Celebrating JC100: Julia Child’s 100th Birthday. Read more about the making of Shrimp Gratineéd with Wine, Garlic, and Herbs here.
Shrimp Gratineéd with Wine, Garlic, and Herbs
This dish can be made using just one pan if you wipe it out with a paper towel after sautéing the onion mixture. For sautéing the shrimp, pure olive oil, as opposed to extra-virgin, should be used because it has a relatively higher smoking point, and clarified butter is preferable to whole butter for the same reason. I used a “no stick-um” (nonstick) pan as Julia favored, but it is not essential. As Julia famously improvised, you can use a blow torch to gratiné the cheese, instead of the broiler, if you like.
Serves 2.
Adapted from Mastering the Art of French Cooking, Coquilles St. Jacques à la Provençale [1].
Equipment: 10-inch sauté pan with lid, medium baking dish, or individual ramekins. Broiler .
| 1/4 cup minced yellow onion 1 tablespoon butter 1 tablespoon minced shallot 2 cloves garlic, minced |
Heat butter in a 10-inch sauté pan over medium-low heat until foam begins to subside. Add onions, and cook slowly until tender and translucent but not browned, about 5 minutes. Stir in shallots and garlic and continue to cook for 1 minute more. Set aside. |
| 1/2 cup all-purpose flour 1/2 pound large (21-30 count) shrimp, peeled, deveined, and halved lengthwise (down the back) Salt and pepper |
Place flour in a shallow dish, whisking if necessary to break up any clumps. Dry shrimp with paper towels and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roll shrimp in flour to ensure good coverage and shake off any excess flour.Set oven rack to highest position and preheat broiler. |
| 1 tablespoon butter (preferably clarified) 1/2 tablespoon olive oil (not extra virgin) |
Heat butter and olive oil in clean 10-inch sauté pan over medium-high heat until just beginning to smoke. Add shrimp and cook, tossing or stirring often, until lightly browned but not cooked through, about 2 minutes. |
| 1/2 cup dry white wine 1/2 bay leaf 1/8 teaspoon dried thyme or 1/4 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves |
Pour wine into pan with shrimp. Add herbs and cooked onion mixture. Cover and simmer until shrimp is just cooked through, about 5 minutes. Place shrimp in baking dish or divide amongst ramekins. Bring wine sauce to a boil to reduce and thicken slightly, about 1 minute. Adjust seasoning to taste, and discard bay leaf. Pour wine sauce over shrimp in baking dish or divide evenly amongst ramekins. |
| 3 tablespoons finely grated gruyère cheese 1 tablespoon butter, cut into 6 pieces 1 teaspoon minced flat leaf parsley Lemon wedges |
Sprinkle cheese over sauced shrimp and dot with butter. Place dishes under broiler (set ramekins on a baking sheet, if using), and broil until top is golden brown and cheese is melted, about 3-4 minutes. Sprinkle lightly with parsley and serve immediately with lemon wedges. |
[1] Child, Julia; Bertholle, Louisette; Beck, Simone (1961, 1893, 2001). Mastering the Art of French Cooking (p. 218). Alfred A. Knopf.
