Coquilles St. Jacques Casserole

I made this on-the-fly tonight.  I had a bag of frozen scallops and thought maybe some sort of "Coquilles St. Jacques" spin on them would be nice.  I was inspired to do so after we ordered the classic dish as an appetizer in a restaurant ($20 each!).  It had a delicious sounding spin on it made with mushroom duxelles and Béarnaise sauce, however it was served cold and the scallops were raw.  Below is the picture of the Coquilles St. Jacques we were served...we returned both and ordered something else.  I wanted to show my son what the classic dish tasted like though I had to do my own take on it as well, fingers crossed...  🤞

• 400 grams frozen bay scallops, thawed and patted dry, 
• 300 grams frozen wild baby shrimp, thawed and patted dry
• 1 sweet onion, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/4 cup white wine
• 2 large russet potatoes, boiled and mashed with butter & milk
• 1/4 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup unsalted butter
• 2 cups 2% milk
• 300 grams Comte cheese, grated
• Fresh Italian parsley, finely chopped
• Kosher salt and fresh cracked pepper, to taste
• Fresh grated nutmeg, to taste

Preheat oven to 350°F.   I coated a 9" x 9" baking dish with cooking spray.  I laid the dried scallops and shrimp in the dish then seasoned with pepper.  

I made a white cheese sauce in a medium saucepan next.  I started by sautéing the onion and garlic in butter until soft.  When soft I deglazed with the white wine, until it disappeared.  I added the butter, followed by the flour and cooked it until not raw.  I added in the milk and whisked till boiling and thick.  I added half the cheese, nutmeg, parsley and S&P.  I whisked till cheese melted and everything was combined.  I poured this over the scallops and shrimp.  

I mashed the potatoes with milk and butter.  I seasoned with S&P.  I decided to pipe these over the dish, but leaving space for the sauce to show through.  

When done, I sprinkled the remaining Comte cheese over the top and put it in the oven for about 30 minutes until scallops were cooked and everything was warmed through and bubbling hot.  I finished under the broiler until the potatoes were browned and the cheese was melty.  

This was super comfort-food yumminess.  😋  I do wish I had pressed the liquid out of the seafood more diligently but other than that, it tasted just like classic Coquilles St. Jacques.  We really enjoyed the Comte cheese in it too.  Thumbs UP!