Lobster Thermidor

Lobster Thermidor is a 19th century French restaurant dish, born in a Paris brasserie and still on white-tablecloth menus over a century later. This is the home version, scaled for two and built from a boiled lobster, a knob of butter, and a quick cream sauce.

The technique stacks up fast. Sauté the picked tail meat with sliced mushrooms in butter, hit it with sherry to deglaze, then turn the pan into a béchamel by sprinkling in flour, stirring in milk, and melting cheddar through.

The egg yolks go in off the heat. That order is a must, because direct heat scrambles them and you lose the silky enrichment they bring to the sauce.

Reserved shells are the serving vessel. You spoon the filling back into them, dust with Parmesan and paprika, and slide the whole thing under a hot broiler until the top blisters golden.

Pro Tips

• Pull the lobster meat in the largest pieces you can. Big chunks of claw and tail make this dish feel luxurious.
• Use a heavy pan and watch the flour. Stir constantly when adding milk to keep the sauce from clumping.
• Position the rack four inches under the broiler so the tops brown before the filling overcooks.
• Real sherry, not cooking sherry, makes a noticeable difference. Save the cheap stuff for marinades.

Variations

• Swap cheddar for Gruyère for a more traditionally French finish.
• Stir in a teaspoon of Dijon mustard with the sherry for a sharper edge.
• Use cooked shrimp or crab if lobster is out of budget or season.