A Prince Edward Island lobster supper brings a whole lobster to the table with generous Island accompaniments. The early New Glasgow supper recorded in 1958 paired cold lobster with homemade rolls, potato salad and fresh dessert; today, PEI menus also commonly include mussels. This home version brings those elements together with a seasonal strawberry shortcake. It is one practical supper menu, since the side dishes and desserts vary from place to place.
Allow one 570 g (1¼ lb) lobster per person. Cook the lobsters whole, chill them promptly and serve them cold with steamed mussels, mustard-dill potato salad, a soft roll and strawberry shortcake. Make the salad and biscuits ahead so the seafood can be cooked and chilled safely.
Bake the shortcake biscuitsHeat the oven to 220°C. Stir the flour, 35 g sugar, baking powder and 3 g salt together. Rub or cut in the cold butter until the mixture has coarse crumbs. Pour in the milk and stir just until a soft dough forms. Pat it about 2 cm thick, cut into 8 biscuits and place on a baking sheet. Brush lightly with milk and bake for 14–17 minutes, until risen and golden. Cool completely.
Make the strawberry fillingToss the strawberries with 20 g sugar and refrigerate. Whip the cream with icing sugar and vanilla to soft peaks; cover and refrigerate. Keep both cold.
Cook and dress the potatoesPut the potatoes in a pot, cover with cold water and bring to a boil. Simmer 15–20 minutes, until a knife passes through easily. Drain, cool briefly, then cut into bite-size pieces. Whisk mayonnaise, celery, scallion, vinegar, mustard, dill, salt and pepper. Fold through the potatoes. Transfer to a shallow covered container and refrigerate promptly.
Boil the lobstersBring 12 L water with 45 g salt to a rolling boil in a large stockpot. Lower in no more than two lobsters at once, cover, and start timing when the water returns to a boil. Cook each 570 g lobster for 9–11 minutes. For the second batch, bring a fresh 12 L water with 45 g salt to a boil and repeat. The shells should be bright red and the meat opaque; where practical, check thick tail or claw meat with a clean thermometer for 74°C. Lift out carefully and cool promptly in an ice-water bath, then drain and refrigerate whole at or below 4°C. Discard the tomalley.
Steam the mussels shortly before servingCheck that shells are intact and discard cracked ones. Put 125 ml water and the shallot in a second large lidded pot and bring to a boil. Add mussels, cover and steam for 4–9 minutes, shaking the pot once or twice, until shells open and the meat is cooked. Discard any that remain closed. Scatter with parsley.
Set out the supperKeep lobster and potato salad refrigerated until the table is ready. Warm the rolls and serve with softened butter. Arrange one whole lobster per plate with mussels and potato salad. Keep the cooked shellfish separate from the uncooked batch and use clean serving utensils.
Assemble dessertSplit the cooled biscuits. Spoon strawberries and their juices over the bottom halves, add whipped cream, cap with the tops and serve promptly.
Prepare the biscuits and potato salad earlier the same day; chill them in shallow containers rather than leaving them on the counter. Buy live lobster and mussels from an approved, reliable seller and keep them refrigerated below 4°C until cooking. If the stockpot is too small to hold two lobsters loosely, cook one at a time and bring the water back to a full boil between batches. Do not use the lobster tomalley. Keep raw shellfish, juices and tools away from ready-to-eat food. Set out only the portions being eaten and return the rest to refrigeration within 2 hours (within 1 hour in hot outdoor weather). Reheat leftovers to 74°C.
Rounded estimate based on expected edible seafood yield and generic food-composition data. Commercial dinner rolls and mayonnaise vary, as does the meat recovered from shellfish; the complete supper is substantial and not a laboratory analysis.
Contains crustacean shellfish (lobster), molluscan shellfish (mussels), milk, wheat/gluten and egg (mayonnaise; check roll labels). Buy shellfish from reliable approved sources. Keep live lobster and mussels below 4°C, cook shellfish to 74°C where practical and discard mussels that remain closed after steaming. Chill cooked lobster and potato salad promptly, hold at or below 4°C and discard lobster tomalley. Keep raw shellfish separate from cooked and ready-to-eat foods. Do not leave perishable food out longer than 2 hours, or 1 hour in hot outdoor conditions; reheat leftovers to 74°C.
No. The historic New Glasgow meal records cold lobster, homemade rolls, potato salad and dessert; current venues may add mussels, salads, chowder or other sides. This recipe is a home-style combination of documented Island elements.
