Lobster Thermidor
Serves 4
Ingredients
- Our Lobster Thermidor kit including a tub of fish stock
- 1 tsp oil
- 2 shallots, peeled and finely chopped
- 75g/3ozs grated Gruyere or Parmesan cheese
- 1 teaspoon English mustard
- 1 tbsp finely chopped tarragon
- 1 tsp each chopped chervil and parsley
- 150ml/ 5 fl ozs double cream
- a little cayenne pepper
- 50g/2oz butter
- 1 glass of white wine, sherry or cognac...
- salt and pepper
Method
- Snap tails off red lobsters. Remove legs. Clean torso/head and set aside. Cut each tail lengthways. Remove meat and cut into one inch chunks.
- Crack open claws. Best way: strike them with the bottom end of the blade of a heavy knife, almost as if hammering (not quite as hard). Remove meat (claw meat is very variable - there may not be a lot).
- Now deal with the rock lobster tails: these need to be cooked. Bring a pan of salted water to the boil and add the tails. When the water returns to a rapid boil, turn down a little. Remove after 10 minutes. Leave to cool then treat like the red lobster tails.
- Melt butter in a frying pan over a fairly high heat. Add shallots. Cook until soft. Add stock and cream. Turn up heat and keep stirring until reduced by half. Now add the mustard, wine, chervil/parsley/tarragon and seasoning. Stir and blend.
- Select four tail shells and lay them in a shallow grill-proof dish. Distribute the meat amongst them. Pour the sauce over the meat, scatter the cheese over and finish with the cayenne pepper.
- Place under a hot grill for about 5 minutes or until the cheese is bubbling. Finally, position your two lobster heads vertically at either end of the dish like a Viking longboat.
