Favorites Are Never Forgotten (April 21- 27)

It is a delight to host a retro revival of a favorite dish from a past era. Do you remember Coquilles St. Jacques? Every fine dining establishment in every major city in America once offered its version of the scallops served in culinary seashells during the 1960’s to 1970’s. * When utilizing culinary seashells, always boil the shells to destroy any bacteria prior to each use. Here is my more modern version of Coquilles St. Jacques.

Coquilles à la Kelly

The secret to tasty scallops is proper searing. Rinse and dry the scallops. In a skillet, with a little olive oil, sear each scallop until golden on each side. Set aside.

After thoroughly boiling the culinary seashells, spray each with non-stick cooking spray. Place one thin slice of fresh orange in each culinary seashell. (Ramekins can also be used.) Place multiple seared scallops on top of each of the orange slices.

In the pan, on the stove, in which the scallops were seared, melt 4 tablespoons of butter. Heat until bubbling. Pour on a dash of Sherry and heat thoroughly. Add 1 heaping tablespoon of flour and mix well. Then slowly, little by little, stir and add heated ½ and ½ (milk/cream) until a Béchamel style sauce is finished. Season with kosher salt, white pepper and chopped thyme. Add 1 teaspoon of minced ginger. Mix in 2 teaspoons of fresh grated Parmesan cheese. Slowly low heat the sauce until the cheese has melted. Gently ladle the sauce over the prepared scallops. Top each culinary shell with fresh Parmesan cheese. Bake at 350°F for 10 to 15 minutes depending on the depth of the scallops that will be heated. Briefly broil the top of each portion to melt the Parmesan cheese. Bay scallops require less cooking time than jumbo scallops and bay scallops, because of their size, should be poached instead of seared prior to plating. Kelly McBride Loft

*A KML culinary tip – Scallops are expensive. To stretch the volume when serving, cut each jumbo scallop with a linear cut. The scallops will still sear just as well. Add an extra touch to the dining experience by playing music from the Kennedy through Ford era and dress in Channel attire. Another theme connection is to make placemats from past newspaper headlines of that era. Have fun! KML

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