-steel skillet, melt 2 tablespoons of butter with the oil over medium heat. When the foam subsides. saute the scallops in two batches so they are not crowded in the pan, shaking the skillet and stirring the scallops until they are lightly browned.
5. With a slotted spoon or spatula, transfer the scallops to a heated plate that has been lined with paper towels. Place the scallops in a warmed oven.

6. GARLIC BUTTER:

7. In a 6 to 8 cup saucepan, clarify 8 tablespoons of butter by melting it slowly, skimming off the foam. Spoon the clear butter on top into a 6 to 8 inch skillet and discard the milky solids at the bottom of the pan.
8. Heat the butter until it sizzles, but do not let it brown. Remove it from the heat and quickly stir in the garlic.
9. Sprinkle the parsley over the scallops and serve them with the lemon wedges and with the garlic butter on the side, so each person can add the butter to their taste.