Welcome to the Great Canadian Food Passport — Stop #23: Prince Edward Island

This creamy PEI Lobster, Green Pea & Potato Gratin combines tender lobster, thin-sliced potatoes, sweet green peas, cheddar, Gruyère, lemon and fresh dill in a golden baked dinner.

For this recipe, we’re taking those familiar Island ingredients in a completely different direction. Thinly sliced potatoes are layered with sweet green peas, tender lobster, caramelized shallots and a creamy garlic sauce. Everything is finished with sharp white cheddar and Parmesan before being baked until golden and bubbling.

We’re heading to Prince Edward Island, Canada’s Food Island, for a dinner that brings together two ingredients the Island is famous for: potatoes and lobster.

PEI potatoes are a major part of the Island’s agricultural and culinary identity, while lobster is one of its signature seafoods. Tourism PEI even highlights the combination in its own potato recipes, including stuffed PEI potatoes with lobster.

A little fresh dill and lemon zest at the end brighten the whole dish and keep the rich gratin from feeling too heavy.

It’s elegant enough for a special dinner, but simple enough to make at home.

And that first scoop?

Golden potatoes.
Bright green peas.
Tender lobster.
Creamy sauce.
A crisp, cheesy top.

This is PEI comfort food with a little extra sparkle.

Cook Canada. One delicious stop at a time.

---

How to Make PEI Lobster, Green Pea & Potato Gratin

1. Prepare the oven

Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C).

Butter a 9×13-inch baking dish or similar large gratin dish.

2. Prepare the potatoes

Peel the potatoes if desired, then slice them very thinly — about ⅛ inch thick.

Try to keep the slices relatively uniform so they cook evenly.

Pat them dry with a clean kitchen towel.

3. Make the creamy sauce

Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat.

Add the shallots and cook for 3–4 minutes, until softened.

Add the garlic and cook for another 30 seconds.

Pour in the cream and milk.

Whisk in the Dijon mustard, thyme, salt and pepper.

Warm gently for about 3–4 minutes, just until the mixture is hot and fragrant.

Do not bring it to a hard boil.

Remove from the heat and stir in the lemon zest.

4. Build the first layer

Arrange about ⅓ of the sliced potatoes across the bottom of the prepared baking dish.

Spoon some of the creamy sauce over the potatoes.

Add about ⅓ of the green peas and ⅓ of the lobster.

Sprinkle with a little of the cheddar and Gruyère.

5. Continue layering

Repeat the layers:

Potatoes → sauce → peas → lobster → cheese

until everything has been used.

Finish with a final layer of potatoes.

Pour the remaining cream sauce evenly over the top.

6. Add the cheese

Cover the top with the remaining cheddar, Gruyère and Parmesan.

Drizzle with the melted butter.

7. Bake

Cover the baking dish tightly with foil.

Bake for 35–40 minutes.

Remove the foil and continue baking for another 15–20 minutes, until the potatoes are tender and the top is deeply golden and bubbling.

If desired, broil for 1–2 minutes at the end for an extra-golden finish.

Watch carefully.

8. Rest

Remove the gratin from the oven and let it rest for 10–15 minutes.

This gives the creamy sauce time to settle and makes the gratin much easier to serve.

9. Finish

Sprinkle with fresh dill, chives, lemon zest and freshly cracked black pepper.

Serve warm.

---

🦞 A Note About the Lobster

For this recipe, already-cooked lobster meat is the easiest option.

If cooking whole lobster, Tourism PEI recommends cooking lobster in clean seawater or salted fresh water and removing the meat from the shell once cooked.

You can use:

• freshly cooked lobster
• leftover lobster
• refrigerated cooked lobster meat
• canned lobster meat

If using canned lobster, drain it very well before adding it to the gratin.

---

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

🥔 PEI potatoes

Potatoes are one of the defining ingredients of Prince Edward Island’s food identity, with Tourism PEI noting the Island’s reputation for producing high-quality potatoes.

🦞 Sweet lobster

Tender lobster adds a luxurious seafood flavour without requiring a complicated preparation.

🫛 Bright green peas

The peas bring colour, sweetness and freshness to an otherwise rich dish.

🧀 Golden cheese topping

White cheddar, Gruyère and Parmesan create a bubbling, deeply golden crust.

🍋 Lemon and dill keep it fresh

A little lemon zest and fresh dill right before serving cuts through the richness and makes the lobster shine.

---

Recipe Tips

Slice the potatoes thinly.

Thin, even slices are important because they allow the potatoes to cook through while absorbing the creamy sauce.

Don’t overcook the lobster.

The lobster is already cooked, so we’re really just warming it through as the gratin bakes.

Frozen peas are completely fine.

There’s no need to thaw them first. Add them directly to the layers.

Let the gratin rest.

It will be very hot and creamy straight from the oven. A short resting period allows the sauce to thicken slightly.

---

Easy Variations

Add bacon

Crispy bacon adds a smoky contrast to the sweet lobster and peas.

Try fresh corn

Replace some of the peas with fresh or frozen corn for another sweet summer flavour.

Make it extra lemony

Add another teaspoon of lemon zest to the cream sauce.

Add leeks

Thinly sliced leeks can be sautéed with the shallots for an even more luxurious version.

---

What to Serve With It

Because this gratin is rich and satisfying, keep the sides simple:

• Fresh green salad
• Lemon-dressed arugula
• Roasted asparagus
• Steamed green beans
• Fresh crusty bread
• Simple cucumber salad

A crisp green salad with lemon vinaigrette would be my choice.

---

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use frozen lobster meat?

Yes. Thaw it completely and drain it well before using.

Can I use canned lobster?

Yes. Canned lobster makes this recipe much more accessible when fresh lobster isn’t available.

Can I prepare this ahead of time?

Yes. Assemble the gratin, cover tightly and refrigerate for up to 24 hours. Allow it to sit at room temperature for about 20–30 minutes before baking.

Can I freeze lobster potato gratin?

For the best texture, I recommend enjoying this one fresh rather than freezing it. Potatoes and cream-based sauces can change texture after freezing and thawing.

Is this a traditional PEI recipe?

No. This is an original PEI-inspired recipe created for the Great Canadian Food Passport.

It celebrates two ingredients that are strongly associated with Prince Edward Island — lobster and potatoes — while adding green peas, lemon and dill for a fresh, modern dinner. Tourism PEI identifies lobster and potatoes as central to the Island’s culinary identity.

---

A Taste of Prince Edward Island 🇨🇦

For Stop #23, we’re heading to the Island.

Prince Edward Island is often called Canada’s Food Island, and its culinary identity brings together the bounty of both land and sea. Tourism PEI highlights the Island’s shellfish — including lobster — alongside its famous potatoes and other agricultural products.

This gratin brings those two iconic ingredients together in one bubbling, golden dish.

Creamy potatoes.

Sweet green peas.

Tender lobster.

Fresh dill.

Bright lemon.

And a golden blanket of cheese.

It’s our own little taste of PEI — straight from the oven.

Cook Canada. One delicious stop at a time. 🇨🇦

---

Great Canadian Food Passport

An original Island-inspired dinner celebrating PEI’s land and sea.

---