Lobster Thermidor is a
French
French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to:
* Something of, from, or related to France
** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents
** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...
dish of
lobster
Lobsters are a family (Nephropidae, synonym Homaridae) of marine crustaceans. They have long bodies with muscular tails and live in crevices or burrows on the sea floor. Three of their five pairs of legs have claws, including the first pair, ...
meat cooked in a rich wine sauce, stuffed back into a lobster shell, and browned. The sauce is often a mixture of
egg yolk
Among animals which produce eggs, the yolk (; also known as the vitellus) is the nutrient-bearing portion of the egg whose primary function is to supply food for the development of the embryo. Some types of egg contain no yolk, for example be ...
s and
brandy
Brandy is a liquor produced by distilling wine. Brandy generally contains 35–60% alcohol by volume (70–120 US proof) and is typically consumed as an after-dinner digestif. Some brandies are aged in wooden casks. Others are coloured with ...
(such as
Cognac
Cognac ( , also , ) is a variety of brandy named after the commune of Cognac, France. It is produced in the surrounding wine-growing region in the departments of Charente and Charente-Maritime.
Cognac production falls under French appella ...
), served with an
oven
upA double oven
A ceramic oven
An oven is a tool which is used to expose materials to a hot environment. Ovens contain a hollow chamber and provide a means of heating the chamber in a controlled way. In use since antiquity, they have been use ...
-browned cheese crust, typically
Gruyère. The sauce originally contained
mustard
Mustard may refer to:
Food and plants
* Mustard (condiment), a paste or sauce made from mustard seeds used as a condiment
* Mustard plant, one of several plants, having seeds that are used for the condiment
** Mustard seed, seeds of the mustard p ...
(typically powdered mustard).
Due to the expensive ingredients and extensive preparation involved, lobster Thermidor is usually considered a recipe for special occasions.
History
In January 1891 the play ''
Thermidor
Thermidor () was the eleventh month in the French Republican Calendar. The month was named after the French word ''thermal'', derived from the Greek word "thermos" (''heat'').
Thermidor was the second month of the summer quarter (''mois d'étà ...
'' by
Victorien Sardou
Victorien Sardou ( , ; 5 September 18318 November 1908) was a French dramatist. He is best remembered today for his development, along with Eugène Scribe, of the well-made play. He also wrote several plays that were made into popular 19th-centur ...
opened in the
Comédie-Française
The Comédie-Française () or Théâtre-Français () is one of the few state theatres in France. Founded in 1680, it is the oldest active theatre company in the world. Established as a French state-controlled entity in 1995, it is the only state ...
theatre. The play took its name from a
summer month in the
French Republican Calendar, during which the
Thermidorian Reaction
The Thermidorian Reaction (french: Réaction thermidorienne or ''Convention thermidorienne'', "Thermidorian Convention") is the common term, in the historiography of the French Revolution, for the period between the ousting of Maximilien Robespie ...
in 1794 occurred, overthrowing
Robespierre
Maximilien François Marie Isidore de Robespierre (; 6 May 1758 – 28 July 1794) was a French lawyer and statesman who became one of the best-known, influential and controversial figures of the French Revolution. As a member of the Esta ...
and ending the
Reign of Terror
The Reign of Terror (french: link=no, la Terreur) was a period of the French Revolution when, following the creation of the First French Republic, First Republic, a series of massacres and numerous public Capital punishment, executions took pl ...
. The recipe of lobster Thermidor was possibly created at Café de Paris by
Leopold Mourier
Léopold Étienne Mourier (), Legion d'Honor (1862–1923) was a French chef, restaurateur, gastronome, and philanthropist.
His greatest gastronomic claim to fame is the creation of Lobster Thermidor in 1891.
Life
He was born on 30 May 1862 in ...
, a former assistant to
Auguste Escoffier
Georges Auguste Escoffier (; 28 October 1846 – 12 February 1935) was a French chef, restaurateur and culinary writer who popularized and updated traditional French cooking methods. Much of Escoffier's technique was based on that of Marie-Antoi ...
, or it was created in 1894 at Chez Marie. Another source says it was created at Maison Maire, whose owner Mlle. Paillard sold the restaurant to Mourier. Maison Maire was a Parisian restaurant near the
Théâtre de la Porte Saint-Martin
The Théâtre de la Porte Saint-Martin is a venerable theatre and opera house at 18, Boulevard Saint-Martin in the 10th arrondissement of Paris.
History
It was first built very rapidly in 1781 under the direction of (1726–1810) to house th ...
. Paillard created the name of the recipe due to the play's notoriety. The play was highly controversial and was closed by the authorities, re-opening in March 1896.
The lobster Thermidor at Maison Maire was served like ''homard Américain'', which was made with tomatoes, cayenne, and brandy, but with the addition of English mustard.
An early London recipe for
''Homard à l'Américaine'' referred to ''à la Thermidor'' as a version with the addition of English mustard. An early American recipe for lobster Thermidor left out the tomatoes, cayenne, and mustard and added cream sauce thickened with
Béarnaise sauce
Béarnaise sauce (; ) is a sauce made of clarified butter emulsified in egg yolks and white wine vinegar and flavored with herbs. It is widely regarded as the "child" of the Hollandaise sauce. The difference is only in the flavoring: Béarnaise ...
and a sprinkling of grated cheese. It can be served with Newberg sauce but is differentiated from
lobster Newberg
__NOTOC__
Lobster Newberg (also spelled Lobster Newburg or Lobster Newburgh) is an American seafood dish made from lobster, butter, cream, cognac, sherry, and eggs, with a secret ingredient found to be Cayenne pepper. A modern legend with no pri ...
by the addition of tomatoes.
See also
*
List of seafood dishes
This is a list of notable seafood dishes. Seafood dishes are food dishes which use seafood (fish, shellfish or seaweed) as primary ingredients, and are ready to be served or eaten with any needed preparation or cooking completed. Many fish or ...
*
List of stuffed dishes
This is a list of stuffed dishes, comprising dishes and foods that are prepared with various fillings and stuffings. Some dishes are not actually stuffed; the added ingredients are simply spread atop the base food, as one cannot truly stuff an oy ...
References
External links
* {{cite web , url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/lobsterthermidor_89079 , title=Lobster Thermidor , author=The Ivy , work=Taste of My Life , publisher=
BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC
Here i going to introduce about the best teacher of my life b BALAJI sir. He is the precious gift that I got befor 2yrs . How has helped and thought all the concept and made my success in the 10th board exam. ...
...
Food , accessdate=15 January 2014 , archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20130523020540/http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/lobsterthermidor_89079 , archivedate=23 May 2013 Recipe.