Description
Lobster Thermidor Bites are an elegant appetizer featuring tender lobster meat cooked in a rich, creamy cognac and spice-infused sauce, served atop crispy prepared toast points. This sophisticated dish combines buttery sautéed lobster with a luscious mixture of cream, egg yolks, and subtle seasoning, making it perfect for entertaining or special occasions.
Ingredients
Scale
For the Lobster and Sauce
- 2 live lobsters (1 1/4 to 1 1/2 pounds each, or about 3/4 to 1 pound cooked lobster meat)
- 1 stick butter (6 tablespoons clarified butter)
- 3 tablespoons cognac or sherry
- 1 cup heavy cream, plus more as needed
- 3 egg yolks, beaten
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- Pinch of freshly ground nutmeg
- Pinch of cayenne pepper
For Serving
- Prepared toast points (see separate recipe)
Instructions
- Prepare the Toast Points: Prepare the toast points according to your preferred recipe and set them aside for serving.
- Cook the Lobsters: Fill a large pot with water and bring it to a boil. Add the two live lobsters, placing them head first into the boiling water.
- Boil for 8 Minutes: Once the water returns to a boil, cook the lobsters for exactly eight minutes to ensure they are perfectly cooked.
- Ice Bath: Discard the hot water and immediately plunge the lobsters into an ice bath for ten minutes to stop the cooking process and chill the meat.
- Extract Meat: Remove the claw, tail, and knuckle meat from the lobsters and cut the meat into bite-sized pieces for easy serving.
- Melt Butter: In a sauté pan, melt the butter and skim off the fat to get clarified butter, then heat it gently.
- Sauté Lobster: Add the lobster meat to the pan and sauté until golden, approximately 2 minutes, to enhance flavor.
- Make Sauce: Remove lobster meat and pour cognac into the pan, followed by heavy cream. Simmer the mixture until it reduces to about one cup, concentrating the flavors.
- Temper Egg Yolks: While whisking the beaten egg yolks, slowly add some of the hot cream mixture to temper the yolks and prevent curdling.
- Combine Sauce: Return the tempered egg yolks to the pan, then add kosher salt, nutmeg, and cayenne pepper. Taste and adjust seasoning as desired.
- Finish Lobster Thermidor Mixture: Add the lobster meat back into the pan and gently stir over low heat until everything is well combined and heated through.
- Serve: Spoon the rich Lobster Thermidor mixture onto the prepared toast points and serve immediately. Enjoy!
Notes
- Use fresh live lobsters for the best flavor and texture.
- Tempering the egg yolks is crucial to avoid scrambling when combining with hot cream.
- The prepared toast points can be made ahead and stored in an airtight container.
- Adjust the cayenne pepper to control the spiciness according to your preference.
- If the sauce thickens too much, add a little extra heavy cream to achieve desired consistency.
