Lobster Artichoke Dip

Lobster Artichoke Dip combines chopped pieces of fresh lobster and jarred artichoke hearts in a creamy and zesty dip. Baked until hot and bubbly – then scoop up with pita chips.

Incredible Lobster Artichoke Dip

During a visit to Maine earlier this summer, Jack and I enjoyed a fantastic Lobster Artichoke Dip as an appetizer before dinner at a local restaurant. One heavenly bite in – we knew we wanted to recreate this recipe to share here on A Family Feast.

We used our favorite spinach artichoke dip as the starting point, but amped up the lobster flavor by cooking a fresh lobster –so we could include pieces of the cooked lobster in this dip, and to make a reduced lobster stock from the shells for added flavor.

The lobster meat and stock both add a deep, rich lobster flavor that goes so well with the artichokes and creamy, cheese sauce in this dip. Some lemon juice and lemon zest, plus sour cream and mayonnaise add a touch of tang that helps balance the richness.

We serve our Lobster Artichoke Dip with some homemade pita chips, but any cracker or chip or toasted crostini would also work well. Enjoy!

• This creamy dip is loaded with fresh lobster flavor.
• It’s a fantastic option for any party – game day, holidays, or any special occasion.
• While cooking and breaking apart a live lobster requires a little bit of finesse, this is actually a very easy dip to make.

• Lobster – You will need one live lobster weighing approximately one and a half pounds.
• Lobster Stock – Water, lobster shells, celery, onion, parsley, bay leaf, and whole black peppercorns.
• Artichokes – Buy jarred marinated artichokes.
• Unsalted Butter
• Shallots
• White Wine
• Cream Cheese
• Sour Cream
• Mayonnaise
• Lemon Zest and Juice
• Parmesan Cheese
• Romano Cheese
• Fontina Cheese
• Non-Stick Cooking Spray
• Pita bread – For serving. (Or serve with crackers, chips, etc.)

1. Cook the lobster briefly. Cool, then pick meat from the tail, claws, and knuckles. Chop, then refrigerate until later. (Note that the lobster meat will not be fully cooked at this point – it will cook further in the oven as the dip bakes.)
2. Make the stock by crushing the lobster shells. Add onion, celery, parsley, bay, and peppercorns and bring to a boil, then reduce to two tablespoons if liquid. Discard the solids and set the two tablespoons of reduced lobster stock aside.
3. Drain and chop the artichokes into small pieces. Set them aside.
4. In a large bowl, mix cream cheese, sour cream, mayonnaise, lemon zest and juice, 1 ¼ cups of Parmesan cheese, all the Romano cheese, two ounces of grated Fontina cheese, and mix with a firm spatula or wooden spoon until creamy.
5. Add chopped artichokes and stir just to combine. Do not add the lobster meat yet.
6. Spray pie plate with non-stick cooking and pour in the cream cheese mixture.
7. Bake for 20 minutes.
8. In sauté pan, cook shallots in butter for two minutes, then add the partially cooked lobster and stir to combine. Deglaze with white wine then stir in the reduced stock.
9. Remove the casserole dish from the oven and stir in the chopped lobster meat mixture and then sprinkle on the last quarter cup of Parmesan and the last two ounces of grated Fontina. Bake in the oven for 15 minutes.
10. Place under the broiler briefly to brown the top.
11. While the dip is baking, heat a large nonstick dry skillet over high heat and once hot, lay a single whole Pita bread in. Place another heavy pan on top of the pita and cook and flip for about a minute on each side. Repeat for all the pitas.
12. Move the pitas to a cutting board and cut each into eight wedges.
13. Serve the hot dip with the warm pita wedges on the side.

• Can I make Lobster Artichoke Dip ahead of time?  Yes, but wait to bake until you are close to serving. Cooked lobster gets tough when cooked for too long.
• How do I store leftovers?  Cover and refrigerate for up to two days.
• How do I reheat leftovers? Microwave the dip just until it is warmed through. Avoid overheating – the cheese can separate, and the lobster can get tough.
• Can I freeze?  No, we don’t recommend attempting to freeze this recipe.

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