Grandpa's Lobster Thermidor

We have many cooks in our family. My father is also an excellent cook. He usually reserves his cooking talents for weekends or special occasions like Christmas dinner, when he has time to get really elaborate.

A little while ago, my parents were in Maine for a long weekend. Why Maine you ask? Well there was a marathon to run of course! My father's other hobby is running. Maine was the thirty-seventh state he has run a marathon in, he is going for all fifty. There's a club.
No seriously. There actually is a fifty states marathon club. 

Crazy right? 

This isn't even his thirty-seventh marathon, he's done way more over the years. He is even working on the seven continents. They actually have a marathon in Antarctica. 

We won't even get into how that one works, but it involves taking a boat from the tip of South America. 

Anyway. Maine. Since my parents were in Maine, they brought back two huge live lobsters. I won't show the cooking process of the lobsters, it makes me feel bad. 

My husband and I used to have pet hermit crabs and they seemed to have such funny little personalities so I feel a little bad eating crustations now. Not bad enough to stop mind you. I love Maryland blue crab and lobster and crawfish. I'll eat them, but I can't cook 'em. Those beaty little eyes remind me of our little guys.

The recipe he used was a version of Emeril Lagasse's from Food Network, modified for four (Tim and Bubba do not eat lobster. Around here Emeril is very popular, many of his recipes are adapted, there is even a huge jar of homemade BAM! in the pantry.

Ingredients:

2 whole lobsters

2 lemons, halved

1 onion, quartered

1/4 cup butter

1/4 cup flour

2 tablespoons minced shallots

1/4 cup white wine

2 cups half and half

1 tablespoon dijon mustard

1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh tarragon

1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon grated parmesan cheese

Here are the giants fully cooked.

 Shown with Bubba to get a sense of scale :)

Pick the meat,

and set aside.

Chop the shallots 

Melt the butter

and stir in the flour

Cook for 2-3 minutes til it makes a blond roux, then add the shallots, cook for 30 seconds

Stir in the wine and half and half

Bring up to a boil and reduce to a simmer, cook 3-4 minutes to thicken

Remove from the heat and add the tarragon

and the mustard

A bit of parmesan cheese

Then add the lobster to the sauce

Mix through 'til coated thoroughly

Split the lobster shells in half 

Place in the larger chunks of meat

Pour the rest in and sprinkle with more parmesan cheese 

Bake 8-10 minutes or until golden brown in oven pre heated to 375

Voila! 

Lobster Thermidor with a side of green bean cooked with garlic and bacon, scalloped potatoes, and garlic bread. Yum!