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Cook this: East Coast lobster roll from A Rising Tide

Fresh Atlantic lobster is the star of DL Acken and Emily Emily Lycopolus' East Coast roll

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Our cookbook of the week is A Rising Tide by DL Acken and Emily Lycopolus. Over the next three days, we’ll feature more recipes from the book and an interview with the authors.

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To try another recipe from the book, check out: Tricolour beet and lentil salad; and upside-down blueberry grunt.

From beachside boil-ups to roadside rolls, lobster was a constant during DL Acken and Emily Lycopolus’ research trips throughout Atlantic Canada. The crustacean may be coveted in other parts of the world, they say, but to cooks in the region, it’s a commonplace ingredient.

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“For us, lobster is special,” says Lycopolus, who divides her time between Salt Spring Island and Victoria, B.C. “For them, it’s in their freezer and that’s what they eat. They come off the boat, and it’s scrambled eggs and lobster, it’s lobster dips, it’s lobster rolls. It’s just an everyday, almost a poor man’s food, is what it was considered years ago.”

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As such, in A Rising Tide, they include it in recipes for seafood chowder, dip, one-pot dinner, potato nachos and scrambled eggs. And of course, an East Coast lobster roll.

As they travelled through New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island, a lobster roll from a seaside shack was hard to beat. They got into the habit of pulling over whenever they saw cars parked on the side of the road.

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“There will be a lobster roll, there will be a blueberry pie, there will be something,” says Lycopolus. “It’s a magnet. You have to pull over if you see cars. There’s something happening.”

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Here, they put their spin on an Atlantic classic. “If you’re looking for a cookbook on the East Coast, it’s got to have a lobster roll,” adds Acken. “It would be negligent to leave it out, and it’s delicious.”

A Rising Tide by DL Acken and Emily Lycopolus
In A Rising Tide, West Coasters DL Acken and Emily Lycopolus celebrate the “culinary renaissance” of Canada’s Atlantic Coast. Photo by Appetite by Random House

EAST COAST LOBSTER ROLL

1 tbsp olive oil
1/4 cup chopped celery
1 1/2 tsp smoked paprika, divided
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup chopped green onions
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
2 lb (900 g) cooked lobster meat, chopped into 1/2-inch (1.25-cm) pieces
4 top-split sandwich buns or buns of your choice
2 tbsp melted butter
1 clove garlic
4 lemon wedges, for serving
Fresh Whipped Tartar Sauce (recipe follows) or dipping sauce of choice, for serving

Step 1

In a large skillet over high heat, place the oil, celery and the 1/2 teaspoon of paprika. Sauté for 2 to 3 minutes, until the celery begins to wilt and becomes translucent. Set aside to cool in the skillet.

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Step 2

Transfer the cooled celery mixture to a large bowl and add the remaining 1 teaspoon paprika, the mayonnaise, green onions, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Add the lobster and, using a wooden spoon, stir to combine. Chill, uncovered, in the fridge for 5 to 10 minutes.

Step 3

Meanwhile, preheat the broiler to low. Slice the buns along the top seam and spread open. Lightly brush the inside of each bun with the melted butter and place the buns butter side up under the broiler until the edges and insides start to crisp and turn golden, about 1 minute. Remove from the oven. Slice the garlic clove in half and rub the cut side of the clove on the inside of each warm bun.

Step 4

Fill each bun with one-quarter of the chilled lobster mixture. Garnish each plate with a lemon wedge and serve immediately with your choice of dipping sauce on the side.

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Serves: 4

Storage: The filling is best enjoyed the day it’s made, but will keep in an airtight container in the fridge overnight.

Pairs well with: Saltbox Brewing Company’s Holy Mackerel! Pale Ale

FRESH WHIPPED TARTAR SAUCE

2 egg yolks, at room temperature
2 tbsp lemon juice, at room temperature, divided
1 tbsp white wine vinegar
1 tsp creamy Dijon mustard, at room temperature
1 cup neutral oil
1 tsp sea salt
1 tsp white pepper
1/2 tsp paprika
2 medium dill pickles
1 tbsp capers
2 tbsp chopped dill

Step 1

Warm a heavy-bottomed mixing bowl under hot running water and wipe dry. Add the yolks and whisk for 30 seconds to 1 minute, until they are a light to creamy pale-yellow colour and starting to leave ribbons behind as you whisk. Add 1 tablespoon of the lemon juice, the vinegar and mustard and whisk for 1 minute to fully combine and emulsify. Starting with droplets at a time, slowly begin to add the oil, whisking constantly to ensure the yolk is absorbing it. Once 1 to 2 tablespoons of the oil have been absorbed and the mixture is light in colour and thickened slightly, pour in the rest of the oil in a very fine, steady stream, whisking constantly. The mixture will be very thick, creamy white and the consistency of thickly whipped cream. Whisk in the remaining 1 tablespoon of the lemon juice, the salt, pepper and paprika.

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Step 2

Dice the pickles and roughly chop the capers, squeezing them to drain off any excess juices. Using a spatula, mix the pickles, capers and dill into the egg yolk mixture. Chill, covered, in the fridge for at least 1 hour to allow the flavours to develop before serving.

Makes: 1 1/2 cups

Storage: The tartar sauce will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.

Recipes and image excerpted from A Rising Tide by DL Acken and Emily Lycopolus. Copyright 2021 DL Acken and Emily Lycopolus. Published by Appetite by Random House, a division of Penguin Random House Canada Ltd. Reproduced by arrangement with the publisher. All rights reserved.

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