This site uses only a few technical cookies necessary for its operation. By continuing to browse, you accept their use.
To find out more...
To find out more...
Lobster Thermidor
In this recipe, the lobster are cooked first in a court bouillon (stock), then the flesh is removed and cut into small pieces before being cooked with the cream and alcohol. The dish is browned in the oven to finish.
35 min.
Easy
15.35 €
4 people
8 IngredientsLast modified on: January 22th 2012
4 lobsters tail
50 g 
3 tablespoons Port
4 tablespoons Brandy (Cognac or Armagnac)
2 tablespoons 
150 ml 
Times for this recipe
Preparation: 7 min.
Cooking: 30 min.
All in all: 35 min.
If you start now, at , you will finish around : ?.Change start time
To finish around 7pm, you'll need to have started before: .Change end time
Step by step recipe
Stage 1 - ⌛ 7 min.
Cook the 4 lobsters tail in court bouillon, then remove the flesh from the shells and cut into pieces or slice.
Note: do not overcook the lobster or they will become rubbery. Use a thermometer if possible, and cook until the temperature at the centre of a tail reaches 60°C (140°F).
Note: do not overcook the lobster or they will become rubbery. Use a thermometer if possible, and cook until the temperature at the centre of a tail reaches 60°C (140°F).
Stage 2 - ⌛ 3 min.
Heat 50 g butter in a large frying pan on high heat. When hot, tip in the lobster pieces and sauter (fry, tossing gently in the pan) for 2 or 3 minutes.
Stage 3 - ⌛ 2 min.
Pour in 3 tablespoons Port and 4 tablespoons Brandy (Cognac or Armagnac) and continue cooking until the liquid has been absorbed.
Stage 4 - ⌛ 3 min.
Sprinkle with flour and cook for a further 2 or 3 minutes, stirring constantly, until the lobster begins to brown slightly.
Stage 5 - ⌛ 10 min.
Pour in 150 ml cream, salt and pepper. Turn down the heat and leave to thicken on low heat.
Check seasoning.
Check seasoning.
Stage 6 - ⌛ 5 min.
Divide equally between small ramekins...
Stage 7 - ⌛ 5 min.
... and finish in the oven for a few minutes, until browned on the top.
Stage 8
Serve piping hot in the ramekin.
Remarks
The original very classy, but somewhat-dated recipe is for lobster Thermidor, but lobster or langoustines (Norway lobster) work very well.
In the original version, the flesh is put back into the shell rather than into ramekins, which is much prettier, but rather tricky to do. If you want to try it, stand the half-shells in a bed of coarse salt to keep them upright.
In the original version, the flesh is put back into the shell rather than into ramekins, which is much prettier, but rather tricky to do. If you want to try it, stand the half-shells in a bed of coarse salt to keep them upright.
Keeping: A few days in a sealed container, before the final oven cooking. .
Source: Based on a recipe by Ginette Mathiot.
Nutritional information
| Proteins (gr) | Carbohydrates (gr) | Fats (gr) | Energy value (in k-calories) | Energy value (in k-joules) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Whole recipe | 70 RDI=30 % | 40 RDI=4 % | 100 RDI=20 % | 1,490 RDI=70 % | 6,220 RDI: 70 % |
| Per 100 g | 9 RDI=4 % | 6 RDI=1 % | 10 RDI=2 % | 220 RDI=10 % | 930 RDI: 10 % |
| Per person | 20 RDI=6 % | 10 RDI=1 % | 20 RDI=4 % | 370 RDI=20 % | 1,560 RDI: 20 % |
How much will it cost?
- For 4 people : 15.35 €
- Per person : 3.85 €
Change currency:
Note: Be careful, these prices are only an estimate, you can consult the table of prices by ingredients used for this estimate.
This recipe uses (among others)
Cream
Like these other recipes: Whiting fillet with mustard carrots, Gratin Comtois, Crispy rolls with chicken and leek, Grilled fillet of salmon with corn-salad cream, Potatoes with prawns, ... See them all 120
Butter
Like these other recipes: Pretzels, Rum babas, Pistachio cream, Leek and egg frichti, Flamiche, ... See them all 483
Brandy (Cognac or Armagnac)
Like these other recipes: Terrine of foie gras, Coq au vin, Foie gras ballotine, Paté en croute (terrine in a pie crust), Crème de foie gras, ... See them all 14
Other recipes you may also like
How to cook Morteau sausage well
This is, in my opinion, the best smoked sausage. You can cook it in a number of ways, here are three of the best known. November 15th 20182.81 M 23.4 40 min.
Boiling potatoes in their skins
Boiling potatoes has given rise to two sayings: 1) You should not peel potatoes before boiling. 2) You should not leave potatoes to cool in the cooking water. The first suggests that potatoes should be always cooked in their skins, to prevent water penetrating and making the potatoes go soft and break up. The second suggests that if potatoes cool in their cooking water, they will absorb some of it, which will give them an unpleasant flavour. True or false? Let's try the... July 25th 2017627 K 34.4 30 min.
Pan-fried potatoes
What could be simpler than fried potatoes? No need of a recipe for that! Quite right, but it's also very easy to end up making fried mash instead. Here are the main pitfalls to avoid. February 3rd 2011315 K4.5 1 hour 40 min.
Real home-made chips*
It's not easy to make these - the original "French fries" - well at home, that is, to produce golden and crunchy chips from fresh potatoes. Here is a way of doing it in three cooking stages, which gives very good results: melting in the middle, crunchy on the outside, and a nice golden colour. What's more, everything can be prepared in advance. [Translator's note: I have called these "chips" (the British English term, not to be confused with flat round "crisps", being what Americans understand... December 30th 2019450 K5 1 hour 50 min.
"BN style" chocolate-filled biscuits
These are similar to the BN biscuits so well-known in France. They are a sandwich of chocolate filling between two layers of biscuit. Children adore them! March 21th 2011228 K 24.6 5 hours 15 min.
News list of cooking-ez.com
Sign up to receive the latest recipes (next batch due to be sent on 2025-12-07)
Note: We'll never share your e-mail address with anyone else.
Follow this recipe
If you are interested in this recipe, you can "follow" it, by entering your email address here. You will then receive a notification immediately each time the recipe is modified or a new comment is added. Please note that you will need to confirm this following.
Note: We'll never share your e-mail address with anyone else.
Alternatively: you can subscribe to the mailing list of cooling-ez.com , you will receive a e-mail for each new recipe published on the site.
The 1 comment already posted on this recipe