If youre looking for decadence in a dish, Lobster Thermidor is it. You wont just find succulent, spendy lobster; youll find it dressed up with rich ingredients and a luxe presentation. Its never going to be inexpensive, but its certainly going to be memorable. The dish takes time to prepare, which is why it often marks a special occasion or serves as a treat when ordering out.
What is Lobster Thermidor? When its placed in front of you, youll see the shell of the lobster tail filled with glistening chunks of lobster meat served in a sauce that typically contains lobster stock, cream, white wine, a splash of cognac, flavorings like dijon mustard, and sometimes mushrooms. Before serving, all the lobster meat and luscious sauce is spooned into the lobster tail, topped with cheese — often gruyere – then broiled until its golden brown.
While you may find variations on the classic Lobster Thermidor, the dish is so distinctive and iconic, you might assume theres one simple story about how and when it was created. In fact, Lobster Thermidor has mysterious origins.
The dish may have been created for Napoleon Bonaparte, who named it after the month of Thermidor, between July 19 and August 17, when the dish was served to him. Or, the dish was created by a restaurant named Chez Marie and named in honor of a short-lived and controversial play about the French Revolution.
Napoleon Bonaparte was a lobster fan
To say that the French Revolution, which according to History began in 1789 and ended in 1799, was a period of extraordinary upheaval is a bit of an understatement. The entire structure of the government was reimagined and reconfigured, a contentious process resulting in the execution by guillotine of both King Louis XVI and his wife Marie-Antoinette for treason. There were riots, the Reign of Terror, widespread food shortages, and even an entirely new calendar, based not on reverence for saints and royalty but an appreciation of the natural world, with months named, according to Brittanica, after seeds, fruits, harvest, and flowers.
But about that lobster? During Napoleons rise to power, both The Fish Society and Prime Steak & Seafood explain that the diminutive general named one month to commemorate the time when he first tasted and loved this delicious lobster preparation. That month, the eleventh in the French Republican Calendar, was called Thermidor, named because its one of the hottest of the year in France, as it stretched from July 19 to August 17 based on our modern calendar.
Interestingly, Emperor Napoleon I abandoned the Republican Calendar in 1806. There appears to be little hard evidence of this perhaps-apocryphal connection between Lobster Thermidor and Napoleon, though the origin story is frequently told.
Lobster Thermidor: A Step-By-Step Guide | Chef Jean-Pierre
FAQ
What does thermidor mean in cooking?
What is the difference between thermidor and Lobster Newburg?
What is thermidor sauce made of?
What is Lobster Thermidor?
Lobster Thermidor is a French dish of lobster meat cooked in a rich wine sauce, stuffed back into a lobster shell, and browned. The sauce is often a mixture of egg yolks and brandy (such as Cognac ), served with an oven -browned cheese crust, typically Gruyère. The sauce originally contained mustard (typically powdered mustard).
Why did Lobster Thermidor last 3 nights?
The play only lasted for three nights because of its questionable content, which criticized the French Revolutionary Maximilien Robespierre, but lobster Thermidor had already made its mark, with other chefs like Auguste Escoffier taking note; he included a recipe for the dish in one of his own cookbooks, published in 1903.
Why is it called Thermidor?
Numerous stories and legends surround the dish, but the most probable version is that it is named after the play known as Thermidor, set in Paris in January. According to this theory, the dish was invented at Marie’s, a famous restaurant at the time, on the night of Thermidor’s premiere.
Why is Lobster Thermidor so expensive?
Lobster Thermidor is a very decadent dish that may seem simple, but when served in restaurants it was (and is) quite expensive. This is not only because of the cost of lobster but because of the many steps required to make it. This is not to say it is difficult to make. It is simply time-consuming.