Lobster Thermidor (S1 Ep6)

Lobster Thermidor

Ingredients

1 x750g/1½lb lobster, cooked

20g/¾oz fresh gruyere, grated

For the sauce

30g/1oz butter

1 shallot, finely chopped

30ml brandy

250ml/10fl oz tub fresh fish stock

55ml/2fl oz white wine

100ml/3½ fl oz double cream

1tsp English mustard

2 tbsp chopped parsley

½ lemon, juice only

Salt

Freshly ground black pepper

Method

The lobster will come whole from your fishmonger so you need to cut it in half and take out any meat from the head end and the tail and leave to one side. Try to do this so you get nice big pieces. Then clean out any very dark stuff from the shell, it’s not dangerous just unpleasant.
Remove the meat from the claws, again take it slow and try to get the meat out in one big piece. This dish is all in the presentation.
Melt the butter in a pan until it is foaming, add the shallots and cook gently until they are soft with no colour. Add the brandy and burn off any alcohol, mind your eyebrows. Add the fish stock, white wine and double cream and bring up to the boil. Let it simmer gently until its reduced to about half and got thicker.
Add the mustard and lemon and herbs.
Place the lobster meat back in the shell and pour over the sauce. Sprinkle with the cheese and place under a hot grill.
When its golden brown serve it immediately with a big bowl of straw cut cries or a crunchy little gem salad dressing simple in olive oil and lemon juice.