What does coquille mean?
A coquille is a shell, most commonly the ridged shell of a scallop. In culinary usage, the word can also denote a shell-shaped pastry or a savory filling prepared and served in a mollusk shell. Such dishes may contain seafood, vegetables, cheese, or a creamy sauce, with a baked presentation that turns the shell into part of the meal. The word is chiefly associated with French-influenced cookery and appears on restaurant menus as a description of food served en coquille, meaning “in a shell.” Although a coquille can refer broadly to a shell, it is especially associated with scallops, whose broad paired shells provide an attractive natural container. The term is somewhat formal and specialized compared with the everyday word “shell,” but it is useful when specifying a particular shell, culinary vessel, or preparation rather than a shell in general.
nounA shell, especially a scallop shell; also a shell-shaped pastry or case and a savory seafood preparation served in a shell.
- A mollusk shell, especially the shell of a scallop.
- A savory seafood or other filling baked or served in a shell, often with a creamy or cheesy sauce.
- A shell-shaped pastry or pastry case used to hold a filling.
"She ordered the seafood en coquille, served with a delicate cheese-and-butter sauce."
"The waiter brought the baked scallops in their golden coquilles."
"She folded the mixture into delicate pastry coquilles for the party."
The plural adds the standard ending -s and is used when referring to multiple shells, pastries, or shell-served preparations.
"The chef arranged the cooked coquilles on a bed of greens."
A scallop shell becomes edible tableware: “coquille” can name both the shell and the savory creation served inside it.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does coquille come from?
English borrowed the word from French coquille, meaning “shell,” in the early eighteenth century. French acquired it from Latin conchylium, a form related to concha and ultimately to Greek konchos, all belonging to the Indo-European family of words associated with shells. The same root underlies English cognates such as conch, conchology, and conchologist.
How coquille is actually used
The word is most familiar in culinary contexts, especially in menus and recipes influenced by French cooking. Its spelling is retained from French, and the final syllable is pronounced as a stressed /kiːl/.
Easily confused with coquille
A cockle is a small edible bivalve mollusk, whereas a coquille is a shell—especially a scallop shell—or a preparation served in such a shell.