Creamy Lobster Newburg

By
Diana Rattray
Diana Rattray
Diana Rattray
Southern-cuisine expert and cookbook author Diana Rattray has created more than 5,000 recipes and articles in her 20 years as a food writer.
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Updated on 08/31/21
Creamy lobster Newburg recipe

​The Spruce Eats / Katarina Zunic

Prep: 15 mins
Cook: 10 mins
Total: 25 mins
Servings: 6 servings
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
561 Calories
27g Fat
44g Carbs
34g Protein
Show Full Nutrition Label Hide Full Nutrition Label
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 6
Amount per serving
Calories 561
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 27g 34%
Saturated Fat 14g 70%
Cholesterol 278mg 93%
Sodium 512mg 22%
Total Carbohydrate 44g 16%
Dietary Fiber 2g 7%
Total Sugars 4g
Protein 34g
Vitamin C 3mg 17%
Calcium 169mg 13%
Iron 3mg 19%
Potassium 382mg 8%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

Use this recipe to make a tasty lobster Newburg. It incorporates eggs, flour, butter, sherry, and lobster into an unforgettable dish. You can serve the with its sauce on puff pastry shells or toast points for a very special seafood meal.

1:05

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Ingredients

  • 1/3 cup (5 1/3 tablespoons) unsalted butter

  • 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

  • 2 cups half-and-half, or light cream

  • 4 large egg yolks, slightly beaten

  • 2 cups lobster meat, coarsely chopped

  • 1/4 cup dry sherry

  • 2 teaspoons lemon juice

  • 1/4 teaspoon salt

  • Toast points, or puff pastry shells, for serving

  • Parsley, finely chopped, for serving

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Creamy lobster newburg ingredients
    ​The Spruce Eats / Katarina Zunic

  2. Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat, and blend in flour.

    Melt butter
    ​The Spruce Eats / Katarina Zunic

  3. Stir the mixture for about 2 minutes.

    Stir in mixture
    ​The Spruce Eats / Katarina Zunic

  4. Gradually stir in the half-and-half, and stir until the sauce thickens over medium heat.

    Stir in half and half
    ​The Spruce Eats / Katarina Zunic

  5. Stir in a small amount of the hot cream sauce into the beaten egg yolks. This tempers the eggs so that they will not scramble.

    Stir in cream sauce
    ​The Spruce Eats / Katarina Zunic

  6. Whisk the now tempered egg yolk mixture into the hot pan sauce. Continue cooking, over medium heat, stirring constantly for about 1 to 2 minutes.

    Stir in
    ​The Spruce Eats / Katarina Zunic

  7. Add the lobster, sherry, lemon juice, and salt. Continue to cook over medium heat until lobster is heated through, but do not boil or sauce will scald.

    Add lobster
    ​The Spruce Eats / Katarina Zunic

  8. Serve in hot puff pastry shells or over toast points.

    Puff pastry
    ​The Spruce Eats / Katarina Zunic

Raw Egg Warning

Consuming raw and lightly-cooked eggs poses a risk of food-borne illness.

The History of Lobster Newburg

Lobster Newburg is a rich American seafood meal. Other variations can include cognac and Cayenne pepper, though they are not included in this recipe. 

The dish originated in 1876 when Ben Wenberg demonstrated the dish to a restaurant manager in New York. Wenberg was a sea captain. The meal was then refined by the chef, Charles Ranhofer, and subsequently added to the menu under the Lobster à la Wenberg moniker. From there, it really took off. It was very popular until there was a disagreement between Wenberg and the manager, Charles Delmonico. The dish was removed from the menu, though customers still requested it. Using an anagram -- or rearrangement of letters, it was recast as Lobster Newburg. Still popular, the name stuck with the dish and it has become a classic. The meal often is served in restaurants.

When the recipe was first printed in 1894, it called for the lobsters to be fully boiled and then fried in clarified butter. Next, the meat was simmered in cream and reduced in half, and then brought to a boil again after Madeira wine was added. 

Lobster Newburg is similar to the dish Lobster Thermidor. That meal includes lobster meat that is cooked with eggs, sherry, and cognac. It emerged during a similar time.