Lemieux Lobster Newburg recipe
While it’s hard to beat steamed lobster, my hands down favorite way of serving lobster is à la Newburg. My family’s Lobster Newburg recipe, which has been handed down from my grandmother to my mother and then to me, is as simple as it is delicious. This Newburg recipe has been put to the test at many family gatherings, birthday celebrations and at dinners I’ve hosted in San Francisco, New York and London. My husband and I got married in Maine and there was no debate about what we would serve at the wedding reception. I had the caterers follow my family’s Lobster Newburg recipe to the letter and it came out beautifully.
Lobster Newburg originated at Delmonico’s in New York during the Gilded Age and a traditional Lobster Newburg recipe will include lobster, butter, cream, cognac, sherry, eggs and Cayenne pepper. My family’s Newburg recipe is much simpler, with just sautéed lobster, simmered in a basic white sauce, enhanced with some nutmeg and Cayenne pepper then ladled over toasted saltine crackers. Enjoy!
Lemieux Lobster Newburg Recipe
- 2 lobsters (around 1½ pounds per lobster)
- 2 tbs. butter (for sautéing the lobster)
- 2 tbs. butter (for the white sauce)
- 2 tbs. flour
- 1 cup milk
- nutmeg to taste
- red (cayenne) pepper to taste
- salt and pepper to taste
- Use approximately one lobster per guest (around one and a half pounds per lobster).
- Cook the lobster and pick out the meat. Cut the lobster meat into bite-sized chunks and then place in a frying pan on medium heat with several large chunks of butter. Fry the lobster for about five minutes and then take it off the heat but don’t drain.
- In a saucepan, on medium heat, make your basic white sauce. To do this, place 2 tablespoons of butter in the saucepan. Once melted, add 2 tablespoons of flour and mix. Once mixed, add 1 cup of milk and whisk the ingredients until thickened. Add a dash of salt and pepper plus a dash of nutmeg and a dash of red pepper. Take the white sauce off the heat and then add in the lobster (including juice). Note, if you’re cooking lobster Newburg for more than four people, you’ll want to increase the amount of sauce.
- Once you have combined the lobster and sauce in the saucepan, cook the lobster Newburg mixture in a double boiler on a very low heat for about two hours so the sauce has a chance to really absorb the flavor of the lobster. The sauce will turn pinkish as it becomes increasingly flavorful.
- When it comes time to serve, toast saltine crackers in the oven until crisp and then pour some of the lobster Newburg over the crackers. Spaghetti or linguine are great alternatives to crackers if you so prefer. I usually accompany the dish with peas.
If you are looking for a wine pairing suggestion, I would serve this Lobster Newburg recipe with a Viognier or a White Burgundy, such as a Meurault, Montrachet or Pouilly-Fuisse. Christophe Cordier’s Bourgogne Blanc or Pine Ridge Chenin Blanc-Viognier are good options. For more wine pairing recommendations, click here.
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