Gather the ingredients.

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

Stir the mixture for about 2 minutes.

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

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.

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.

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.

Serve in hot puff pastry shells or over toast points.

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

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.

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