Cookbook:Lobster Thermidor

Lobster Thermidor
Category	Seafood recipes
Difficulty

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Lobster thermidor is a dish created by stuffing an empty lobster tail with sautéed lobster meat that is cooked with butter, a light wine (often sherry), and cream. The resulting sauce is stuffed into a lobster shell then topped with either a cheese, mushrooms or combination of vegetables before being placed under an open flame or broiled.

The dish originated in Europe but was popularized in the US in the mid-20th century. Perhaps the most prominent reference to Lobster Thermidor is in the movie Citizen Kane; while never shown, is it used as an example of early 20th century Northeastern haute cuisine.

While present in older American cookbooks, the preparation is no longer widely-known. It is related to Lobster Newberg, another lobster tail recipe commonly presented in older Northeastern-themed cookbooks.

Ingredients

• ½ lb (225 g) cooked lobster meat, preferably from the tail; see notes
• 1 cleaned lobster tail shell
• 3 tablespoons butter or margarine
• 1 cup (240 ml) heavy cream
• 2 egg yolks
• ½ cup (120 ml) sherry or brandy
• ½ cup (120 g) grated gruyere or mozzarella cheese
• Salt
• Freshly-ground black pepper

Procedure

Filling

1. In a serving bowl, mix together egg yolks and cream, then set aside for later use.
2. In a saucepan large enough to accommodate everything, warm the butter over low heat until it melts.
3. Add the cooked lobster meat and wine to the butter, then sauté over medium-high heat for about 2–3 minutes, or until the meat is warmed through and the wine has been mostly absorbed.
4. Slowly add the cream and egg mixture, stirring all the time to ensure that the sauce is evenly mixed.
5. When the sauce has thickened remove from heat.

Assembly

1. Set oven to broil or prepare an open flame.
2. Carefully stuff the empty lobster tail with the filling.
3. Top the filling with the grated cheese, salt, and pepper.
4. Place the filled shell underneath the open flame and broil for 3–8 minutes, or until the cheese melts and turns a golden brown.
5. Remove from the oven, and serve on a warmed plate with garnish and appropriate accompaniments.

Notes, tips, and variations

• Cooking and shelling a fresh lobster can be a time consuming process, so frozen or pre-shelled tail meat is often used as a substitute. If you would like to prepare your own lobster meat, refer to the recipe for boiled lobster.
• While the base preparation of Lobster Thermidor often remains the same, the type of wine or cheese used, or the way that the lobster is cooked differs.
• Some preparations include utilizing the broth generated from cooking the lobster with carrots, celery, tarragon, and wine as an additional ingredient to thicken the sauce of cream and sherry.