The Lobster Recipe Challenge

The lobster season is about to open again in Sou-West Nova Scotia, the self-proclaimed “Lobster Capital of the World.” But there’s trouble in this fishing paradise. Catches are higher than ever, but because of an oversupply of lobster and a weak world-wide demand for the duration of the current recession, prices are lower than they’ve been in many years. Some fishermen have left the industry altogether because of the financial strain.

So fishermen, fishing families and the communities that support them are doing everything they can to boost demand for what was once a delicacy. One way to encourage seafood lovers to turn to lobster more often is to challenge the impression that lobster is too expensive or too rich to enjoy more than on very special occasions, the kind that might come around but once every few years.

And one way to encourage people to cook with lobster is to show how easy and rewarding it is to do so. I’ve dined on lobster poutine, lobster sliders and lobster mac and cheese in the past couple of years. Chefs and cooks, especially in Atlantic Canada, are experimenting with lobster as an ingredient more than ever.

I’ve been doing my own experimenting at home. I’ve tried lobster risotto, lobster cakes and lobster quesadillas this past year. The results were always delicious, all the dishes sharing that distinctive lobster flavour.

Throwing Down the Lobster Gauntlet

So here’s the challenge. Create a new lobster recipe of your own, send it to me through my website at www.darcyrhyno.com and I’ll post the best here at Life As A Human. The collection will be inspiring to anyone looking for ideas when it comes to using lobster. And who knows, maybe your recipe will make it into a book some day.

As inspiration, here’s my recipe for lobster cakes with lime mayo dipping sauce.

Lobster Cakes

• 1 egg
• 2 tbsp mayonnaise
• 1 tsp Dijon mustard
• 1/2 tsp paprika
• 2 tbsp parsley, finely chopped
• 2 tbsp scallions, finely chopped
• juice of half a lemon
• 1 cup mashed potato
• 1 cup fresh cooked lobster meat
• salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
• 1/2 cup bread crumbs
• olive oil for frying

Combine all ingredients but bread crumbs and oil in a bowl and mix thoroughly. Add lobster and mix until just combined. Form into 8 small patties. Roll in bread crumbs to cover. Heat oil in frying pan and fry on both sides until golden. Makes 8 servings.

Lime-Mayo Sauce

• 1/2 cup real mayonnaise
• 3 tbsp of olive oil
• Juice of one lime
• A few drops of favourite hot sauce

Mix all ingredients until smooth and uniform.

Photo Credits
All photos by Darcy Rhyno – All Rights Reserved
First Published at Life As A Human

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Guest Author Bio

Darcy Rhyno
Darcy Rhyno is a magazine columnist, features writer and travel writer and photographer. His work has appears in Canadian Geographic Travel, Saltscapes and Coastal Discovery. He writes about interesting personalities, experiential travel, national parks and wilderness, ecological issues, culture and the arts among other things.