Holiday Hosting with Seafood A Cozy PEI Seafood Dinner Party
We’re so conditioned to think of seafood as a summer food. Beach days. Raw bars. Lemon wedges and chilled white wine.
But I’ll die on this hill: seafood is a great cozy, comfort food in the winter months. And it’s also one of the most elegant ways to elevate a holiday table.
This year, as the temperatures dropped and the days grew shorter, I found myself craving comfort, but chic comfort. Cozy dishes that still felt chic enough to put in front of guests during a holiday dinner party.
When I think of comfort food, I think of warmth, depth of flavour, and dishes meant to be shared. And when I think of comfort seafood, coconut curry mussels are always at the top of the list. They are easily my favourite seafood dish of all time. I could probably eat coconut curry mussels everyday for the rest of my life and not get sick of them.
They’re rich, cozy, deeply satisfying, and look very impressive during a dinner party, despite being incredibly simple to prepare.
And naturally, when I think of mussels, I think of Prince Edward Island.
Prince Edward Island is home to some of the best mussels in the world — and I don’t say that lightly. Cold, clean waters, generations of farming knowledge, and some of the most rigorous growing and harvesting standards anywhere make PEI mussels a true gold standard in shellfish.
They’re sustainably farmed using low-impact methods that work with the ocean and oftentimes, actually provide ecosystem benefits to the waters in which they grow. Mussels require no feed, no fertilizers, and no freshwater inputs, and in the process, they actually help improve water quality. Supporting PEI mussels means supporting Canadian farmers who are stewards of their environment, caretakers of coastal communities, and deeply invested in doing things the right way.
A Cozy, PEI Shellfish Holiday Dinner
While I wanted coconut curry mussels to be the star of the evening, PEI is home to such an incredible diversity of shellfish that it felt like a missed opportunity not to showcase more.
So I headed to my local fish market to see what PEI shellfish they had available and, as expected, I had options. One of the things I love most about PEI seafood is how accessible it is throughout the year, even during the holiday season.
After a lovely chat with my fishmonger, I landed on the following menu:
PEI mussels for our main event
PEI clams for a cozy, oven-baked appetizer
Raspberry Point oysters, always a favourite, for a bright, briny bit
The best part is that all of this comes together in less than an hour.
And if you don’t believe me, I’ve included all the recipes below so that you can recreate this cozy, PEI Shellfish menu at home.
Coconut Curry Mussels (The Star of the Table)
This dish is the definition of cozy luxury. A handful of staple ingredients — coconut milk, curry paste, aromatics — come together to create a fragrant, velvety broth that’s perfect for dunking crusty bread into.
Coconut Curry Mussels
Ingredients
- 2 lbs mussels
- 2 tbsp butter
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 3 cloves garlic (minced)
- 1 onion (diced)
- 2 tbsp red curry paste
- 1 can full fat coconut milk
- 1/4 cup vegetable broth
- 2 green onions
- salt and pepper to taste
- baguette for serving
Instructions
- Keep the mussels cold in the refrigerator until you’re ready to use them. Once you pull them out of the fridge, place them in a large bowl of ice cold water. Scrub the outsides of the mussels and pull out any strings. Discard mussels that have opened already or have cracked shells. Continue to keep the mussels in the ice water until cooking.
- Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and add the butter and olive oil. Once it’s melted, stir in the onions, garlic, salt and pepper. Stir and cook for 5 minutes.
- Stir in the curry paste and mix well. Cook for 5 more minutes.
- Add in the coconut milk and stock, stirring until the mixture is smooth. Bring the mixture to a simmer, stirring constantly, then reduce the heat to medium-low.
- Add the mussels and toss in the curry sauce. Cover the skillet and cook just until the mussels open, approximately 5-6 minutes.
- Garnish the mussels with the sliced green onions and serve. Serve immediately with baguettes.
Baked Clams, Casino-Style
To keep the comforting theme going, we baked the clams casino-style, topping them with a savoury breadcrumb and bacon mixture before popping them in the oven. Warm, rich, and familiar, they’re the kind of appetizer people hover around until the tray is empty.
Clams Casino
Ingredients
- 24 littleneck clams, scrubbed
- 1/2 cup dry white wine
- 1 small lemon, cut into wedges
- 6 slices bacon, diced small
- 1/2 cup finely diced onion
- 2–3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 cup fine breadcrumbs
- 3 tbsp unsalted butter
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 1/4 tsp chili flakes (more if you like heat)
- 2 tbsp chopped parsley
Instructions
- In a large skillet over medium-high heat, cook diced bacon until bacon is crisp and browned
- Add panko breadcrumbs and toast them with the bacon, stirring constantly until golden and coated
- Transfer to a bowl, season with salt & pepper, and set aside to cool.
- In that same pan, cook onion, garlic, and red pepper flakes until softened.
- Add white wine and clams. Cover and cook, checking often: remove clams as they open and set aside in a bowl.
- Once all clams are out, uncover the pan and continue to cook the shallot-bacon-clam liquid until all wine & clam juices evaporate and the mixture becomes jammy.
- In a medium bowl, combine the jammy shallot/bacon mixture with softened butter and parsley.
- Working one at a time, pry off the top shell of each clam and discard it.
- Using a butter knife, pack the clam compound butter all around and over the clam, sealing it into the bottom shell.
- Bake at 450°F for about 10 minutes.
- Serve immediately with lemon wedges.
Raspberry Point Oysters with a Spicy Margarita Mignonette
To round things out, we leaned into something fresh and festive. Inspired by PEI Seafood’s Holiday Recipe Guide, we paired Raspberry Point oysters with a spicy margarita mignonette — bright, briny, and just the right amount of heat to cut through the richness of the other dishes.
Spicy Margarita Oysters
Ingredients
- 20–30 Prince Edward Island oysters, shucked
- 1 jalapeño, seeds removed, finely minced
- 1 shot of your favourite tequila
- 2 fresh limes, juiced
- 1 tbsp. flaky salt
Instructions
- Combine jalapeno, lime juice, tequila, and flaky seat salt.
- Arrange the shucked oysters on a bed of ice.
- Top each oyster with a spoonful of jalapeño-tequila-lime mignonette.
- Serve immediately and enjoy.
Why PEI Seafood Belongs on Your Holiday Table
If you’re hosting this holiday season and looking to incorporate high-quality Canadian seafood, PEI seafood is an easy and reliable choice. From mussels and clams to oysters and beyond, it offers consistency, versatility, and incredible flavour, whether you’re planning an intimate dinner party or a full holiday spread.
When you’re at the fish counter, ask for PEI seafood specifically, and if you’re looking for inspiration, I highly recommend checking out PEI Seafood’s Holiday Recipe Guide.
