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Home » Julia Child’s Lobster Thermidor Recipe

Julia Child’s Lobster Thermidor Recipe

by Samantha · 19 Comments

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Learn to make Julia Child’s Lobster Thermidor recipe. A creamy and decadent lobster dish with white wine, mushrooms and splash of cognac.

Learn to make Julia Child's Lobster Thermidor recipe. A creamy and decadent lobster dish with white wine, mushrooms and splash of cognac. #JuliaChild #LobsterThermidor

 

 

I really don’t know how to introduce this dish, the title explains it all. Julia Child’s lobster thermidor! Joe asked for this for his birthday and it has been bookmarked in my Julia Child book for months.

I have to be completely honest, I was skeptical to post this just because of the photos! When you’re a “food blogger” food photography is everything and we eat with our eyes. Because I took these photos at night they weren’t at the quality as my other photos. But I couldn’t keep this dish away from you! I am first a cook before photographer and that’s what counts. plus, this classic lobster thermidor recipe is freakin’ amazing and shouldn’t be hidden.

To make classic lobster thermidor recipe, begin by making a losbter stock with whole lobsters. #LobsterThermidor #JuliaChild

Lobster Thermidor Sauce is decadent and worth the effort

Thick creamy sauce with lobster stock and sweet lobster meat all through out. It is amazing, decadent and so rich. It takes time but is so worth it! I read through the recipe and gasped at the ingredients! Cream…yolks…more cream…butter…and if that wasn’t enough, a little cheese to top it off with. But alas, this is what Joe requested. When I asked him “What would you like for your birthday dinner?” thinking, oh great, we can go out and enjoy a nice meal that someone else prepares. But no, my…husband said “Lobster Thermidor” and of course not just any lobster, but Julia Child’s lobster thermidor recipe.

I’ve done a few Julia Child dishes and I have learned that it is most helpful to read the entire recipe before getting into it especially since this one has a few steps and takes time. Also, I don’t know why I didn’t photograph each step like I usually do! I hope all the steps are explained clearly. Don’t hesitate to email me asking for help! 🙂

How to make the traditional lobster thermidor recipe

Steaming the lobsters

1) In a large pot (that will fit 2 large lobsters), simmer wine, water, vegetables, herbs, and seasonings for 15 minutes. Then bring to a rolling boil and add the live lobsters. Cover and boil for about 20 minutes or until the lobsters are done and turn bright red.

2) While the lobsters are steaming, stew the mushrooms slowly in a pan with 1Tb butter, lemon juice, and salt for about 10 minutes until then begin to soften. Set aside.

The sauce

3) When the lobsters are done, remove them from the pot and put over ice. We filled our sink with ice and put the lobsters right in to cool down.

When the lobsters are done, remove them from the pot and put over ice. We filled our sink with ice and put the lobsters right in to cool down.

4) Save the mushroom cooking liquid and add that to the lobster stock. Bring to a boil until it has reduced to about 2 cups. (This is amazing lobster stock). Strain the stock through a sieve and discard vegetables and herbs and allow stock to stay at a simmer.

5) In another pot, cook 5 Tb butter and 6Tb flour slowly for 2 minutes without browning.Take off heat and whisk in the lobster stock. Bring to a boil while whisking for 1 minute until it gets thick. Take off heat and whisk in 1 Tb heavy cream. Set aside.

6) In another bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, dry mustard, 1/2 c heavy cream and pinch of cayenne. Add the reserved cream mixture (that is sitting on the stove) to the egg mixture. Add it slowly while whisking and then return sauce to the pan. Stir the sauce every so often with a wooden spoon. Bring sauce to a boil for 2 minutes and then simmer. You want the sauce thick enough to coat the back of the wooden spoon. Taste for seasoning.

Sauteing the lobster meat:

7) Split the lobsters in half lengthwise, keeping the shell halves intact and remove the meat from the lobster tails and claws, and cut it into 1/2 inch pieces. Clean the lobster shells well and dry them. Reserve shells.

8) In another pan, saute lobster meat with 4Tb butter for about 5 minutes until the lobster meat turns a dark rosy color. Pour in cognac carefully and bring to a boil to cook off alcohol while shaking the pan. The liquid should reduce.

Final assembly:

9) Preheat oven to 425 degrees. In a large pan or bowl, mix together the mushrooms, lobster sauce and lobster meat.

10) On a baking sheet, place the 4 lobster shell halves down and wrap the bottom part of the shell with tin foil. This will help them the shelves stay in place.

Scoop the lobster and the lobster thermidor sauce into the hollowed out lobster shells and place on a baking sheet before browning the top.

11) Use the wooden spoon to scoop the lobster mixture into the shells. Don’t over fill. Sprinkle with grated Parmesan cheese on top and place in upper 1/3 of oven. Allow to cook for 10-15 minutes until the top begins to brown.

What to serve with lobster thermidor?

I also wondered this when I was making Julia’s lobster thermidor recipe. The lobster thermidor sauce and mushrooms and lobster meat is so decadent and rich, you don’t need much else honestly.

I would suggest a clean and crisp white wine and some extra French bread to sop up the delicious sauce.

Learn to make Julia Child's Lobster Thermidor recipe. A creamy and decadent lobster dish with white wine, mushrooms and splash of cognac.
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4.6 from 5 votes

Julia Child’s Lobster Thermidor Recipe

Learn to make Julia Child's Lobster Thermidor recipe. A creamy and decadent lobster dish with white wine, mushrooms and splash of cognac.
Prep Time20 mins
Cook Time1 hr 30 mins
Total Time1 hr 50 mins
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: French
Keyword: lobster thermidor recipe, lobster thermidor sauce, traditional lobster thermidor recipe, What to serve with lobster thermidor
Servings: 4
Calories: 606kcal
Author: Samantha Ferraro

Ingredients

Lobster Stock:

  • 3 cups white wine
  • 2 cups water
  • 1 large onion cut in quarters
  • 1 medium carrot cut in quarters
  • 1 stalk celery cut in quarters
  • Small bunch of parsley
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1/4 tsp. thyme
  • 6 peppercorns
  • 1 Tbsp. fresh or dried tarragon
  • 2 live lobsters 2 pounds each

Mushrooms:

  • 1/2 pound sliced fresh mushrooms
  • Tbsp. butter
  • 1 tsp. lemon juice
  • 1/4 tsp. salt

Sauce:

  • 5 Tb. butter + 4 Tb butter separated
  • 6 Tbsp. flour
  • 1 Tbsp. cream + 1/2 c cream separated
  • 1 Tbsp. dry mustard
  • 2 egg yolks
  • Pinch cayenne pepper
  • 1/3 cup cognac
  • 1/2 cup grated Parmesan or Swiss cheese
US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Steaming the lobsters:

  • In a large pot (that will fit 2 large lobsters), simmer wine, water, vegetables, herbs, and seasonings for 15 minutes. Then bring to a rolling boil and add the live lobsters. Cover and boil for about 20 minutes or until the lobsters are done and turn bright red.
  • While the lobsters are steaming, stew the mushrooms slowly in a pan with the 1Tb butter, lemon juice, and salt for about 10 minutes until then begin to soften.

The sauce:

  • When the lobsters are done, remove them from the pot and put over ice. We filled our sink with ice and put the lobsters right in to cool down.
  • Save the mushroom cooking liquid and add that to the lobster stock. Bring to a boil until it has reduced to about 2 cups. (This is amazing lobster stock). Strain the stock through a sieve and discard vegetables and herbs and allow stock to stay at a simmer.
  • In another pot, cook 5 Tb butter and 6 Tb flour slowly for 2 minutes without browning.Take off heat and whisk in the lobster stock. Bring to a boil while whisking for 1 minute until it gets thick. Take off heat and whisk in 1 Tb heavy cream. Set aside.
  • In another bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, dry mustard, 1/2 c heavy cream and pinch of cayenne. Add the reserved cream mixture (that is sitting on the stove) to the egg mixture. Add it slowly while whisking and then return sauce to the pan. Stir the sauce every so often with a wooden spoon. Bring sauce to a boil for 2 minutes and then simmer. You want the sauce thick enough to coat the back of the wooden spoon. Taste for seasoning.

Sauteing the lobster meat:

  • Split the lobsters in half lengthwise, keeping the shell halves intact and remove the meat from the lobster tails and claws, and cut it into 1/2 inch pieces. Clean the lobster shells well and dry them. Reserve shells.
  • In another pan, saute lobster meat with 4Tb butter for about 5 minutes until the lobster meats turns a dark rosy color. Pour in cognac carefully and bring to a boil to cook off alcohol while shaking the pan. The liquid should reduce.

Final assembly:

  • Preheat oven to 425 degrees.In a large pan or bowl, mix together the mushrooms, lobster sauce and lobster meat.
  • On a baking sheet, place the 4 lobster shell halves down and wrap the bottom part of the shell with tin foil. This will help them the shelves stay in place.
  • Use the wooden spoon to scoop the lobster mixture into the shells. Don't over fill. Sprinkle with grated Parmesan cheese on top and place in upper 1/3 of oven. Allow to cook for 10-15 minutes until the top begins to brown.

Nutrition

Calories: 606kcal | Carbohydrates: 31g | Protein: 23g | Fat: 24g | Saturated Fat: 13g | Cholesterol: 230mg | Sodium: 757mg | Potassium: 706mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 3460IU | Vitamin C: 7.2mg | Calcium: 303mg | Iron: 4mg

And if you are looking for more Julia Child recipes to try, I’d love to suggest Julia Child’s cheese souffle or something a bit more manageable, Julia Child’s Mussels Mariniere.

 

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This post may contain amazon affiliate links which means if you make a purchase after clicking one of those links, I will receive a small commission. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Filed Under: French Recipes, Seafood Recipes Tagged With: lobster, shellfish

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Comments

  1. Javier says

    April 24, 2013 at 5:28 pm

    Don’t hate, but… Julia’s instructions say “Steaming the lobster:” is the subtitle. She actually is boiling the lobster, which is the worst thing you can do for Thermidore.

    I’ve made this dish before and have learned from trial and error. When live lobsters start to lose their liveliness, we used them for Lobster Thermidore, so as not to waste them.

    Once a lobster dies, they release some sort of enzyme that breaks down the proteins. The meat get’s rotten and mushy!

    In my opinion, the best way to cook the lobster is to poach it in a variation of a reduction of the lobster stock and cream sauce ingredients, without the roux, cream or egg yolk added.

    Reply
    • Samantha says

      April 24, 2013 at 5:31 pm

      Ohh interesting! So you’re saying to steam and not boil? If we steam it, could you still make a lobster stock? I thought this recipe was killer! But I have read steaming vs boiling before.

      Reply
  2. Melissa says

    May 19, 2013 at 6:28 pm

    I was curious how long it took you to prepare this recipe from start to finish? I’d like to make it this upcoming weekend, and want to make sure I allow enough time.

    Thanks!

    Reply
    • Samantha says

      May 21, 2013 at 4:36 pm

      Hi Melissa! To be honest, it took a while..I would say at least a full hour. You have to steam the lobster, cool it, then prep it and make the sauce. I would give yourself ample amount of time. Have fun! Its so worth the effort 🙂

      Reply
  3. George says

    January 25, 2014 at 12:35 pm

    Thanks for posting this! Quick question: the ingredients list “5 Tb. butter + 9 Tb butter, separated” but the additional 9 Tb of butter never seems to be included in the sauce. Is this a mistake? Thanks much.

    Reply
    • Samantha says

      January 25, 2014 at 1:17 pm

      Hi George!! So sorry about that..I think I was typing 9Tb because I added the 5 + 4..lol I changed it. It is 5tb used for the sauce and then 4 Tb for sauteing the lobster meat. Hope that makes it clear! Enjoy and let me know how it comes out..it is truly an amazing dish.

      Reply
  4. Suzy says

    February 10, 2015 at 7:25 pm

    could you use lobster tails instead of the whole lobsters? Is one stuffed 1/2 tail per person the serving or two halves?

    Reply
    • Samantha says

      February 11, 2015 at 9:17 pm

      Sure you could use lobster tails! The recipe calls for the whole lobster to make the broth and use the meat as the stuffing. But I remember there being more stuffing than the shell held! We had 1/2 of one tail per person. The sauce and lobster is really rich! Hope you make it and please let me know how it goes 🙂

      Reply
  5. Rachel says

    March 31, 2015 at 11:48 pm

    This looks SO GOOD that upon reading your post my stomach gave me an angry growl — it was probably demanding these ridiculously delicious looking lobster.

    Reply
    • Samantha says

      April 1, 2015 at 6:24 pm

      Thank you Rachel! Hope you give it a try and let me know how it comes out!

      Reply
  6. Ron Jones says

    August 10, 2017 at 11:09 am

    I’ve made this 3 times, and made some changes. Every version has earned rave reviews from guests…
    I use fresh lobster claw and tail meat …2 pounds from a local seafood store where I also get seafood stock. I’ve added diced celery and red pepper to the mushrooms for colour and a bit of flavour.
    I’ve serve it on flat soup bowls rimmed with piped on mashed potatoes that have been browned under a broiler.

    Reply
    • Samantha says

      August 11, 2017 at 10:27 am

      Thanks for sharing Ron! I LOVE the addition of red pepper and celery..so much more flavor!! And the browned mashed potatoes sounds heavenly!

      Reply
  7. Suzy Sypert says

    September 18, 2017 at 5:46 pm

    I made this tonight and my husband loved it! I do wish I would’ve used a less sweet wine. I used Mascato, which is my favorite to drink, but the sauce came out a little sweet for my liking. Also, on the boil/steam topic, because there are only 3 cups of liquid in the pot and lots of veggies etc (I used more carrots and celery than called for) the lobsters basically were steamed bc they were not in the liquid. Winning! I also used lobster tails because I thought I would chicken out on the live lobster and I don’t have a pot big enough for them lol

    Reply
    • Samantha says

      September 19, 2017 at 1:53 pm

      Hi Suzy!!!! Sounds lovely…and thanks for the tip about moscato!! I plan on remaking this with just tails so it’s a bit easier, but it’s SOOO worth the work, isn’t it??

      Reply
  8. KATHLEEN V. says

    May 1, 2019 at 11:52 am

    I have a question .. I don’t want to insulate any chefs .. Can I use frozen Lobster instead .. and how do I prepare the frozen Lobster .. I’ve heard some people say thaw the frozen Lobster first or put it in the steaming directly ..

    Reply
    • Samantha says

      May 1, 2019 at 3:26 pm

      Hi Kathleen! I haven’t tried this recipe with frozen lobster, but off the top of my head I would just do everything in the regular recipe, except for steaming the lobsters, and just jump in right there..so add the lobster meat to the sauce and go on. You may want to have lobster or fish stock on the handy as well.

      Reply
  9. D says

    July 31, 2020 at 8:42 pm

    Mushrooms do have a classic affinity with lobster however I wouldn’t use every day buttons or cremini for this special and expensive dish. Chanterelles, morels, or even delicate oyster mushrooms would texturally lend better to this delectable rich creation. Of course Lobster mushrooms would be cool.

    Reply
    • Samantha says

      August 1, 2020 at 8:56 am

      Oh yes!! At the time, I followed the recipe exactly which I believe called for the more popular mushrooms, but I couldn’t agree more!

      Reply

Trackbacks

  1. Not Only Dukes Get To Be Decadent by Madeline Hunter – Between the Chapters Extras says:
    April 19, 2019 at 2:10 am

    […] Lobster Thermidor. I don’t know if it is the cost or the taste, but any lobster dish, even simple boiled lobster, makes me feel decadent. However, if you really want to indulge, consider lobster with a few other ingredients like butter, cream and cognac. Then you have lobster thermidor, and Julia Child’s version is rightfully famous. https://littleferrarokitchen.com/julia-childs-lobster-thermidor/ […]

    Reply

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