When planning
my birthday dinner, I wanted to make a special menu to mark the day.
As you saw
from the
Torta Ricotta e Pere several weeks ago, the dessert fit the bill, but
the main course had to rock too.
Lobster
Thermidor. I had never made it and, in fact, I don’t think I’d ever had the
real thing… nothing more than some gelatinous mess on a steam table at a supposed
high-end brunch buffet.
For many
years, when living on the Maine Coast, lobster was a given for my natal day, because
late August is the best season for the firm-fleshed North Atlantic critters.
But, here in the desert, 3,000 miles from the source of those tasty
crustaceans, it takes a very special occasion to indulge in lobster.
Special and
expensive! But, I am worth it, right?
Lobster
Thermidor consists of buttery, sherry-laced chunks of lobster, sautéed with mushrooms, in an
egg-cream sauce, nicely browned under the broiler. Oh, happy birthday to me!
It is really
a fairly straightforward and simple dish, especially if your fishmonger will
cook the lobster for you in advance.
Notes for
lobster novices:
• Don’t try to remove the rubber bands prior to cooking, or
there will be blood, and it won’t be the lobster’s.
• When steaming or boiling a live lobster, it takes 9 minutes per pound, so it is
important to know how much your “bugs” weigh.
• Keep live lobsters very
cold until it is time to plunge them, head first, into the water.
• If using the
lobster meat to make a dish, such as Thermidor, undercook the whole lobsters by
2 minutes per pound, as they will finish cooking in the sauté pan.
Lobster
Thermidor was invented at Marie’s Restaurant in Paris in 1894 and
named for a play at a neighboring theater. The play took its name from its
setting amidst the Thermidorian Reaction during the French Revolution a century
earlier. Thermidor had been one of the newly-given names of the months in that chaotic
era.
Prior to
something as rich as the Thermidor, I wanted a light and summery soup. A no
butter/no cream soup, as there would be plenty of each coming our way in the successive
course. I opted for my chilled and minted melon-lime soup.
I had gone to
the farmers market a couple of days before, and snagged a perfectly ripe
Ambrosia melon. Ambrosia melons are sweet and juicy, with very tender flesh. With this
melon, I used our homegrown limes and mint with a dash of dessert wine to make a beautiful, light, and healthy soup to open the meal.
For wine pairings,
I had a lovely Provençal
Viognier Vaudois that I assumed would pair well with the lobster. Jennifer and Pat
brought a lovely choice of buttery Chardonnays to add to the table (in addition
to the gift of the beautiful gratin dishes!).
In Maine,
Viognier was known as the perfect wine pairing for lobster. While that might
normally be the case, I think you should read the pairing notes I wrote for the
Provence WineZine.
Short and
sweet: the Viognier was not good with the lobster, but went perfectly with the melon soup. The Frank Family Chardonnay was
perfect with the lobster. In the end, we were all happy.
And I was a
year older.
~ David
Melon-Lime Soup with Mint
1 large,
orange-fleshed melon
1 lime
1/4 cup
dessert or sweet wine
2-4
tablespoons agave syrup
1 bunch fresh
mint
Halve the
melon, and scoop out all the seeds and string part. Slice into wedges and
remove the rind. Cut into chunks and place them in a blender. Add the juice of
the lime, the wine, and 2 tablespoons agave syrup. Purée until very smooth, and taste for sweetness. Add a
little more agave syrup and blend again, until the proper sweetness has been
achieved.
Tie the mint
with butcher’s string, and roll the bundle between your hands to bruise the
leaves. Dunk the mint into the blender with the puréed melon, and refrigerate for at least 2 hours and
up to 24 hours.
To serve,
remove the mint and discard. Purée
the soup again to make it creamy/foamy. (The soup will have separated in the
fridge.)
Divide among
chilled soup plates, and garnish with either a slice of lime, or a sprig of
mint.
Serves 4.
Lobster
Thermidor
a 2-pound
lobster, cooked
2 tablespoons
unsalted butter, plus extra for gratin dishes
1 large
shallot, peeled and minced
4 white
button mushrooms, thinly sliced
salt and
freshly ground white pepper
pinch of
paprika
1/4 cup dry
Sherry, divided
1/2 cup heavy
cream, scalded and divided
1 egg yolk
1/2 teaspoon
Dijon mustard
Cut the
cooked lobster in half lengthwise. Remove the claws; crack them and remove the
meat. Remove the tail from each half; cut
the tail and claw meat into a half-inch dice. Wash the shells and reserve for
serving, or butter two gratin dishes (my choice).
Melt 2 tablespoons butter
in a heavy-bottomed saucepan over moderate heat, then cook shallot and
mushrooms, stirring, for about 5 minutes. Add lobster meat, salt, and pepper
and reduce heat to low. Cook, shaking pan gently, 1 minute. Add 2 tablespoons
Sherry and 1/4 cup hot cream and simmer 5 minutes, till slightly thick.
Whisk
together yolk, mustard, and remaining Sherry in a small bowl. Slowly pour
remaining 1/4 cup hot cream into yolks, whisking constantly, and transfer to a
small heavy saucepan. Cook custard over very low heat, whisking, until it has
thickened. Add custard to lobster mixture, stirring gently.
Preheat
broiler. Arrange lobster shells, cut sides up (or two buttered gratin dishes) in
a shallow baking pan and spoon lobster with some of sauce into shells/dishes.
Broil 6 inches from element until golden brown.
Serves 2.
John - heneedsfood
October 3, 2015 at 10:39 pmYou know, I don't think I've ever tried lobster Thermidor. I'm sure if I did, I'd remember it. The one you had at the brunch buffet sounds ghastly – perhaps they used a thickening agent?
Yours looks divine, and the soup as well. A fab feast for the birthday king!
Cocoa & Lavender
October 4, 2015 at 3:26 pmJohn, generally anything on a steam table is suspicious to me! Glad you like the looks of Thermidor – it was getting pretty dark by the time I served!
Liz (Good Things)
October 3, 2015 at 11:37 pmWow! I think I had lobster thermidor once, in the 70s… a lovely birthday meal, David. Love your photos too.
Cocoa & Lavender
October 4, 2015 at 3:27 pmThanks, Liz! It was fun to make!
Andrea_TheKitchenLioness
October 4, 2015 at 6:10 amDear David, if only I could manage to attend one of your parties…your birthday treats all sound wonderful and quite special. I do not believe I ever had lobster thermidor in my life – but you know about "Hummer" around here – not really that common. Both your dishes/recipes sound divine and different and (if I may say so) "fit you perfectly"!
Euch einen schönen Sonntag und ganz viel liebe Grüße!
Andrea
P.S.: These days the weather is just amazing around here, like late summer sunshine, which is a good thing as the kids are enjoying a two week fall break…
Cocoa & Lavender
October 4, 2015 at 3:28 pmAndrea – so glad to hear you are having good weather! This is the best time of the year in so many places!
I am glad you enjoyed the recipes, and I hope someday that I get to host you and your family!
Cheri Savory Spoon
October 4, 2015 at 8:41 pmHappy Birthday David, your meal looks like it was perfect. Great tips on preparing the lobster.
P.S. back in Phoenix….starting to cool down in the mornings.
Cocoa & Lavender
October 6, 2015 at 2:45 pmThe mornings and evenings are perfect here now, Cheri! Glad you are back, safe and sound!
Sippity Sup
October 6, 2015 at 1:09 amAll I can think of is Spiny Lobster season starting in California very soon. I am busy considering all lobster recipes. GREG
Cocoa & Lavender
October 6, 2015 at 2:46 pmGreg – I don't think I have ever had a spiny lobster. I wonder if I can get them here in Tucson?? Looking forward to whatever you do with them!
Karen (Back Road Journal)
October 6, 2015 at 8:50 pmYou are definitely worth it and your meal sounds perfect for the occasion. Many more healthy and happy years ahead.
Cocoa & Lavender
October 7, 2015 at 1:05 pmThanks, Karen! Hope you are settling into your new home!
Colette (Coco)
October 9, 2015 at 8:34 pmOMG I just drooled onto my keyboard!
Everything looks lovely, David. I have to try this refreshing melon soup before the fruit disappears!
Cocoa & Lavender
October 10, 2015 at 5:10 amYou will love it, Colette! I am going to try it this weekend with langoustine tails from Trader Joe!
Marcelle
October 10, 2015 at 12:32 amI have never cooked a live lobster. Thank you for those amazing tips! You made one beautiful meal, Lobster Thermidor sounds delicious!
Cocoa & Lavender
October 10, 2015 at 5:11 amThe Thermidor is pretty amazing… wish I could take credit for the recipe! 🙂
Marcelle
October 10, 2015 at 12:33 amI have never cooked a live lobster. Thank you for those amazing tips! You made one beautiful meal, Lobster Thermidor sounds delicious!
Christina | Christina's Cucina
October 11, 2015 at 4:30 amHappy belated birthday to you, David! I've been terrible at catching up since I returned from my trip. Your menu looks wonderful and I am now dying to try Lobster Thermidor! The soup looks perfectly refreshing for a summer meal! Nice job! Hope you had a lovely day!
Cocoa & Lavender
October 12, 2015 at 1:52 pmThanks, Christina! It was a great birthday and hard to believe it took me more than a month to post about the menu!
Valentina
October 17, 2015 at 2:57 amWow, what a mouth-watering menu! Happy (belated) Birthday! The images of the melon are so pretty! XO