Scallops arc not only delicious but practical and economical, too. No trimming is necessary—a pound of scallops is a pound of food—and they can be cooked in many ways: sautéed, fried in deep fat, or prepared with various sauces. They are ready for the table in a matter of minutes.
Of course, I have always missed the coral that I was accustomed to using with scallops in various dishes. It never accompanies the scallops I buy here as it did in France. But I got around the problem by including a few shrimp cut in small dice in the sauce for the coquilles Saint-Jacques that we served at the old Ritz. Carlton in New York.
There is one very, very important rule to remember in cooking scallops— and I cannot emphasize it too strongly. Do not overcook scallops, or their fine, tender flesh will shrink and change to something as tough as leather. To cook them in fat, allow only about three minutes, or five at the most. To cook them in their own juices or in a court-bonillon. which of course is not as hot as hot fat, six minutes is sufficient. And never boil scallops; turn the heat down when the liquid reaches the boiling point and simmer them. Always dry the scallops very carefully when they are to be sautéed or fried, and put them in very hot fat so that they brown immediately before any of their own moisture can cook out. The brown crusty surface serves to protect their inner succulence.
Never try to cook scallops ahead of time and keep them hot for later serving. They must be served as soon as they come from the fire, on a heated plate or in the shell in which they were cooked. A pound of scallops sautéed or deep fried will serve three or four persons, but when mushrooms and a sauce arc combined with the scallops the pound will make six servings.
Coqnilles Saint-Jacques
Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a saucepan and add 1 tablespoon chopped shallot, 6 to 8 mushrooms, cleaned and sliced, ½ cup dry white wine and 1 pound scallops. Bring the liquid to a boil and simmer the scallops for about 5 minutes. Add 12 to 15 cooked shrimp and heat all together for 2 minutes. Remove the scallops, shrimp, and mushrooms and reduce the liquid to about 2 or 3 tablespoons. Add 1 1/3 cups Mornay sauce (March, 1957), and strain the sauce through a fine sieve. Combine the sauce with the scallops, shrimp, and mushrooms, add 1 tablespoon chopped parsley, and correct the seasoning with salt. Pour the mixture in to 6 scallop shells. Add 1 tablespoon whipped cream to ½ cup Mornay sauce and spread the sauce over the filled shells. Sprinkle with a little grated Parmesan or grated Swiss cheese and brown the coquilles under the broiler or in a very hot oven.
Scallops Meunière
Wash scallops and dry them thoroughly. Dip them in milk and in flour and shake off the surplus flour. Sauté the scallops in very hot oil, searing them quickly so the juice will not come out, for not more than 5 minutes, until they are a golden brown all over. Turn the scallops into a serving dish, season them with salt and freshly ground pepper, and sprinkle them with a little lemon juice. Pour off the oil in the pan, add ½ tablespoon butter for each serving, and cook the butter until it is nut brown. Pour the browned butter over the scallops, sprinkle with chopped parsley, and garnish with slices of peeled lemon sprinkled with finely chopped parsley.
Scallops Carlier
Mix 2 ½ cups cooked spaghetti, cut in 1 ½ inch lengths, with ¼ cup cooked ham and i i cup cooked ox tongue Cut in small julienne. Heat all together well in melted butter. Add 1 tablespoon julienne of truffle. Prepare 1 pound scallops meunière. Put a mound of the spaghetti mixture at each end of serving platter and arrange the scallops in the center. Pour brown butter over the scallops and sprinkle them with chopped parsley. Serve very hot.
Scallops au Gratin
Clean 1 pound mushrooms and slice enough of the best ones to make 1 cup. Sauté the slicest mushrooms in a little butter and set them aside. Chop the remaining mushrooms very fine and cook them with 1 tablespoon butter and 1 tablespoon chopped shallot or onion until all moisture is cooked away. Add ½ cup tomato sauce, ½ cup brown sauce (November, 1956) and 1 tablespoon chopped parsley. Continue to cook for 8 to 10 minutes, correct the seasoning with salt, and add a little pepper. Wash 1 pound scallops in cold water and cover them with white wine court-bouillon (June, 1957). Bring the court-bouillon to a boil and cook the scallops slowly for about 8 minutes. Drain them and cut them in thick slices. Put 1 tablespoon of the mushroom sauce in each of 6 scallop shells and divide the sliced scallops and mushrooms evenly among the shells. Cover the mushrooms with the sauce and sprinkle the coquilles with bread crumbs and a little melted butter. Bake in a hot oven (400° F.) until the topping is golden brown. Sprinkle with a few drops of lemon juice and a little chopped parsley and serve hot.
Scallops Florentine
Wash 2 to 3 pounds spinach and cook it for 5 or 6 minutes in the water that clings to the leaves. Drain the leaves well. Heat 2 tablespoons butter in a saucepan, add the spinach, and cook it until it is as dry as possible. Season the spinach with salt and pepper and spread it in a shallow heatproof serving dish. Poach 1 ½ pints scallops in their own juice for 5 to 6 minutes, drain them well and lay them on the spinach. Cover all with 1 ½ to 2 cups Mornay sauce (March, 1957) and sprinkle with grated Parmesan. Brown the topping under the broiler or in a very hot oven.
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