Cookbook:Lobster Thermidor

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Cookbook | Cuisines | North America | United States

There are many common variations of Lobster Thermidor commonly found in American cookbooks, on Northeastern restaurant menus, and Hollywood films. Most recipes for Lobster Thermidor involve stuffing an empty lobster tail with sautéed lobster meat that is cooked with cream and sherry, topping the chunky sauce with a suitably fatty cheese, then broiling the stuffed tail under an open flame.

Contents 1 Ingredients 2 Optional: Preparing a fresh lobster 3 Preparing the Filling 4 Final Steps

[edit] Ingredients

• 1/2 lb lobster (225g) meat, preferably from the tail.
• 1 cleaned lobster tail shell
• 3 tablespoons of butter or margarine
• 1 cup (240ml) of heavy cream
• 2 eggs yolks separated
• 1/2 cup (120ml) of sherry or brandy
• 1/2 cup (120g) of grated gruyere or mozzarella cheese
• salt and freshly ground black pepper

Note: Cooking and shelling a fresh lobster can be a time consuming process, hence frozen or pre-shelled tail meat is often used as a substitute.

[edit] Optional: Preparing a fresh lobster

Note: Lobsters are live animals that can be commonly purchased in most large American grocery stores.

1. Bring 12 cups of water to a boil in a pan that is large enough to accommodate the entire lobster.
2. Add the lobster to the boiling water and cook until it turns a bright red.
3. Remove and Let Cool,
4. Carefully Slice the Tail along the midsection and remove the cooked tail meat, do not discard the shell.

Additional Notes: There are other parts of the lobster that can also be eaten, but tail meat is particuarly prized for its unique texture gearth.

[edit] Preparing the Filling

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

[edit] Final Steps

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

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 to the lobster with carrots, celery, tarragon and wine as an additional ingrediant to thicken the sauce of cream and sherry.

Additional information on the historical and cultural aspects of Lobster Themidor can be found here.