INGREDIENTS

• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 6 ounces baby button, or Paris, mushrooms
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 1 tablespoon unbleached all purpose flour
• 1 cup whole milk
• 1 knifepoint of piment d’Espelette or cayenne
• 1 knifepoint freshly grated nutmeg
• 3 tablespoons grated Gruyère, plus extra for topping the gratins
• 12 ounces bay scallops
• Sea salt
• Freshly cracked black pepper

PROCEDURE

Arrange the oven rack in the second position from the top.  Preheat the broiler.  In a small nonstick sautépan over medium-high heat, add the olive oil and mushrooms.  Toast, stirring often, until the mushrooms are golden brown.  They don’t need to be cooked through.  Set aside. To make the mornay sauce, melt the butter in a small saucepan.  Whisk in the flour, and cook over low heat for 1 minute.  Add the milk, and whisk.  Continue whisking with the pan over medium heat until the mixture is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, and when you run your finger down the back of that spoon, the mixture stays separated—about 5 minutes.  Then add the piment, nutmeg, and 3 tablespoons Gruyère and whisk to combine.  Set aside. Lightly oil two wide ovensafe dishes.  Mix the scallops and the mushrooms together, half of each in each dish, and season with salt and pepper.  Spread in an even layer across each dish.  Pour half of the mornay sauce over each dish, and top with a tablespoon or so of extra grated Gruyère.  Broil for 10 minutes.print this recipe