The dish that is perfect for all special occasions, Christmas Eve, New Year’s Day or even for your birthday, lobster thermidor is truly indulgent and learning how to make it will certainly impress your friends, family and any guests.
This classic showstopper may seem quite intimidating to make, but it is surprisingly easy, regardless of the various steps needed. One necessity to remember is to always get the freshest lobster possible.
Fish To Your Door – a family run business operating for over 25 years in Sussex – delivers, as the brand name suggests, fresh fish straight to your doorstep. Buying the majority of their fish directly from local fishermen who fish the channel and anchor in Newhaven, Seaford, Eastbourne, Brighton and in many other locations, selling the freshest fish available.
Buying your lobster from Fish To Your Door means that you can be confident that your lobster will be fresh and of the highest quality, ideal for making the perfect lobster thermidor, no expenses spared.
Ingredients (for two servings)
For the lobster
2 fresh lobsters from Fish To Your Door
2/3 cup olive oil
For the béchamel sauce
4 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 cup stock (lobster, fish or chicken)
1 cup of milk
Salt (to taste)
Freshly ground black pepper (to taste)
Pinch of nutmeg
For the thermidor
2/3 cup of white wine
3 tablespoons of dry sherry
1 cup stock (lobster, fish or chicken)
2 to 3 shallots (finely chopped)
1 to 2 tablespoons of tarragon (fresh, chopped)
2 large egg yolks
3/4 cup of heavy cream
1 teaspoon of dry mustard
Method
Preparing the lobster
1. Preheat the oven to 200 degrees C.
2. Cut the lobster in half.
3. Brush the lobster with olive oil and bake in the preheated oven for 15 minutes.
For the béchamel sauce
1. In a small skillet or saucepan, make a roux by melting the butter and adding the flour one spoonful at a time. Mix rapidly until all the flour is in the saucepan and cook until caramel in colour.
2. Add 1/2 cup of the stock and stir.
3. Let the mixture come to a simmer, then slowly add the milk, continuing to stir.
4. After the mixture has simmered once more, season with salt and pepper to taste, and then add nutmeg. Be careful to not let the sauce boil.
5. Remove from the heat and reserve.
For the thermidor
1. Remove the lobster from the oven and let it cool.
2. With the help of a fork, remove all the meat from all parts of the lobster, chopping the meat.
3. In a small frying pan, add the wine, sherry, 1 cup of stock, shallots and tarragon, boiling it down until it is thick in consistency, almost like a glaze.
4. Add the glaze to the béchamel sauce that you’ve previously made and stir well to combine.
5. In a separate bowl, mix the cream with egg yolks.
6. Slowly add the combined béchamel sauce and glaze mixture into the cream, stirring constantly.
7. When you’ve poured 1/2 cup of the mixture into the bowl with the egg yolks and cream, pour it all back into the rest of the béchamel-glaze mixture. By tempering the cream-egg mixture, you won’t get your eggs scrambled in your sauce.
8. Bring to simmer but avoid boiling.
9. Add the dry mustard and some salt to taste, cooking until the sauce is thickened and remove from heat.
10. Add the lobster meat to the sauce, mixing well.
11. Fill the empty shells and bake for 3 to 4 minutes, until golden.
12. Serve and indulge with a glass of wine.
