Lobster Thermidor
Lobster Thermidor is a French dish consisting of a creamy mixture of cooked lobster meat, egg yolks, and brandy (often Cognac), stuffed into a lobster shell. It can also be served with an oven-browned cheese crust, typically Gruyère. The sauce must contain mustard (typically powdered mustard). Due to expensive ingredients and extensive preparation involved, Lobster Thermidor is usually considered a recipe primarily for special occasions.
Lobster Thermidor (center of plate) | |
Place of origin | France |
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Main ingredients | lobster meat, egg yolks, brandy, mustard |
History
The recipe of Lobster Thermidor was created in 1891 by Leopold Mourier,[1] a former assistant to Auguste Escoffier. It was created in Maison Maire, a Parisian restaurant near the Théâtre de la Porte-Saint-Martin. In January 1891 the play Thermidor by Victorien Sardou opened in that theatre. The play took its name from a summer month in the French Republican Calendar, during which the Thermidorian Reaction occurred, overthrowing Robespierre and ending the Reign of Terror.[2] The play was highly controversial and was closed by the authorities, re-opening in March 1896.
Maison Maire's owner, Mlle. Paillard, created the name of the recipe due to the play's notoriety.
References
- James Steen. The 50 Greatest Dishes of the World.
- "Linda's Culinary Dictionary Index".
External links
Wikibooks Cookbook has a recipe/module on |
- The Ivy. "Lobster Thermidor". Taste of My Life. BBC Food. Archived from the original on 23 May 2013. Retrieved 15 January 2014. Recipe.