Coquille Saint-Jacques

Make a cooking liquor for the scallops by peeling and roughly chopping a couple of shallots, cutting a good slice of fennel bulb, cutting a stick of celery into four or five slices and putting them into a saucepan.

Put a small bunch of thyme and tarragon on to the vegetables followed by a glass of white wine, a squeeze of lemon, a good pinch of salt and a litre/two pints of water. Simmer for about 30 minutes and then pour through a sieve and discard all the vegetables/herbs etc.

Wash the scallops, remove and discard the corals and any brown tissue. Peel the prawns and discard the heads etc. Peel the mushrooms and cut into slices. Make a couple of tablespoonfuls of breadcrumbs and grate a couple of tablespoonfuls of Gruyere if used.

Put the cooking liquor into a saucepan. Season the scallops with salt and fresh black pepper, add to the cooking liquor and simmer for no more than five minutes. Take out the scallops, cut into quarters discarding any hard bits.

Meanwhile, put the butter into a saucepan over a medium heat. When melted, add the prawns and mushrooms and stir for a few minutes, then take out with a slotted spoon and put to one side.

Distribute the scallops, prawns and mushrooms into the scallop shells  Picture  .

Stir a heaped tablespoonful of flour into the butter used to cook the prawns/mushrooms over a low light. Slowly pour in the milk continuing to stir. Add ½ pint/300 ml of the scallop cooking liquid and stir until the sauce has thickened.

Season the sauce with salt and pepper, and add a couple of tablespoonfuls of double cream re-seasoning if necessary. Spoon the sauce over the shells  Picture  . Sprinkle a little breadcrumbs and Gruyere over the shells  Picture  .

Put under the grill for a few minutes until just bubbling and golden brown. Serve immediately.