Description
A luxurious French dish featuring lobster tail meat in a rich béchamel sauce with Gruyère cheese, mustard, and brandy, topped with breadcrumbs and baked until golden.
Ingredients
Scale
- 2 lobsters (about 1.5 pounds each, cooked and shelled)
- 1 cup béchamel sauce (or make from 2 tbsp butter, 2 tbsp flour, 1 cup milk, seasoned)
- 1/4 cup Gruyère cheese, grated
- 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
- 1 small shallot, finely chopped
- 1/4 cup brandy or cognac
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 1 tbsp butter
- 1/2 cup breadcrumbs
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Fresh parsley, chopped (optional, for garnish)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C).
- Remove the lobster meat from the shells and cut into large chunks. Reserve the shells for presentation.
- In a saucepan, melt 1 tbsp butter over medium heat. Add the chopped shallot and cook until softened, about 2 minutes.
- Pour in the brandy and cook for 1 minute to reduce slightly.
- Stir in the béchamel sauce, mustard, heavy cream, and half the Gruyère cheese. Season with salt and pepper.
- Cook gently until the sauce thickens, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat.
- Fold the lobster meat into the sauce.
- Place the lobster and sauce back into the shells or a baking dish.
- Top with breadcrumb mixture (mix breadcrumbs with remaining cheese and a dot of butter).
- Bake for 10-15 minutes until bubbly and golden.
- Serve immediately, garnished with parsley if desired.
Notes
Serve with crusty bread or over pasta. Can be prepared ahead and baked just before serving. Traditional recipes use egg yolks in the sauce for richness.
Nutrition
- Calories: 450
- Sugar: 6g
- Fat: 32g
- Carbohydrates: 12g
- Protein: 28g