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 | 66 RDI=103 % | 40 RDI=15 % | 98 RDI=135 % | 1,485 RDI=74 % | 6,222 RDI: 74 % |
| Per 100 g | 9 RDI=15 % | 6 RDI=2 % | 14 RDI=20 % | 221 RDI=11 % | 926 RDI: 11 % |
| Per person | 16 RDI=26 % | 10 RDI=4 % | 24 RDI=34 % | 371 RDI=19 % | 1,555 RDI: 19 % |
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: Rice à la grecque, Chocolate tart, Tuna pasta, Mushroom buckwheat pancakes, Pasta with green asparagus, ... See them all 124
Butter
Like these other recipes: Pistachio cream, Lime crémeux, Pan-baked hash brown (Hash-brown casserole), Two-stage beef chuck , Eggs "en cocotte" with spinach, ... See them all 498
Brandy (Cognac or Armagnac)
Like these other recipes: Rabbit terrine, Chilli langoustines, Pâté de campagne, Crème de foie gras, Coq au vin, ... See them all 14
Other recipes you may also like
Pain perdu
This is a sweet French version of "eggy bread": slices of bread soaked in a mixture of milk, cream, egg yolks and vanilla sugar, then pan-fried until golden. It's really simple and wickedly delicious! July 20th 2011185 K3.8 40 min.
Fruit crumble
A fruit pudding: very easy to do and delicious: just a layer of fruit with a golden crunchy topping. February 21th 2011375 K4.0 1 hour 15 min.
Clarified butter
This is a way of melting butter to eliminate all the impurities. The clarified butter can then be heated without spoiling, and is more digestible. It is ideal for cooking at high temperatures where small black specks would spoil the appearance, or for emulsified sauces like béarnaise or mousseline. June 21th 2017488 K4.2 2 hours 15 min.
Real custard sauce (crème anglaise)
Real custard or vanilla sauce consists of egg yolks beaten with sugar and cooked slowly in vanilla milk. It is the base or the accompaniment for many desserts. January 17th 2018446 K 24.3 45 min.
Hachis parmentier
This is the French answer (meat with mashed potato and cheese) to the English cottage or shepherd's pie: a typical family recipe which is an excellent way of using up leftover meat. The proportions are vague here: you need "whatever you have left over"... February 21th 2011427 K 24.3 1 hour 25 min.
News list of cooking-ez.com
Sign up to receive the latest recipes (next batch due to be sent on 2026-04-26)
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