I’ve been in the test kitchen lately, developing recipes for Select Nova Scotia’s Seasonal Calendar, the Art of Cooking Local. I’ve been tasked with developing recipes based on one seasonal ingredient each month. I’ve paused on June – Lobster. I thought a fantastic lobster sandwich would be ideal, but I couldn’t move forward. A lobster sandwich isan example of restraint, control, discretion. The lobster needs to shine; less is more. But it’s also memorable, nostalgic and decadent. My measure, however, is an unlikely one… my grandmother loved a good lobster sandwich. The soft white bread, a touch of mayo and big, generous pieces of lobster. But she was also practical. One June day she offered to treat a handful of her grandchildren to lobster sandwiches. We piled into her VW rabbit and pulled onto the Bedford Highway, the Basin sparkling in the rear-view mirror. But before we knew it, she took a right, straight into the McDonalds parking lot. “They make the best lobster sandwiches”, she said. “I hope we’re not too late.”
I threw out the following question last week on Facebook. The responses were numerous, but not a mention of McD’s.
(The verdict? Fresh lobster meat tossed with chives, tarragon, a little mayo, sea salt, pepper and tiny pieces of chopped apple. Crunch and interest, but the lobster still shone. And the bread? Squishy? Toasted? Sourdough? Hotdog bun? I chose baguette. Cause that’s what I had.)