France · Fish and Seafood Dishes · High protein

Lobster Thermidor

Name: Lobster Thermidor
Prep time: 16 min
Cook time: 37 min
Total time: 53 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: French
Ingredients: 2 large lobsters; 60 g butter; 1 onion; 200 g mushrooms; 2 tbsp flour; 1 cup dry white wine; 1 cup cream; 2 egg yolks; 2 tbsp brandy or cognac; 1 tbsp Dijon mustard; 1/2 cup Gruyère cheese; to taste salt and pepper

Lobster Thermidor is a truly luxurious dish with a rich creamy and cheesy sauce. Brandy gives the sauce an exquisite flavor and mustard adds a savory note. Baked with a crispy cheese crust.

53 min 555 kcal 4 serves Medium💪High protein🇫🇷France★★★★★5.0· 5 reviews

Ingredients

ServingsMetric

2 largelobsters
60 gbutter
1 onion
200 gmushrooms
2 tbspflour
1 cupdry white wine
1 cupcream
2 egg yolks
2 tbspbrandy or cognac
1 tbspDijon mustard
½ cupGruyère cheese
to tastesalt and pepper

Note from Sergei

Sergei Martynov

“Lobster Thermidor is the kind of dish that sounds intimidating but is actually quite manageable once you understand the steps. The heart of it is a rich cream sauce enriched with egg yolks, Gruyère cheese, and a splash of brandy — classically flambéed right in the pan. I always cook the lobster gently to avoid toughening the meat, then fold it into the sauce and broil until golden and bubbling. This is a celebration dish from the grand tradition of French haute cuisine, and it deserves good-quality lobster. Don't rush the sauce; let it reduce properly for that velvety consistency.”

When flambéing the brandy, tilt the pan away from you and let the flame ignite naturally — never pour from the bottle near an open flame. A controlled, brief flambé burns off the alcohol and leaves deep, complex flavor.

Method

Boil the lobsters in salted water for 8-10 minutes. Cool, remove the flesh from the shell and cut into large chunks.
In a frying pan, melt butter over medium heat. Fry the onion and mushrooms until soft, about 5 minutes. Sprinkle with flour and fry for another 2 minutes, stirring.
Pour in the wine and cream. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for about 5 minutes until the sauce thickens slightly.
Mix the egg yolks and brandy in a separate bowl. Add a little of the hot sauce to warm the egg mixture, then pour it back into the sauce, stirring. Add mustard, Gruyère cheese, salt and pepper. Stir until the cheese is dissolved.
Place the lobster pieces in the pan with the sauce and stir gently. Transfer to heatproof shells or molds, sprinkle with remaining cheese. Bake in a preheated 200°C oven for 10-15 minutes until the cheese is melted and browned. Serve hot, garnished with fresh parsley.

FAQ

The classic recipe calls for a live or freshly cooked lobster split in half. Substitutes: frozen lobster tails (the closest option), langoustine, large crab claws, or jumbo tiger shrimp. The flavor will differ, but the thermidor sauce (cream, mustard, cognac, cheese) dominates and elevates any seafood to restaurant quality.

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Comments (1)

Sergei Martynov✍ Author
29d ago
The residual heat continues cooking the lobsters for 2-3 minutes after you remove it from the pan. I pull my lobster thermidor when it looks slightly underdone in the center — it finishes perfectly on the plate.