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
12 people
8 IngredientsLast modified on: January 22th 2012
12 lobsters tail
154.8 ml 
9 tablespoons Port
12 tablespoons Brandy (Cognac or Armagnac)
6 tablespoons 
450 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 12 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 154.8 ml 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 9 tablespoons Port and 12 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 450 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 | 200 RDI=80 % | 120 RDI=10 % | 300 RDI=50 % | 4,460 RDI=220 % | 18,670 RDI: 220 % |
| 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 12 people : 45.95 €
- 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: Breton Pie, Hot sesame-cream chicken tartines, Thin summer tart "à la grecque", Leopard cake, Spicy roast cauliflower gratin, ... See them all 115
Butter
Like these other recipes: Pesto crackers, Potato gratin, Soft apple cookies, Celeriac and mushroom gratin, X-Files cookies, ... See them all 472
Brandy (Cognac or Armagnac)
Like these other recipes: Stuffed prunes, Foie gras cured in salt, Pâté de campagne, Terrine of foie gras, Crème de foie gras, ... See them all 14
Other recipes you may also like
4 pears salad with vanilla
It's a very easy recipe, everything depends on the choice of differents kinds of pears all fully ripe, to give a delicious contrast in the mouth.February 21th 2011232 K4.2 40 min.
Ramekins of duchess potatoes
Duchess potatoes are a mix of mashed potato and egg yolks, cooked in the oven, in a decorative shape and delicious. In this recipe they top a ramekin containing a layer of mashed potato, cooked leek, and thinly sliced bacon.March 4th 2020301 K 24.6 2 hours 5 min.
Puff or flaky pastry (pâte feuilletée)
Puff pastry is an incredible assembly of thin layers of butter enclosed in thin layers of dough. After cooking this give a succession of thin crisp pastry leaves that produce exceptional desserts or pies. It's a jewel of French patisserie. Making your own puff pastry is not very difficult, it's just...January 19th 2011457 K 63.3 2 hours 45 min.
"Buttonhole" quail eggs
This little appetizer consists of a small finger of toast, a slice of cured ham and three quail egg yolks arranged on a rectangle of egg white. It is a bit tricky to make, but very attractive to serve, and delicious, of course.June 26th 2011184 K5 60 min.
Potato and two ham gratin
Little morsels of boiled and raw cured ham sautéd briefly then mixed with mashed potatoes and finished as a gratin in the oven.October 20th 2011127 K 14.6 50 min.
News list of cooking-ez.com
Sign up to receive the latest recipes (next batch due to be sent on 2025-07-06)
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