A classic dish that brings a touch of decadence to the dinner table, lobster thermidor was created by a restaurant near the theatre Comedie Francaise in Paris to honour the opening of the play Thermidor in 1894.
It may look complex but is in fact simple to make, although it requires a little preparation if you buy live lobsters rather than ones that are already cooked. For my money it's best served with a crisp little gem salad and french fries.
Lobster thermidor
Serves 4
100g salt
4 x 500g live lobsters
20g butter
2 shallots, finely sliced
200ml white wine
400ml fish stock
300ml double cream
1tbsp English mustard
100g cheddar
2 medium free-range eggs
100g parmesan
Set the grill to its highest setting. Bring a very large pan of water to the boil on a high heat and add the salt. Kill the lobsters by inserting a long, sharp knife between the eyes on the top of the head then plunge them into the boiling water and cook for 2 minutes (you will probably need to cook these in two batches, depending on the size of your pan). Remove from the water, place on a chopping board and leave to cool for 5 minutes.
Meanwhile, put the butter in a clean saucepan over a medium heat. Add the sliced shallots to the pan and sweat them for 3 minutes until translucent and not coloured. Add the wine to the shallots and reduce over a high heat until almost all the wine is gone and you are left with around two teaspoonfuls of liquid.
Add the fish stock, bring it to the boil and reduce over a high heat by three-quarters, so you're left with 100ml of liquid. Add 200ml of the cream and the mustard, bring to the boil and reduce slightly until the sauce is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.
Grate the cheddar and whisk it into the sauce until it has melted and the sauce is smooth. Season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper then leave to cool. Once the sauce is cool, add the egg yolks and mix well.
Whip the remaining 100ml of cream in a clean bowl until soft peaks form when you remove the whisk, then fold the cream into the thermidor sauce and set aside.
To prepare the lobster, first remove the claws from each lobster, crack them with a sharp, heavy knife and take out the meat, preferably in one piece. Make sure you remove the cartilage from the centre of the claw meat.
Cut each body in half lengthways by inserting the point of a knife in the head and pushing it with the palm of your hand down the length of each lobster. Remove the meat from the tails and cut it into four pieces.
Wash the shells under cold running water, removing everything from the head, and dry well.
Place the tail and claw meat in a bowl, adding a little thermidor sauce. Mix well then spoon the meat and sauce into the empty lobster half-shells.
Spoon the remaining sauce evenly over the meat then place the shells on baking trays. Grate the parmesan finely and sprinkle it over the lobsters, then place them under the grill for 4-5 minutes, or until the sauce is bubbling and golden-brown. Remove the lobsters from under the grill, garnish with fine herbs and serve.
WINE MATCH
Au Bon Climat, 2004, Santa Maria Valley, US (Wood-Winters, £29)
A nose of citrus and pineapple with hints of nuts leads to flavours of lemon, more pineapple, hazelnut and vanilla oak, balanced with fine acidity and followed by a long and complex finish.
The Honours, 58a North Castle Street, Edinburgh. Visit www.thehonours.co.uk or call 0131 220 2513.
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