I've made Ina's Coquilles Saint Jacques. I would use chicken stock...low sodium.

A couple suggestions for the recipe. Ina does likes her salt, so start with less and taste to check. I also used a bit less curry in the recipe.

Agree that she tends to be heavy handed with the salt. Thanks for the advice!

You can use chcken stock

I don't have a problem with the clam juice, but I never have brandy. I googled and most recipes are using white wine. I wonder if that would work the same here?

Ah, I forgot about the bottles for the bums, LOL! That is a great idea. Even Epicurious was using white wine. I may have to try both ways. Our liquor is only sold in the state ABC stores (Alabama Beverage Control). We might go crazy if we could buy it anywhere!

"We might go crazy if we could buy it anywhere!"

LOL...and people do! I think you should try a recipe using white wine. I'm sure it would be good...just different from Brandy. To be honest, I've only made Coqulles St. Jacques using Ina's recipe. Who knows...maybe I'd like it better with white wine. I certainly cook more with wine than Brandy.

ETA - Those mini bottles can sure be handy. Just recently I needed only a few tablespoons of tequila for a marinade. It's something we normally have on hand for margaritas but were out of it at the time. I remembered a small collection of mini bottles of booze I had in the pantry. Yup...tequila was there. :-) .

I think it was about 20 years ago they decided we could buy wine in the grocery stores, but it had to be in a closed section and you had to put the bottle in a brown paper bag. The cashier had to peek in the bag to ring it up. Then it was decided it was okay to just sell off the shelf. There are still counties and towns where alcohol is illegal to sell (dry county), so the people have to make a run to a "wet" county to buy. Some places that sell, still can't sell on Sunday.

I will have to remember those little bottles, because there are several liquors that I don't use enough of to justify the shelf space to keep on hand.

Only bear in grocery stores in KY. Kroger has their liquor store 3 stores down from the grocery; Whole Foods has it with a separate entrance, right in the store. Same with Trader Joe's. Makes no sense at all...

But "they" (who ever they are) are saving us from ourselves!

Thanks for all the comments and recommendations. Just received a text that our dinner guests had to cancel due to illness. Anyone want to come?

Hmmm...what time should I be there? :-)

6 pm. Bring dessert!

Okie dokie!