Saint-jaques scallops, fish stock bechamel and leeks

Preparation time: 30 min

Preheat your Oven at 375 °F

• Preparation

  Remove the little white muscle on the side of each scallop, if needed, then wash the scallops and place them on a paper towel.
  
  Heat your fish stock.

  Cut the leeks in half lengthwise, then to a thourough job of washing them. Let them dry on paper a towel.

• Scallops

  In a very hot pan with a bit of oil and a spoon of butter, add the scallops. Cook them until they're caramelized. They're ready when they don't stick to the pan and are nice and brown on one side. Add salt and pepper to taste.

  Remove from heat and put on a baking tray, browned side up. Right before you serve, you can reheat them for 3 or 4 min in the oven at 375F.

   

  BBQ

  You can also use your BBQ to sear the scallops. Using the top grill to finalize the cooking (indirect cooking, is if in the oven).

• Bechamel sauce

  In a pot, melt the butter, add the flour and cook at low heat while whisking non stop. Pour half of the fish stock and keep on whisking until the sauce thickens. Add the rest of the stock, keep on whisking to avoid lumps.
  Season to taste, remove from heat and let infuse.

• Leeks

  Finely chop your leeks. In a hot pan with a spoon of butter, cook your leeks for 3-4 minutes. Deglaze with white wine, lower the heat and let simmer until all the liquid evaporates.

• Plating

  In the St Jaques shell, put some leeks, then a scallop and cover with sauce.

  Put in the oven under broil for a minute or two to give a nice colour.