Author Notes
Classic Coquille St. Jacques is served a lot of different ways, but I been serving this version up on a warm puff pastry shell with bacon for years. It is the easy, but luxury in every mouthful. I made this for a date one night and when it came time to flame' the vermouth, he dove under the kitchen table. Yes, he hid. Not..."Wow, that's cool". Not... "Step aside, I will save you from the fire." Let's just say, we never went out again, but I have made the recipe over and over again, telling the story about that night everytime. - MyCommunalTable —MyCommunalTable
Test Kitchen Notes
Mycommunaldinner's dish is perfect date-night fare -- assuming your date is not a fraidy cat! It is elegant in its final presentation, rich and delicious in taste, and dramatic in its creation. The sweet scallops and creamy sauce are a match made in heaven. The bacon and cheese puff pastry makes a perfect crispy, savory accompaniment. I wouldn't blame you if you made a few extra to snack on! - hardlikearmour —hardlikearmour
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Ingredients
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1
package of puff pastry
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4
slices, bacon
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1/3 cup
heaping gruyere cheese
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4 tablespoons
chopped scallions
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1 pound
large sea scallops
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1 cup
dry vermouth
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2 tablespoons
butter
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1 tablespoon
oil
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1 tablespoon
crushed fresh garlic
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1 cup
heavy whipping cream
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salt and pepper to taste
Directions
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Marinate the scallops in a 1/4 cup of the dry vermouth. Set scallops aside for about 20 minutes until puff pastry is done.
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Brown bacon until crisp. Crumble.
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Lay puff pastry square out. Cut into six squares. Approx. 4x4 inch. Top each square with crumbled bacon, some grated cheese, and some chopped scallions. Fold over to make a triangle and then place on a parchment lined baking sheet. Bake at 400F for about 15 minutes. Set aside and keep warm.
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Add the butter and oil together in a large skillet over medium-high tempurature. (Note: you will not get a nice brown to your scallop if you use a non-stick pan) Gently add the scallops, and leave them undisturbed until they loosen and become lightly browned on the underside. Turn the scallops and repeat. Imagine heating them through rather than cooking them. This will keep them from becoming rubbery. Remove from the pan and set aside on a plate.
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Add garlic and cook for a few seconds. Burned garlic will ruin the dish. Pull the pan away from the stove and add the vermouth. Return the pan to the stove and let it flame! Let the flame burn until nearly extinguished.
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Add the cream and cook until the volume in pan is reduced by one half. It usually gets a nice golden color as well.
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Stir in the cheese, salt and pepper to taste, and add the scallops to warm for a few seconds.
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Pour over the warm bacon pastries and garnish with chopped scallions.
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