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: Baked potoatoes with herb butter or cream , Saint-Lô cake, Potimarron (Japanese chestnut pumpkin) purée, Courgettes (zuchinis) , Vol-au-vent, ... See them all 120
Butter
Like these other recipes: Salad greens and small omelette, Cauliflower "moelleux" in ramekins, Couscous, Gratin of chicken with rice and sautéed mushrooms, Spinach Omelette, ... See them all 481
Brandy (Cognac or Armagnac)
Like these other recipes: Foie gras cured in salt, Crème de foie gras, Coq au vin, Foie gras ballotine, Rabbit terrine, ... See them all 14
Other recipes you may also like
Tomato sauce (for pizzas)
This is the sauce to put on pizza bases before the toppings. October 19th 2010542 K4.3 1 hour 15 min.
Scallops with crunchy vegetables and wine sabayon
This is a bed of vegetables cut small, lightly cooked to stay crunchy. The scallops are cut in half and fried, filled with a morsel of foie gras, and served coated with a savoury reduced white wine sabayon. It entails some work, but the result is impresive. June 11th 2011325 K4 2 hours 60 min.
Maroilles cheese quiche
Traditional recipe from northern France, using a typical and tasty regional cheese. But this can be replaced by another (see below). April 17th 2022264 K 34.7 2 hours 30 min.
Potato purée
The French have fond childhood memories of this, and while nothing will ever be as good as "Maman" made, here's a fairly straightforward way to make it. October 3rd 2010252 K5 1 hour 35 min.
Foie gras fingers
An elegant canapé which consists of a crisp layer of shortcrust pastry topped with a layer of foie gras. December 21th 2011147 K4.6 2 hours 50 min.
News list of cooking-ez.com
Sign up to receive the latest recipes (next batch due to be sent on 2025-11-30)
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