Decadent Lobster Thermidor Recipe

If you're a seafood lover, then lobster is probably at the top of your list of favorites. The meat is as tender as can be, and the celebratory process of eating the crustacean is an event. While it certainly makes for a lengthy dinner to enjoy, sometimes we just want lobster without having to wear a bib and handle tools. Among the various components of the sea creature, the tail packs in a good amount of meat and is commonly served solo.

Mashed recipe developer Christina Musgrave brings us this decadent lobster thermidor recipe, which traces back to Paris over a century ago. Apparently named after a theater performance, nowadays, thermidor is synonymous with this rich lobster dish. Musgrave shares, "I love that this recipe is decadent but also so simple to make!" As another bonus, she adds that "It's restaurant quality without the expensive price tag." Those are all qualities we can get behind, and once you take a bite of this delicious preparation, you'll wonder why you haven't been making it this whole time.

For this recipe, you'll need two medium-sized cooked lobster tails. While you can cook the tails yourself, Musgrave notes, "If you can buy pre-cooked lobster it will make this recipe even easier." Scoop the flesh out of the tail but don't discard the shell. Next, you'll need unsalted butter, a shallot, white wine, heavy cream, thyme, rosemary, Italian parsley, salt, black pepper, lemon juice, and grated Parmesan cheese. Chop the shallot, fresh rosemary, and parsley before you start.

Take the meat you removed from the tails and chop it up into small pieces. Then, spoon equal parts back into the two shells.

Set a saucepan on the stovetop and melt the butter. Add the chopped shallot and cook it for 5 minutes, gently stirring to prevent it from sticking. Pour in the white wine and heavy cream, then season with thyme, rosemary, parsley, salt, and pepper. Let the contents simmer for 5 minutes, then stir in the lemon juice and remove the saucepan from the heat.

Carefully divide the sauce over the meat in the two lobster tails. Then, sprinkle the Parmesan cheese over top to cover the surface.

Broil the lobster tails on high heat for 4 to 5 minutes until the topping is a golden brown color. Musgrave shares, "This could be a decadent appetizer," or she suggests plating it as "a main served with mashed potatoes and roasted vegetables."