Lobster Cheese Casserole
- 2 cups/500 ml lobster meat, diced
- 2 tbsp/25 ml butter
- 1/4 cup/50 ml flour
- 3/4 cup/175 ml milk
- 1 1/4 cup/300 ml whipping cream
- 1/2 cup/125 ml cheddar cheese, grated
- 1/2 tsp/2 ml salt
- 3/4 cup/175 ml green pepper, diced
- 1/4 cup/50 ml cheddar cheese, grated
- pinch paprika
Place lobster in a greased 1 quart (1 litre) casserole. Over low heat, melt butter, blend in flour and slowly add milk and cream. Cook, stirring constantly until mixture is thick and smooth. Add the 1/2 cup (125 ml) cheese, salt and green pepper. Stir until cheese melts. Pour over lobster. Spinkle 1/4 cup (50 ml) cheese over top and garnish with paprika. Bake at 350 degrees F (180 degrees C) for 15 minutes. Broil for 2 minutes to brown the top. Serves 4-6.
From: Prince Edward Island Tourism
A Handy Guide for Eating Lobster
- Twist off the large claws.
- Crack each claw using seafood shears, nutcrackers, hammer or rock (they can be tough!).
- Separate the tail from the body of the lobster by arching the back until it cracks.
- Break off the tail flippers.
- Insert a seafood fork and push the tail meat out in one piece. Remove and discard the black vein that runs through the tail.
- Unhinge the back shell from the body of the lobster (this is where you will find the tomalley — tomalley is the liver of a lobster, is greenish in colour and is prized for its flavour. It is often added to sauces to enhance the lobster flavour.).
- Open the body by cracking it apart sideways. You will find meat in the four joints where the small walking legs are attached. You will also find meat in the small walking legs themselves — this can be sucked out (most daintily of course!).
Did You Know?
Lobsters have teeth in their stomachs.
When European settlers first arrived in North America lobsters were so abundant they washed up on shore often creating piles over 2 feet high. Because they were so plentiful they were considered a poor man’s food!
The world’s largest lobster was caught in Nova Scotia in 1977, weighing in at 44 pounds, 6 ounces, and measuring almost 4 feet in length.
A female lobster is called a hen and a male lobster is called a cock.
A tomalley is the liver of a lobster, is greenish in colour and is prized for its flavour. It is often added to sauces to enhance the lobster flavour.
In Canada there are over 9700 licenced lobster vessels, generating employment and income for 25,000 skippers and their crews.
In 2005, Canada exported over $989 million worth of lobster, with about 80% destined for US markets.
Lobster traps were invented in 1850.
The average breeding female lobster can produce approximately 10,000 eggs.
Lobsters grow by shedding their shells; usually 20-25 times between hatching & maturity.
There are two lobster seasons in PEI — spring & fall.