Lobster Thermidor
The following recipe, video and photography were provided by Chef Billy Parisi.
Elevate your recipe repertoire with this elegant, French-inspired Lobster Thermidor.
When making this dish, the best place to start is Heinen’s Seafood Department. They have the freshest selection of seafood in the Midwest, and their lobster is no exception! For this recipe, I recommend using Luke’s Frozen Twin Pack Lobster Tails. Responsibly sourced off the coast of Maine and Canada and flash frozen to preserve freshness, they’re a premium option for an incredible value!
Once you’re ready to cook, you’ll poach the lobster meat, coat it in a creamy mushroom sauce, and stuff it back into its original shell before topping it with cheese and bread crumbs and tossing it under the broiler to develop an irresistibly crunchy exterior.
Rich and indulgent from the sauce with a subtle sweetness from the fresh lobster meat, this dish is surprisingly easy to make, yet tastes worthy of a Michelin Star.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- It calls for premium, yet affordable lobster. Sourced off the coast of Maine and Canada and flash frozen to preserve freshness, Luke’s Frozen Twin Pack Lobster Tails deliver premium New England-style flavor for an unbeatable price!
- It comes together in under an hour. Lobster has a reputation for being challenging to cook, but that could not be further from the truth! On the table in an under an hour using ingredients you likely already have on-hand, this recipe will give you the confidence you need to cook lobster at home.
- It’s elegant and easy. There is no complicated prep work involved with this recipe, yet the presentation and flavor is incredibly impressive. Serve this dish at a holiday celebration or for an elevated date night at home.
Lobster Thermidor
Servings: 6
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 cups white wine, divided
- 1 lemon
- 1 stick + 4 Tbsp. Heinen’s unsalted butter, divided
- 6 4-6 oz. Luke's Frozen Lobster Tails
- 1 cup button mushrooms, sliced
- 1 cup cremini mushrooms, sliced
- 2 garlic cloves, finely minced
- 1 shallot, peeled and small diced
- 2 cups Heinen’s heavy whipping cream
- 1 Tbsp. Heinen’s Dijon mustard
- 1/2 cup shredded asiago cheese
- 1/2 cup Heinen’s breadcrumbs
- Fresh chopped parsley, for garnish
- Salt and fresh cracked pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Fill a medium-size pot halfway with water, 2 cups of white wine, the juice of one lemon, one whole lemon (toss it into the pot after it is juiced), one stick of butter, salt, and pepper. Bring it to a simmer over medium-low heat.
- Add the lobster tails and cook for 5-7 minutes, or until cooked and tender.
- Remove the lobster from the liquid and let rest for 3-4 minutes.
- After resting, remove the entire bottom of the lobster with kitchen shears to expose the meat. Pull out the lobster meat, roughly chop it and set it aside. Set the lobster tail shells aside on a sheet pan.
- In a large sauté pan over high heat, add two tablespoons of butter followed by the mushrooms. Caramelize for 8-10 minutes. Once they are golden brown, scoot them to one side of the pan and place the remaining two tablespoons of butter, minced garlic, and onions on the other side of the pan. Sauté until lightly brown.
- Once browned, mix them together with the mushrooms and deglaze the pan with the remaining ½ cup of white wine. Once the wine has been absorbed, add the cream and cook over medium heat until it becomes thick like alfredo sauce.
- Stir in the mustard, cheese, and chopped lobster meat until combined. Divide the mixture and stuff it into each lobster tail shell. Top with the breadcrumbs.
- Place the lobster tails under the broiler on low heat. Brown the cheese and breadcrumbs, about 3-5 minutes.
- Once browned, remove the lobster tails from the broiler, garnish with parsley, and serve with lemon wedges.
