lobster thermidor

This dish gained a bad reputation during the Seventies and Eighties because it was often cooked so badly – drowned in an overpowering sea of rich, cheesy sauce. If it’s made with a just a little sauce that’s been carefully flavoured with small amounts of mustard, tarragon and Gruyère, it’s still one of the best hot lobster dishes there is. See our grilled lobster thermidor for a lighter version of this classic dish.

Lobster Thermidor

milk

bay leaves

onion,

black peppercorns

lobster (about 750 grams)

butter

plain flour

shallots, finely chopped

dry white wine

tsp English mustard

tarragon

chives

tbsp double cream (optional)

cayenne pepper

Gruyère, finely grated

Put the milk, bay leaves, onion and peppercorns in a small pan. Bring to the boil, then set aside for 10 minutes for the flavours to infuse.

Meanwhile, remove the meat from the cooked lobster and cut it into small, chunky pieces. Keep the tomalley (the grey-green liver) and any roe separate. Put the cleaned out half-shells in a small baking tray. Preheat the grill to high.

For the sauce, reheat the milk gently. Melt 20g of the butter in another small pan, stir in the flour and cook for a few seconds. Strain in a little of the hot milk and whisk until smooth. Gradually whisk in the rest of the milk, bring to the boil, then lower the heat and simmer for 5 minutes, stirring now and then. You should be left with 200ml sauce with the consistency of thick cream.

While the sauce is simmering, melt the remaining butter in another small pan, add the shallots and cook gently until soft but not browned. Add the wine, turn up the heat and simmer rapidly until the liquid has almost disappeared. Stir in the white sauce, together with the mustard, tarragon, chives, cream (if using), cayenne pepper and 25g of the grated cheese. Season to taste with salt and black pepper.

Stir the lobster meat into the sauce, with the tomalley and any roe if you wish, then divide the mixture equally between the cleaned half-shells. Sprinkle with the remaining cheese, slide under the grill, then cook for 3-4 minutes until golden and bubbling. Serve with new potatoes and a light, green salad.

Easy Lobster Thermidor is a restaurant quality lobster recipe you can make at home in less than an hour. Super simple, decadent and perfect with a creamy cognac sauce.

Classic Lobster Thermidor

lobsters

unsalted butter

shallots

garlic

all-purpose flour

cognac

heavy cream

salt (plus 1/8 teaspoon)

white pepper

Parmesan (plus 2 tablespoons)

dry mustard powder

tarragon leaves

parsley (plus additional for garnish)

gruyere cheese

Preheat the oven to 375˚ F. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and set aside.

Cut the lobsters in half lengthwise with a sharp knife and remove the tail meat.

Twist off the claws from the body and gently crack with the back of a heavy knife to remove the meat. Gently pull the front legs from the shell and discard.

Chop the tail meat and claw meat into bite sized pieces and set aside.

Place the halved lobster shells on the baking sheet and set aside.

Melt the butter in a deep skillet over medium heat. Add the shallots and garlic, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the flour and whisk to combine.

Cook the flour mixture, stirring constantly to make a light roux, approximately 2 minutes.

Add the cognac and cook for 10 seconds, stirring constantly.

Slowly add the milk, stirring constantly to combine. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer until thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, approximately 2 to 3 minutes.

Slowly add the cream, stirring constantly, until thoroughly combined. Continue cooking while stirring over medium heat for 1 minute. (The mixture will be very thick.) Season with salt and pepper.

Remove from the heat and stir in the parmesan cheese, mustard, tarragon, and parsley. Fold in the lobster meat.

Divide the mixture among the lobster shells and place stuffed side up on a clean baking sheet.

Sprinkle the top of each lobster with the gruyere and broil until the top is golden brown, 5 minutes.

Place 1 lobster half on each plates, garnish with additional parsley, and serve immediately.

Top 2 lobster thermidor recipes from across the web

The most viewed lobster thermidor recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 20,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engine

Top Tags

Lobster Thermidor

Classic Lobster Thermidor

Top 2 lobster thermidor recipes from across the web

The most viewed lobster thermidor recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 20,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engineic_arrow_forward_48px

Top Tags

Lobster Thermidor

Classic Lobster Thermidor

The most viewed lobster thermidor recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 20,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engine