Lobster Newburg has been around since 1876 when the dish was brought to NYC’s Delmonico’s restaurant chef Charles Ranhofer by West Indies sea captain Ben Wenberg. The lobster Newburg was an instant hit, and one taste will tell you why. It has had a few names through the years, including “lobster a la Wenberg” and “lobster a la Delmonico,” but the or “Newburg” (at times, “Newberg”) stuck. The sauce, without the lobster, is often referred to as a Newburg sauce and is frequently used with other kinds of seafood, such as scallops, shrimp, and fish.
Lobster Newburg is a fantastic way to celebrate, but you don’t have to wait for a special occasion. Look for lobster when it is on sale, and enjoy this sublime creamy concoction over rice or toast points. The lobster and sauce are low carb, too. If you are on a low-carb diet, serve it with zucchini or summer squash noodles or cauliflower rice.
If lobster is too pricey or hard to come by in your area, make it with shrimp, scallops, or chunks of haddock or cod.
PrintCreamy Lobster Newburg
Lobster Newburg is easy yet elegant enough for a special occasion. The rich and creamy sauce is thickened with egg yolks. Splurge a little!
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: Lobster, Valentine’s Day
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
- 3 lobsters, about 1 pound each
- 5 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 3 tablespoons dry Sherry
- 1 1/2 cups heavy cream
- Dash fresh grated nutmeg, or to taste
- 1/4 teaspoon paprika
- Pinch cayenne pepper
- 4 large egg yolks
- 1/4 teaspoon salt, or to taste
Instructions
- Bring a large kettle of salted water to a full boil. Quickly put the lobsters in the water head first. Cover the kettle. When the water returns to the boil, time the lobsters for 8 minutes. Remove them to a plate or cutting board and let them stand until they are cool enough to handle. Pull the legs and claws off and crack them; pull out the meat. Cut them down the underside and remove the meat from the body. Cut all of the meat into 1/2-inch pieces. Leave a few claw pieces larger for garnish if you like.
- Melt the butter in a heavy saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the chopped lobster and cook for about 2 minutes, stirring constantly. With a slotted spoon, remove the lobster to a plate or bowl and set aside.
- Add 2 tablespoons of Sherry to the pan and cook for about 2 minutes. Add the cream to the Sherry and butter mixture and bring to a boil. Boil over medium-low heat until reduced to about 1 cup. Whisk in the nutmeg, paprika, and cayenne pepper. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of Sherry to the cream sauce.
- Whisk the egg yolks in a small bowl. Whisk about 1/3 cup of the hot cream mixture into the egg yolks. Return the egg yolk mixture to the saucepan and cook, whisking constantly, until it reaches 160 F, the minimum safe temperature for eggs. Continue cooking, whisking constantly, until the mixture coats the back of a spoon. To test, dip a spoon into the sauce. Run your finger down the back of the spoon. If the path you made does not fill in, it is done.
- Taste and add salt, as desired. Add the lobster to the sauce and heat through.
- Serve over rice, toast points, or puff pastry shells.
