Hot Lobster Dip
This dip is very special to me. Not only do I think it’s one of my best hot dips yet, but it’s also an homage to my Nova Scotia days! I went to St. Francis Xavier University in Antigonish, Nova Scotia for 4 years, and following that I lived in Halifax for a year. This was an incredible time in my life, filled with Alexander Keiths beer, a few bad decisions, more fun than I could have imagined, and a TON of lobster! This Hot Lobster Dip reminds me of the seaside lobster dinners, where we would indulge in basically unlimited freshly caught lobster, bowls of melted garlic butter, creamy potato salad, fresh buttery rolls, and of course, some crisp Nova Scotian white wine to pair!
The Wine Pairing
If you can find it, you absolutely NEED to pair this dip with Nova Scotian Tidal Bay. Similar to wines in Europe that have the appellation (instead of the grape) on the label, in order to have Tidal Bay on the label, the wine has to meet very specific criteria:
100% of the grapes used need to be grown in Nova Scotia
While up to 20 grape varieties can be used, a minimum of 51% of the grape varieties have to come from one of the following 4 native Nova Scotian Varieties: L’Acadie Blanc, Seyval Blanc, Vidal, and Geisenheim 318.
The final product can’t have more than 11% ABV (alcohol-by-volume)
Every single Tidal Bay wine has to pass a blind tasting by an independent tasting panel to be approved as a Tidal Bay wine.
This style of wine can vary bottle to bottle, but is generally light-bodied, super crisp and fresh with a touch of sweetness. You’ll find stunning citrus and tree fruit flavours (lemon and green apple are big ones), some gorgeous floral notes, and they always have a hint of salinity (or saltiness) - a true representation of the grapes origin (aka terroir) with their proximity to the ocean. All of these characteristics make this wine the perfect seafood wine, and with it’s gorgeous crisp acidity, the perfect contrasting pairing to this creamy hot lobster dip!!
My Wine Recommendation
I highly recommend picking up a bottle of the Benjamin Bridge Tidal Bay (available in my Highlander Wines store front for my local Calgarians!). Benjamin Bridge is one of my favourite Nova Scotian wineries, and we’re lucky enough to have access to some of their wines across Canada!
If you’re not in Canada, it will likely be very hard for you to find a bottle of Tidal Bay. As an alternative, I would recommend a French Vouvray (Chenin Blanc), like the Champalou Vouvray, or a Spanish Albarino, like the Santiago Ruiz Albarino!
Hot Lobster Dip
Ingredients
Instructions
- Preheat grill or oven (whichever you're using) to 400 degrees
- Combine all ingredients in a mixing bowl. Transfer to an oiled cast iron dish (like this 8inch round cast-iron skillet) or a greased oven safe dip dish.
- Top with shredded gruyere and more Old Bay seasoning and grill/bake for 10-15 minutes or until dip is bubbling and heated through.
- Serve immediately with garlic butter crostini and a chilled glass of Tidal Bay wine!
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
- Slice baguette into 1 inch slices and lay out on a parchment paper lined baking sheet. Brush both sides of each slice with melted garlic butter.
- Bake at 400 degrees for 5 minutes, then flip and bake for another 2 minutes (or until both sides are golden brown). Remove from the oven and allow to cool.
Notes
For the lobster meat, I used a full bag of frozen lobster claws and it ended up being around 2 cups of meat. You can use lobster tail meat as well, or you can substitute this with canned lobster (or even crab) if that's what you have available to you!
