comfort recipe

We usually associate comfort food with cold days but even in summer some comfort food feels and tastes great.   One of my favorites is Coquilles St. Jacques...now if you don't like seafood this one isn't for you since Scallops are the main ingredient.  It's a french cassarole that was invented to use up mashed potatoes. Cafe Select has always made one of the best but I wanted to be able to make it at home so I tried a few different recipes and this is the best one I found courtesy of Food Network Canada.  It only took me about 20 minutes and was very good but needs a little more seasoning than is listed .  A little more salt and pepper and next time I'm gonna try a little Terragon.

Sandi Richard's Coquille St. Jacques

  Yield:  4
Recipe Courtesy Sandi Richard, Fixing Dinner. Ingredients:

Coquilles St. Jacques

• Leftover mashed potatoes, about 2 cups (500 ml)
• 3 tbsp butter (45 ml)
• 2 green onions
• 1 cup sliced mushrooms (250 ml)
• 3 tbsp flour (45 ml)
• 1/2 cup white wine (125 ml)
• 1/2 cup half and half (125 ml)
• 3/4 cup 1% milk (175 ml)
• 1/2 tsp salt (2 ml)
• 2 cups scallops (500 ml)
• 2 cups cooked shrimp (medium size) (500 ml)
• 1 cup gruyere cheese (250 ml)

  Directions:

Coquilles St. Jacques

1. Preheat oven to 375 F.
2. Place leftover mashed potatoes in a large heavy freezer bag. Squish the mashed potatoes to one corner of the bag and slice the tip of the bag off with scissors. Line the edge of 4 small oven proof dishes with a heavy stream of mashed potatoes, approx. 1/2 inch thick. Once the edge of the dish is lined with potato, work the potato with your finger to create an even rounded edge. With the back side of a salad fork, press down on the rounded edge using your opposite hand's pointing finger and thumb as a guide for the fork. This will mimic a fluted piping edge. Set dishes aside in refrigerator.
3. In a med size stove-top pot, melt butter at med-low heat. Wash and chop green onion and add to pan. Wash and slice mushrooms and add to pan. Sauté for approx 1 minute.
4. Sprinkle flour all over onion and mushrooms. Gradually whisk in (leftover) white wine. Whisk in half and half and then milk. Stir until mixture begins to thicken slightly. Stir in salt, scallops and cooked, cleaned shrimp. Heat through.
5. Fill the center of each potato piped dish with the seafood sauce until it comes just past the bottom ridge of the piped potato. Grate a little gruyere cheese directly on top.Place in pre-heated oven. Set timer for 15 minutes, or until cheese starts to crust and potatoes form a golden crust.