Lobster Thermidor

Ingredients:

• Salt, to taste

• 6 Lobster tails

• 2 cups milk

• 7 tbsp. unsalted butter for sauce

• 4 tbsp. butter for sous vide

• 3 sprigs of tarragon

• 1⁄4 cup flour

• 1 tsp. ground nutmeg

• Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

• 2 shallots, finely chopped

• 1⁄2 lb. cremini mushrooms, quartered

• 1 cup white wine

• 1 1⁄2 cups heavy cream

• 1 tbsp. finely chopped chervil

• 1⁄8 tsp. cayenne

• 1⁄2 tsp. dry mustard

• 1⁄2 lb. Gruyère, grated

Instructions:

Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Put wooden skewers through the meat in the lobster tail to ensure they do not curl. Add lobster tails to pot; boil for 1 minute. Without boiling, the meat will be nearly impossible to remove properly. Remove meat from tails and place it in a sous vide bag. Add 4 tbsp butter and fresh tarragon to the sous vide bag. Seal bag and sous vide for 1-2 hours at 120-125 degrees.

Bring milk to a boil; set aside. Melt 4 tbsp. of the butter in a pan over medium heat. Add flour and cook until golden, 1–2 minutes. Add milk while whisking; increase heat to medium; boil. Cook, stirring, until thickened, 2–3 minutes. Add nutmeg, salt, and pepper; keep the sauce warm.

Heat broiler. Heat remaining 3 tbsp. of the butter in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add shallots; cook until golden, 1–2 minutes. Add mushrooms; cook until softened, 4–5 minutes. Add wine; cook until reduced by two-thirds, 4–5 minutes. Whisk in cream, chervil, cayenne, and reserved sauce. Reduce heat to medium-low; cook until thickened, 3–4 minutes. Add lobster; stir in mustard and 3⁄4 cup cheese. Divide half of the lobster sauce between shells; sprinkle the remaining cheese over the top. Broil lobster halves on a baking sheet until bubbly, 2–3 minutes. Serve with remaining sauce.