Lobster Thermidor

Lobster Thermidor is a French dish consisting of a creamy mustard cheese cream sauce with mushrooms, cooked lobster, and brandy, sherry, stuffed into lobster shell, and oven-browned cheese crust. Lobster Thermidor was created in 1894 by Marie's, a Paris restaurant near the the- atre Comédie Française, to honour the opening of the play Thermidor by Victorien Sardou. Vicki and I used to order this when we were first dating at Branding Room Steak House in Santa Monica in the ‘60s. This was one of my wife’s favorites.

Court bouillon as needed (see recipe)
2 live large California rock lobsters
1/3 pound sliced fresh cremini mushrooms 1 tablespoon sweet butter
1 teaspoon lemon juice
Pinch salt
Pinch or two cayenne pepper
3 tablespoons brandy
2 tablespoons cream sherry
4 tablespoons butter
4 tablespoons flour

1 cup or more sweet heavy whipping cream 
1 tablespoon fresh or dried tarragon
1 teaspoon dry mustard
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon or more white pepper
1/2 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese

Plunge the lobsters, head first in a large stock pot filled 2/3 full with boiling court bouillon. Boil for 15 minutes. Remove lobsters with thongs to a colander to drain. When lobsters have cooled sufficiently, slit each of the lobster through their bodies perfectly in half with a very sharp chef’s knife. Be careful not to mangle the shells as the lobster in its sauce will be returned to the split shells for baking. Remove the lobster tail meat and cut into 3⁄4 inch chunks and place in bowl.

Saute cremini mushrooms in a hot pan with a tablespoon sweet butter. When cooked add a bit of lemon juice and salt to taste. Add the mushrooms to the cooked lobster.

Preheat oven to 400F.

Create a bechamel sauce using 4 tablespoons butter, 4 tablespoons flour in a sauce pan. Stir flour for three minutes on high, do not let it brown. Remove pan from heat. Using a whisk, whisk in pinch of salt, mustard and cayenne pepper, brandy, sherry and 1⁄4 cup of the court bouillon the lobsters were cooked in. Return pan to heat. Whisk in 1 cup of heavy whipping cream. Add tarragon, white pepper and bring to a boil while whisking all the while. Add finely grated Parmesan cheese. 

Taste and correct the seasoning. If the sauce is too thick, Whisk in additional cream and or court bouillon. Pour 3⁄4 of the sauce over the lobster meat and mushrooms. Stir well then fill the split lobster shells. Fill any voids with the remain cream. Place filled lobsters on a flat baking pan. Bake ten to 15 minutes until the are bubbling hot and golden brown. 

Garnish with finely chopped chives and a sprig of fresh tarragon.