Lobster thermidor

Indulge in the luxurious flavors of Lobster Thermidor salad, a decadent dish featuring succulent lobster meat, creamy sauce, and a medley of fresh greens. Perfect for a gourmet dining experience.

Ingredients:

• chips or boiled baby potatoes and a green salad, to serve
• 25g butter
• 2 banana shallots or 3 small shallots, finely chopped
• 100ml white wine or vermouth
• 500ml fish stock
• 100ml double cream
• 1 tsp English mustard
• ½ lemon, juiced
• handful of parsley leaves chopped (or use a mix of parsley, chervil, chives and tarragon)
• 30g finely grated parmesan

Instructions:

1. Remove the claws and smaller legs from each lobster by snapping them off. Using a large chef’s knife, cut the main section lengthwise into two pieces. Empty the contents of the head cavities into a bowl, and discard the dark vein from the tail meat. Take out the tail meat, cut it into large pieces, and place it in a separate bowl. Place the empty shells with the cut side facing up on a baking tray and set them aside for later use.
2. Crack open the claws and knuckles, then extract all the meat using a skewer or lobster pick. Chop the meat roughly and add it to the bowl with the tail meat. Any shell fragments should be put in the bowl with the head meat. Use a rolling pin to extract the meat from the small legs and add it to the bowl with the claw and tail meat. Once again, add any broken shells to the bowl with the head meat. The lobster can be prepared up to one day in advance. Cover and refrigerate the meat and shells until ready to use.
3. For the sauce, melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Cook the shallots until soft and golden, which should take about 5-6 minutes. Add the broken shells and head meat, increase the heat, and cook for an additional 2 minutes. Pour in the wine or vermouth and let it bubble for 2 minutes to reduce. Add the stock and cream, bring it to a boil, then simmer for 10-12 minutes until the mixture thickens. Remove from the heat and let it cool slightly. Strain the mixture through a fine mesh sieve into another saucepan, pressing the shells and meat with the back of a spoon to extract all the sauce. Stir in the mustard and lemon juice, then adjust the seasoning to taste. The sauce can be prepared a day ahead, covered, and refrigerated.
4. Preheat the grill on high. Fill the reserved empty shells with the claw and tail meat. Reheat the sauce over low heat until warm, if necessary, then stir in the herbs. Spoon the sauce over the lobster meat in the shells, sprinkle with Parmesan, and place under the grill for 4-5 minutes until the sauce is bubbling and the cheese turns lightly golden. Serve with fries or boiled baby potatoes and a side of green salad.

Summary:

• Calories: 770 kcal
• Fat: 8 g
• Protein: 165 g
• Carbs: 0 g
• Potassium: 2000 mg
• Magnesium: 380 mg