Quick and Easy Mussels

4 servings

1 large diced tomato
1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro
1 diced jalapeno pepper, seeds removed
1 cup dry white wine
2 scallions , sliced
2 lbs mussels
1 tablespoon butter
4 lemon wedges

Put the first 5 ingredients into a large pot with lid. Bring to a boil. Add mussels and steam 4-5 minutes. Turn off the heat, add butter and toss mussels. Season with salt and pepper. Serve with lemon.

Notes: Discard any mussels that do not open.

 

Mouclade of Mussels

(Steamed Mussels In Sauce)

4 lbs mussels
6 cloves of garlic,, crushed
1 cup dry white wine
1/2 teaspoon curry powder
pinch of nutmeg
3 sprigs of thyme
2 tbsp flour
2 bay leaves
1 cup half & half or coconut milk
1 small onion , finely chopped
ground pepper
1/4 cup butter ( 1/2 stick)
chopped fresh dill for garnish
1 fennel bulb, thinly sliced

1. Scrub the mussels and discard any damaged or open ones that don’t close when tapped with a knife.

2. Combine wine, nutmeg, thyme, bay leaves and onions in a large saucepan and bring to a boil. Add mussels and cover. Cook 4-5 minutes until the mussels open. Remove with a slotted spoon. Any mussels that do not open in a few minutes discard. Reserve the liquid and mussels separately.

3. In a large clean pan melt the butter and gently fry the fennel and garlic for 4-5 minutes until softened.

4. Stir in curry powder and flour and cook for 1 minute. Remove from heat and gradually blend the cooking juices from the mussels. Return to the heat and cook for 2-3 minutes.

5. Stir in half & half and pepper. Add mussels and heat through for 2-3 minutes. Garnish with dill and serve hot.

Notes: This has become one of our favorite ways to enjoy mussels. Don’t forget the crusty bread to soak up the juices.

Whole Baked Maine Shrimp

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Place whole Maine shrimp on a lined baking, one layer thick. Bake for 8 minutes. The shrimp will cook in their natural juices. Scandinavians suck the juice out of the head followed by eating to roe (eggs). Finally, the shell would be peeled off for the meat.

Maine Shrimp & Corn Chowder

1 1/2 lbs Maine shrimp meat

2 Cups chopped onion
2 Tablespoons butter
2 teaspoons salt
2 Celery stalks, minced
2 large potatoes, cut in 1 1/2″ cubes
14 oz chicken stock
1 can cream corn
1 red bell pepper, minced
2 1/2 cups frozen corn kernels, thawed
3 cups half & half*
1/4 teaspoon thyme
Fresh ground pepper and salt to taste

Melt butter. Sauté onion with salt, about 2 minutes. Add celery, sauté until soft about 8-10 minutes. Peel and cube potatoes put in small stock pot with chicken broth. Bring to boil and reduce heat and simmer 5 minutes until just soft. When done transfer to larger pot with onions and celery. Add red peppers, can & frozen corn bring back to boil. Then add, 1/2 & 1/2 and Maine shrimp with its juices. Reduce heat to low, cook until shrimp is done about 5-8 minutes. Season with thyme, salt and pepper.

*We like to use fat free half & half to save on a few calories.

 

Maine Shrimp Creole

6 servings.

1/4 cup butter
3/4 cup chopped onion
1 clove garlic, minced
1 cup green pepper, chopped
3 cups thinly sliced celery
1 28 oz can diced tomatoes
3 tablespoons brown sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
2 bay leaves
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 lbs raw Maine shrimp
3 cups hot cooked rice

Melt the butter in a large skillet; add onion, garlic, green pepper and celery. Cook uncovered over low heat until tender (about 15 minutes). Add tomatoes, brown sugar, salt, pepper and bay leaves; simmer for 15 minutes. Add lemon juice and shrimp. Cover and simmer about 6 minutes (until shrimp are cooked) stirring after about 3 minutes.

Serve over hot rice.

Notes: Do not over cook the shrimp!

Coquille St. Jacques

serves 4

1 1/2 LBS Sea Scallops sliced in half crosswise
1 cup of white wine or chicken broth
8 teaspoons butter
2 tablespoons minced onion or (dried)
1 1/2 tablespoon of flour
1 cup of heavy whipping cream or half & half
1 cup of shredded cheddar cheese

Topping:

3/4 cup Panko crumbs
3 tablespoons butter, melted
Paprika

Bring scallops, wine, butter and onion to boil in a small skillet. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 1-2 minutes or until scallops are firm and opaque. Using a slotted spoon, remove the scallops and keep warm.

Bring poaching liquid to a boil; cook until liquid is reduced to about half. Stir in flour until smooth; gradually add cream. Bring to boil; cook and stir until thickened. Remove from heat. Stir in cheese until melted. Return scallops to skillet. Pour into 6 oz ramekin or custard cups.

Combine panko crumbs and butter in a small bowl; sprinkle over the top of scallop mixture. Sprinkle with paprika. Bake, uncovered at 400 degrees for 4-5 minutes or until golden brown.

Notes: Coquille St. Jacques is one of our favorite scallop recipes. Serves 4

 

How to Boil Maine Lobster

Fill a large pot with water. Add 2 tablespoons of salt to each quart of water.

A good rule of thumb is to allow 2 1/2 quarts of water per lobster. Bring water to a hard boil and place lobster in boiling water and cover.

Once the water returns to a boil, time 1- 1 1/2 lb hard shelled lobster for 15 minutes and over 1 1/2 lbs for 18-20 minutes. Reduce the time for new or soft shelled lobsters by approximately 3 minutes.

Generally, if the antennae pulls out easily then the lobster is done.

Lobster Mac & Cheese

Pemaquid Lobster Mac n' Cheese

 

6-8 servings.

Kosher salt
Vegetable oil
1 pound elbow macaroni
1 quart milk
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, divided
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
12 ounces Gruyere or Swiss cheese, grated (4 cups)
8 ounces extra sharp Cheddar, grated (2 cups)
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1 1/2 pounds cooked lobster meat
1 1/2 cups fresh white bread crumbs (5 slices, crusts removed)

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees

Drizzle oil into a large pot of boiling salted water. Add the pasta and cook according to package directions. Drain well.

Meanwhile, heat the milk in a small saucepan, but do not boil it. In a large pot, melt 6 tablespoons of butter* and add the flour. Cook over low heat for 2 minutes, stirring with a whisk. Still whisking, add the hot milk and cook for a minute or two more, until thickened and smooth. Off the heat add the Gruyere or Swiss, Cheddar, the pepper, and nutmeg.

Add the cooked macaroni and lobster and stir well. Place the mixture in 6 to 8 individual gratin dishes.

\Melt the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter, combine them with the fresh bread crumbs, and sprinkle on the top. Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until the sauce is bubbly and the

Recipe Courtesy of Ina Garten

Notes: * at this point I add some shallots and garlic to the butter and cook until shallots are translucent, then add the flour. This step is totally optional.

Corned Hake Dinner with Boiled Potatoes

Corned hake is an old Maine dish. It is remembered by many and it is amazing how Maine families cling to serving this old-fashioned dinner. It is delicious and you will like serving it to your own family. Buttered beets are traditionally served with this meal but feel free to use what you like for a vegetable.

Pare potatoes, place in large saucepan with small amount of water. Do not salt. Cover pan and boil potatoes until nearly done; place drained hake fillets on top of potatoes, add dash of pepper if you wish. Cover, bring back to steaming point; lower heat, allow to simmer 10-15 minutes longer. Cook only until it “flakes.”

Serve with Egg Sauce

EGG SAUCE

Hard boil 3 eggs. Cool completely, peel and chop


Make a White Sauce (Sauce Bechamel)

Yield 2 cups

Melt in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat:
4 tablespoons butter

Whisk until well blended and smooth, about 1 1/2 minutes:
4 tablespoons all-purpose flour

Remove the pan from the heat and slowly whisk in:
2 cups milk

Return the pan to the heat and bring to a simmer, whisking constantly to prevent lumps. Continue to cook, whisking, until the sauce is smooth and hot and has thickened, 1 to 2 minutes.

Season to taste with:

Salt and white or black pepper
Grated or ground nutmeg
Add chopped hard boiled eggs
Serve over fish and potatoes

DIRECTIONS FOR CORNING HAKE

Two and a half to three pounds of hake will serve four people amply and should leave enough fish to make hash or fishcakes.

Wipe fish, place in dish, sprinkle with salt on both sides, cover, place in refrigerator eight hours or overnight. Before using, drain fish but do not wash.

Pare potatoes and place in pan with water; boil until done. Remove potatoes reserving the liquid. Add Hake and bring back to a boil and cook until the fish flakes; about 20 minutes. Remove and mix potatoes, hake and egg sauce on plate. This is a very rich and filling dish!

Leftovers make great fish hash!
~ Recipes courtesy of Marjorie Standish See Fish Hash recipe.

 

Finnan Haddie

Serves 4
Finnan Haddie is smoked haddock where it originated in Findon, Scotland in the early and mid 1600’s.

1 lb finnan haddie
1 quart milk

To flake finnan haddie:

Cover finnan haddie with milk and soak for 1 hour in refrigerator. Bring it to a a boil and reduce to a gentle simmer for 25 minutes. Drain off milk and flake.

Medium bechamel sauce (here’s a link to a recipe on Epicurious)

3 Tbls sherry
1/2 cup light cream
Dash of nutmeg
3 egg yolks, beaten
1 quart milk

Add flaked finnan haddie to bechamel sauce with the nutmeg. Bring to a boil, add sherry, and cream mixed with the beaten egg yolks. Do not cook after adding eggs. Serve on toast points.

Serves 4