homard

Lobster is as expensive in France as anywhere else. Blue when alive, they are mainly caught off the coast of Brittany and Normandy’s Cotentin Peninsula

Along with homard à l’Américaine, homard Thermidor is the classic French recipe—after the lobster is cooked, the meat is added to a rich béchamel sauce with shallots, egg yolks and cognac, then topped with Gruyère and browned in the oven. Some chefs add tomatoes, or powdered mustard, or cayenne.

The recipe dates from the late 19th century and named after a controversial play put on by the Comédie-Française called Thermidor, named after the summer month on the French Revolutionary calendar. Where it was actually invented in Paris and by who is uncertain.