Tom Kerridge's barbecued lobster thermidor recipe

Tom Kerridge recipes are generally healthy and well-balanced but he's not afraid to indulge every now and again. His barbecued lobster thermidor is the perfect treat and has plenty of delicious butter that soaks into the lobster meat.

Lobster thermidor is a popular dish on some of the world's top restaurants but Tom has given it a rustic makeover. The French classic is typically cooked in the oven and is made by combining egg yolk, brandy and lobster meat.

It's often served with a bubbling layer of cheese, most commonly Gruyere. However, Tom has chosen Parmesan for his barbecue version. Tom uses a metal tray which he puts inside his Big Green Egg barbecue. This helps to catch all the delicious melted butter. He suggests soaking this up with fresh crusty bread and who are we to disagree!

Recipe from Tom Kerridge Barbecues, Food Network or watch the whole series on dplay

Ingredients

• 2 x native lobsters (weighing around 700g each) split in half

for the butter

• 150g soft butter room temperature, slightly soft
• 1 x large banana shallots, finely diced
• 1 Tbsp chopped chives
• 1 Tbsp chopped chervil
• 1 Tbsp chopped parsley
• 1 Tbsp Dijon mustard
• Zest of one lemon
• 70g grated parmesan
• 1 x egg yolk
• ½ tsp cayenne pepper
• pinch salt
• Serve with – crusty bread, fresh watercress and lemon wedges (optional)

Method

1. Preheat the BBQ with hot coals. To make the butter add all of the ingredients into a bowl and beat until fully combined.  
2. Lay the lobster halves onto your chopping board and lightly tap the claws with the back of your knife to crack the claws open. This will help the claw meat to cook as quickly as the tail meat in the middle.
3. Place the lobster halves onto a metal tray and spoon the thermidor butter over each lobster half. Cover with the lid of the BBQ and cook for 12-15 minutes or so, or until the lobster meat is cooked.
4. Remove from the grill and serve on plates with some lemon halves, watercress and some crusty bread to soak up all the buttery lobster juices.