Coquilles Saint-Jacques à la BretonneBreton Scallops in Their Shells

Open and clean the scallops and coral

• 1 MeanwhileWhile opening the scallops, bring 1.5 L water to a boil in a pot over high heat.
• 2 Scrub 8 live scallops under running water to remove sand and debris.
• 3 Fold a cloth into 4 layers and hold it in your left hand. Grip a scallop with the flat shell uppermost and insert a palette knife into the gap about 1/3 of the way from the hinge.
• 4 Keep the blade flush against the inside of the flat shell, slide it inward and cut the upper attachment of the adductor muscle, then remove the flat shell.
• 5 Use a spoon to remove the skirt, black digestive gland and gills, leaving only the adductor muscle and gonad.
• 6 Detach the 8 scallop muscles and any attached gonads from the deep shells.
• 7 Pinch off the tough white side muscle from each scallop with your fingers.
• 8 Briefly rinse the meat and coral under running water, not salt water. Pat completely dry with paper towels, arrange on a tray and refrigerate.

Prepare the shell dishes, salt bases and hot oven

• 1 MeanwhileWhile the oven heats, pick the leaves from 15 g flat-leaf parsley, finely chop and divide into 10 g and 5 g portions.
• 2 MeanwhileWhile the oven heats, remove the germ from 1 garlic clove and crush with the flat of a knife to a paste.
• 3 MeanwhileWhile the oven heats, cut 60 g salted cultured butter into 1 cm cubes and leave at room temperature to soften.
• 4 Select 8 deep shells and scrub both sides thoroughly.
• 5 Boil the 8 shells in the prepared water for 2 minutes, lift out and dry completely on a clean cloth.
• 6 Arrange 200 g coarse salt in 8 small mounds on a baking tray.
• 7 Set 1 shell on each salt mound, securing its rim level.
• 8 Preheat the oven to 240°C.

Soften the shallots in butter and reduce the wine

• 1 Peel 60 g shallots and mince very finely into 2 mm dice.
• 2 Melt 30 g salted cultured butter over low heat in a 20 cm sauté pan.
• 3 Add the shallots and cook over low heat for 5–6 minutes without coloring, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon.
• 4 Pour in 100 ml dry white wine, raise to medium heat and bring to a boil.
• 5 Keep over medium heat for 7–8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until reduced to about 30 ml (2 tbsp).

Make the breadcrumbs and persillade butter

• 1 Finely chop 15 g flat-leaf parsley and divide into 10 g and 5 g portions. Peel 1 garlic clove, remove its germ and grate.
• 2 Remove the crust from 70 g country bread, tear into 3 cm pieces and place in a food processor.
• 3 Pulse several times for 10 seconds at a time to make about 60 g coarse homemade breadcrumbs, 2–3 mm in size.
• 4 Put 60 g room-temperature salted cultured butter in a bowl and work with a rubber spatula until soft and creamy.
• 5 Add 10 g chopped parsley, the paste of 1 garlic clove and 0.3 g black pepper, mixing until evenly green.
• 6 Fold in 45 g of the 60 g breadcrumbs with the spatula to make beurre de persillade, salted butter containing breadcrumbs, parsley and garlic.
• 7 Reserve the remaining 15 g breadcrumbs on a small plate for finishing.

Sear the scallops and add lemon to the juices

• 1 Pat the scallops and gonads dry and season evenly with 1 g fleur de sel.
• 2 Set the pan of reduced shallots over medium-low heat. When the juices simmer gently, arrange the scallops without overlapping.
• 3 Cook for 45 seconds, turn with tongs and cook for another 45 seconds, then transfer to a tray.
• 4 If there are gonads, roll them in the same pan for 30 seconds and remove once their surfaces firm.
• 5 Add 10 ml lemon juice and boil over medium heat for 20 seconds to soften the alcohol and sharp acidity.
• 6 Grind in 0.2 g black pepper and remove the pan from the heat.

Fill the shells and add the persillade topping

• 1 Put 1 scallop in each of the 8 shells and distribute any gonads evenly.
• 2 Divide the shallot juices remaining in the pan into 8 portions and spoon around the scallops in each shell.
• 3 Divide the breadcrumb butter into 8 portions and spread a thin layer over the flesh.
• 4 Scatter the reserved 15 g breadcrumbs evenly over the 8 shells.

Gratinate at 240°C and serve with parsley and lemon

• 1 MeanwhileWhile the scallops bake, warm 2 serving plates in water at 60°C and dry them.
• 2 Bake on the upper oven rack at 240°C for approximately 8–12 minutes. Check that the center of the thickest scallop stays at 85–90°C for at least 90 seconds. If the breadcrumbs brown first, cover with aluminum foil and continue baking.
• 3 Lift the shells with tongs and place 2 on each of 4 warmed plates.
• 4 Scatter the reserved 5 g parsley over the 8 shells.
• 5 Distribute the remaining 1 g fleur de sel evenly over the 8 shells.
• 6 Add 1 lemon wedge (1/4 lemon) per plate and serve immediately.