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
4 people
8 IngredientsLast modified on: January 22th 2012
4 lobsters tail
51.6 ml 
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 51.6 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 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: Coconut-vanilla cream for Elsa , Chocolate cream, Pasta with green asparagus, Green bean purée, Country-style spring pasta, ... See them all 115
Butter
Like these other recipes: Poppy seed and lemon cake, Strawberry and rhubarb crumble, Baked apples from St Aubin le Vertueux, How to fry eggs well, Naan, ... See them all 472
Brandy (Cognac or Armagnac)
Like these other recipes: Paté en croute (terrine in a pie crust), Rabbit terrine, Stuffed prunes, Crème de foie gras, Foie gras ballotine, ... See them all 14
Other recipes you may also like
Marinated tuna with herbs
Here is a very simple recipe, preferably for a barbecue or plancha, but could be made in the kitchen. As for any summer-barbecue-backyard recipe, all proportons can be varied according to taste.February 21th 2011275 K4.3 1 hour 25 min.
Caramelised walnuts
These delicious nuts can be used in several cakes, but you can also put them on ice-cream, pancakes, fruit salad, or eat them just as they are.February 21th 2011374 K5 25 min.
Ocean bread
The idea for this bread was inspired by an amusing coincidence: the proportion of salt needed for good bread is 35 g of salt per litre of water, which just happens to be the exact concentration of salt in the Atlantic Ocean. So it's possible to make bread using sea water to provide all the salt...October 24th 2017181 K 63.8 5 hours 7 min.
Minestrone
Minestrone is a traditional Italian soup. It is made with a mix of vegetables and a poultry stock. It is quite simple to make, but preparing all the vegetables takes time. There are doubtless as many minestrone recipes as there are Italian cooks, but here is my version.May 29th 2011179 K4.3 3 hours 30 min.
How to prepare courgettes
Preparing courgettes is fairly simple. You just need to remember 3 things: 1) the bigger they are, the less good they will be, 2) they never need to be peeled, and 3) the central part with the seeds is pretty tasteless.June 8th 2011285 K 13.8 30 min.
News list of cooking-ez.com
Sign up to receive the latest recipes (next batch due to be sent on 2025-07-20)
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