Meet Lobster Newburg: The Creamy Seafood Dish Invented In 1876 At A Famous NYC Steakhouse

Unless you're allergic to shellfish or just anti-seafood, you're likely hard-pressed to find anything more decadent and delicious than a perfectly cooked lobster. Whether steamed, boiled, or poached, that rich, soft meat with a side of drawn butter just screams luxury.

Over the years, many chefs have found ways to take lobster to the next level — incorporating other ingredients and sauces to make this tasty crustacean even more of a decadent entree. One such preparation is the classic lobster Newburg – a dish that was invented at New York City's iconic Delmonico Steakhouse in 1876. The dish, which features large chunks of lobster, incorporates cream, butter, sherry, egg yolk, and just a touch of cayenne into the sauce.

The story goes that Ben Wenberg, a wealthy sea captain who was a regular at Delmonico's, asked the chef to prepare his lobster in the cream sauce with cayenne. The dish quickly became a mainstay on Delmonico's menu due to its popularity. When the chef and Wenberg had a fallout, the chef removed the lobster dish from the menu. But because diners continued to ask for it, the chef brought the dish back to the menu. To get back at Wenberg, he simply reversed the "W" and "N" in his last name, calling it lobster Newberg — a name that eventually evolved into Newburg.

While many chefs have their own variation of the creamy sauce of a lobster Newburg, it continues to stand as a classic seafood dish that has pleased diners for 150 years. You can still find the dish on Delmonico's menu today -– prepared with cognac, tarragon, lobster coral (lobster eggs), and charred sticky rice. The entree goes for market price, so you won't know what it costs until you visit the restaurant.

However, the good news is you don't have to travel to Delmonico's or some other fancy seafood restaurant or steakhouse to try lobster Newburg. Though the dish has a refined reputation, it's actually quite easy to make at home — and it's also an excellent way to use leftover lobster meat. Without diving into all the specifics, you'll basically need to mix the creamy ingredients of the dish (listed above) into a saucepan over low heat until it thickens. Cut the cooked lobster meat into chunks and add it to the pan until it is warmed through. And, just like that, you have lobster Newburg. Delmonico's originally served the dish with toast, but has replaced that with sticky rice these days. Either will be a perfect complement to this rich and hearty dish.

So if you've ever had a delicious lobster Newburg, you can thank the ingenuity of Delmonico's — the New York steakhouse that invented baked Alaska, eggs Benedict, and chicken a la Keene. This entree takes an already buttery and delicious shellfish to another level of refinement. It's a classic for a reason.