Equipment
Ingredients
Lobster
- 2 whole lobster, raw or live
- 30 g unsalted butter, melted
- salt
- white pepper
Tarragon Cream Sauce
- 250 ml heavy cream
- 60 ml dry white wine
- 1 shallot, finely minced
- 15 g unsalted butter
- 1 garlic, minced
- 10 g fresh tarragon leaves, chopped
- 10 ml lemon juice
- 5 g dijon mustard
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 1393 kcal
- Protein
- 139 g
- Carbohydrates
- 27 g
- Fat
- 74 g
- Fiber
- 1 g
- Sugar
- 6 g
- Sodium
- 1609 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 42 g
- Trans Fat
- 2 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 18 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 6 g
- Cholesterol
- 645 mg
- Potassium
- 1514 mg
- Calcium
- 477 mg
- Iron
- 10.0 mg
- Magnesium
- 291 mg
- Phosphorus
- 1639 mg
- Zinc
- 37.3 mg
- Vitamin A
- 711 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 20 mg
- Vitamin D
- 2.0 mcg
- Vitamin E
- 1.7 mg
- Vitamin K
- 6 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 1.1 mg
- Vitamin B12
- 23.0 mcg
- Thiamin
- 0.11 mg
- Riboflavin
- 0.58 mg
- Niacin
- 27.7 mg
- Folate
- 18 mcg
- Water
- 576 g
Sources: Aggregated Public Data, USDA FoodData Central
Method
Preheat your oven to 220°C (425°F). Ensure the rack is in the center position.
Place the lobsters on a stable cutting board. Using a sharp, heavy knife, split them in half lengthwise from head to tail. Remove the stomach sac (behind the eyes) and the intestinal tract (running down the tail). Crack the claws slightly with the back of the knife to help heat penetrate.
Place lobster halves shell-side down on a baking sheet. Brush the exposed meat with 30g melted butter and season lightly with salt and white pepper.
Bake the lobsters for 8-10 minutes, until the shell turns bright red and the meat is opaque but slightly underdone in the center. (Target internal temp approx 55°C/130°F at this stage).
While lobsters bake, prepare the sauce. In a saucepan over medium heat, melt 15g butter. Add minced shallots and sauté for 2 minutes until translucent but not browned. Add garlic and cook for another 30 seconds.
Deglaze the pan with white wine. Simmer rapidly until the liquid reduces by half.
Pour in the heavy cream. Reduce heat to low and simmer gently for 5-7 minutes until the sauce thickens slightly and coats the back of a spoon. Whisk in the Dijon mustard (if using), lemon juice, and chopped tarragon. Season with salt to taste.
Remove lobsters from the oven. Spoon the tarragon cream sauce generously over the tail meat and into the head cavity. Return to the oven for 2-3 minutes to warm through and meld flavors. Final internal temperature should reach 63°C (145°F).
Serve immediately, garnished with extra fresh tarragon sprigs if desired.
Chef's Notes
- Always use fresh tarragon for this dish; dried tarragon has a dusty flavor that dulls the delicate sweetness of the lobster.
- Do not boil the sauce aggressively after adding the lemon juice, as the acidity combined with high heat can sometimes cause the cream to curdle or look grainy.
- If the lobsters are very large, you can remove the claw meat halfway through cooking and add it to the sauce to prevent the tails from drying out while the claws finish.
- A dry, acidic white wine like Muscadet or Sauvignon Blanc works best to cut through the richness of the heavy cream.
Storage
Refrigerator: 1 day — Seafood degrades quickly; best consumed immediately. Reheat gently to avoid rubbery texture.
Reheating: Gently warm in a saucepan over low heat or in a 150°C oven, covered, just until warm.
Troubleshooting
Lobster meat is rubbery and tough
Cause: Overcooking
Fix: Cannot be fixed, but chopping the meat small and mixing with extra sauce helps mask the texture.
Prevention: Remove from oven immediately once the meat turns opaque; carry-over cooking will finish it.
Sauce is too thin
Cause: Cream was not reduced enough or heat was too low
Fix: Simmer for a few more minutes; if still thin, whisk in a small amount of cornstarch slurry.
Prevention: Simmer gently until it coats a spoon before adding lemon juice.
Cultural Context
This dish draws inspiration from the classic French Lobster Thermidor, created in 1894 at Marie's in Paris. While Thermidor typically involves a complex béchamel and egg yolk thickening agent, this variation highlights the purity of the Breton flavor profile: cream, butter, and anise-scented herbs.
