lobster thermidor: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
C2Formal/Culinary
Quick answer
What does “lobster thermidor” mean?
A classic French dish consisting of cooked lobster meat, egg yolks, brandy or sherry, and a rich sauce (typically a béchamel or Mornay sauce), stuffed back into the lobster shell, sprinkled with cheese, and browned under a broiler/grill.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
A classic French dish consisting of cooked lobster meat, egg yolks, brandy or sherry, and a rich sauce (typically a béchamel or Mornay sauce), stuffed back into the lobster shell, sprinkled with cheese, and browned under a broiler/grill.
Often used to represent a luxurious, expensive, or decadent meal. Can serve as a cultural reference for fine dining or old-school haute cuisine.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
Spelling and vocabulary: UK 'au gratin', US 'broiled'; UK 'single cream' in sauce, US 'light cream' or 'half-and-half'. The dish is equally known in both culinary traditions but may appear more frequently on UK menus due to historical French influence.
Connotations
Connotes traditional, expensive, celebratory dining. Possibly perceived as slightly old-fashioned or very formal in both cultures.
Frequency
Low frequency in everyday speech, appearing primarily in restaurant contexts, food writing, and cultural references. Roughly equal frequency in both varieties.
Grammar
How to Use “lobster thermidor” in a Sentence
VERB + lobster thermidor: eat, order, prepare, serve, cook, makeVocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “lobster thermidor” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- We'll thermidor the lobster for the main course.
- The chef is thermidoring the lobsters now.
American English
- The restaurant thermidors its lobster beautifully.
- I asked if they could thermidor the lobster.
adjective
British English
- The thermidored lobster was exquisite.
- A thermidor-style sauce.
American English
- The thermidor preparation takes time.
- A thermidor-flavored butter.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Rare. Might appear in hospitality industry reports or luxury brand marketing.
Academic
Rare. Possibly in historical/cultural studies of food or French cuisine.
Everyday
Very low. Used when discussing special meals or restaurant choices.
Technical
Culinary/Hospitality. Detailed in recipe books and professional kitchen manuals.
Vocabulary
Synonyms of “lobster thermidor”
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms of “lobster thermidor”
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “lobster thermidor”
- Incorrect: 'lobster thermidor sauce' (the sauce is part of the dish, not a separate entity).
- Incorrect: 'a thermidor lobster' (word order is fixed).
- Spelling: 'thermidore', 'thermador'.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Primarily, yes. 'Thermidor' as a culinary term is almost exclusively tied to this lobster dish. You might see 'thermidor sauce' in some contexts, but it refers to the sauce used in the lobster dish.
Yes, by analogy. You may find recipes for 'prawn thermidor' or 'crab thermidor', which adapt the method and sauce to other shellfish. However, 'lobster thermidor' is the original and canonical version.
It is named after the month 'Thermidor' in the French Revolutionary calendar. The name was supposedly coined at a Paris restaurant (either Café de Paris or Maison Maire) in the late 19th century, possibly in connection with a play called 'Thermidor'.
It is almost always a main course due to its richness, size, and price. It would be highly unusual to serve it as a starter.
A classic French dish consisting of cooked lobster meat, egg yolks, brandy or sherry, and a rich sauce (typically a béchamel or Mornay sauce), stuffed back into the lobster shell, sprinkled with cheese, and browned under a broiler/grill.
Lobster thermidor is usually formal/culinary in register.
Lobster thermidor: in British English it is pronounced /ˌlɒb.stə ˈθɜː.mɪ.dɔː/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˌlɑːb.stɚ ˈθɝː.mɪ.dɔːr/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of LOBSTER getting a THERMal upgrade (thermidor) in a fancy DOR (door) to a restaurant oven.
Conceptual Metaphor
LUXURY IS RICHNESS/COMPLEXITY (contrasted with simplicity).
Practice
Quiz
What is the primary characteristic of Lobster Thermidor?