Lobster Thermidor is a classic French lobster preparation that was very popular in upscale restaurants during the early to mid-1920s.
In the dish, cooked pieces of lobster are mixed into a rich béchamel or heavy cream-based sauce, to which Dijon mustard, white wine, shallots, tarragon, lobster stock (or fish stock), and cheese, such as Gruyere or Parmesan, were added. Mushrooms, truffles, and spinach are sometimes used, and there are many variations on the dish.
The lobster and sauce mixture is spooned back into the shells, topped with more cheese, and broiled to a golden brown.
Sometimes crab and shrimp are prepared in a Thermidor style.
How Was Lobster Thermidor Named?
The actual origins of the dish remain murky. However, there are two competing stores of how the dish was named.
One of the most popular is that it was named by Napoleon. It is said he named it after the month during which he first ate the dish. The month of Thermidor, according to the French Revolutionary calendar, was from July 19 to August 17.
According to Larousse Gastronomique, however, the dish was first prepared in 1894 at Maire’s Restaurant in Paris. The dish was named in honor of the premiere of Victorien Sardou’s play, Thermidor, which was playing at the theatre Comédie Française, near which the restaurant was located.
Lobster Thermidor is a very decadent dish that may seem simple, but when served in restaurants it was (and is) quite expensive. This is not only because of the cost of lobster but because of the many steps required to make it.
This is not to say it is difficult to make. It is simply time-consuming.
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