Scallops au gratin with white wine sauce
Grilled scallops remind me of my childhood. My mother bought them for a special occasion at Paelinck, her favorite fish store in Ghent. The store still exists, run by the next generation. The dish was served in the shell and prepared with leeks, mushrooms and a white wine-based sauce. I remember the taste well and took inspiration for my own recipe.
Recipe
In my recipe, I add carrots instead of the traditional mushrooms. For the sauce, I use clam or mussel juice in addition to fish stock. When you steam clams or mussels, never throw away the juice they release in abundance. Just freeze it in small portions and add it to your sauce for extra flavor.
I add the roux to stabilize the sauce. This way the sauce will not separate or become watery under the broiler.
Ingredients for 2 persons:
- 8 large scallops
- 2 young carrots
- 1 thin leek
- 50 g butter
- 2 shallots
- 1 sprig lemon thyme
- 150 ml white wine
- 400 ml fish stock
- 150 ml of clam or mussel juice
- 300 ml cream
- 1 tablespoon white roux flakes
- Pepper and salt
- 1 pinch of cayenne pepper
- 1 tablespoon chopped parsley
- 100 g grated gruyere
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Step 1: slicing in julienne
Grate the carrots and cut them into pieces 6 cm long. Cut each piece into slices 2 mm thick and in turn cut those slices into square sticks.
Cut the leeks into 6-inch pieces. Halve each piece lengthwise and cut into fine strips.
Sauté the carrot julienne with a bit of butter until semi-tender. Add the leeks and continue to simmer until both vegetables are soft. Season with salt and pepper and set aside.
![3x Festive Scallops 1]()
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Step 2: prepare white wine sauce
Finely chop the shallots and add them to a sauce pan along with the sprig of thyme and the white wine. Bring to a boil and reduce until you have about 2 tablespoons of liquid left. Meanwhile, heat the fish stock and clam juice. Add the warm stock to the shallots and reduce by half. Now heat the cream and add it to the reduced stock. Continue to reduce the sauce until it starts to thicken, about 5 minutes. Strain through a sieve and return the sauce to the heat. Now add the rest of the butter to the sauce bit by bit while stirring. Also add the roux flakes to stabilize the sauce to the right consistency. The texture of the sauce should be creamy. If it becomes too thick, add a few tablespoons of fish stock. Season to taste with pepper, salt and a pinch of cayenne pepper.
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Step 3: ready for the oven
Heat the oven to 200 °C.
Divide the vegetables between 2 ovenproof dishes. Arrange the raw scallops on top. Season with salt and pepper and sprinkle with parsley. Top with sauce and grated cheese. Broil for 7 to 8 minutes until you have a golden crust.
![3x Festive Scallops 0285]()
