Chapter 2

THE SEA

In our travels we’ve met people who didn’t know the state of Maine, but they sure knew Maine lobster. We dined at San Domenico, one of Italy’s most celebrated restaurants, a few years ago, and the first course, to our amusement, was Maine lobster. Our lobster is served in the waterside restaurants in Hong Kong and on the plates in front of Arab sheiks dining in Dubai. It’s one of the world’s great luxury foods, but all we have to do is go down to the harbor to get it. Over the years one of the greatest pleasures in our lives has been getting to know the hard-working people who have made Maine culture world famous. The lobstermen and women are a part of the American heritage, part of its mythology, and a big part of what makes America great.

Getting to know Maine has come hand in hand with getting to know these people, like our lobsterman Ted Johnson. We’ve been out on his boat many times and nothing beats that experience. But for Ted and all the lobstermen and women, it’s not an easy job. The weather is freezing cold, there are territorial wars, and they’re out there all alone. It’s a tough job, and we’re privileged to be able to get to know them at home, to share a meal at their own tables.

In both of our Maine restaurants, it’s the real guy just off the boat who comes by and brings in a load of flapping lobsters. Steam billows off their cold shells as they come from the chilly sea into our toasty kitchen. It’s a joyful thing and makes us feel extremely connected. It makes us want to cook even more. MC Perkins Cove is literally a stone’s throw from the lobster boats, and our lobstermen stop off for a “little pop” after a hard day before we start service. We’re happy to be able to provide a place for them to relax.

Of course, there’s much more in our seas than lobster. Gems like the Maine shrimp—here for a brief visit each year in winter—are some of the delights we get every day from just off the dock. Fish such as haddock and cod are being regulated in terms of how they are caught, and we support that local fisherman who goes out and casts a line rather than dragging a net across the sea floor. For all of our restaurants we work with our purveyors and with the state, along with groups like the Maine Lobster Council, The Monterey Bay Aquarium, and The Smithsonian Institution to ensure the future of Maine’s fish and lobster.

CLASSIC LOBSTER ROLLS

WHEN MAKING A TRUE MAINE LOBSTER ROLL, CERTAIN CRITERIA NEED TO BE met. The bun must be a “top-loader,” buttered and grilled, and there must be enough mayonnaise to coat the lobster liberally. In our opinion, most people just don’t add enough mayo. Travel up and down the coast of New England and you’ll encounter many versions. In fact one of our favorites is not served in Maine at all, but in New York City at Rebecca Charles’ Pearl Oyster Bar. In our version we like to use a lemon mayo and sprinkle plenty of fresh herbs from the garden on top. Serve these with a pickle and French fries.

YIELD: 6 SERVINGS

½ gallon water

¼ cup kosher salt

4 live lobsters (about 1¼ pounds each)

1½ cups mayonnaise (see Herb Mayonnaise, page 49, but omit the herbs)

3 tablespoons lemon juice

6 top-loading hot dog buns

3 tablespoons unsalted butter

¼ cup finely chopped fresh tarragon

¼ cup finely chopped fresh parsley

¼ cup finely chopped fresh chervil

¼ cup finely chopped fresh chives

To prepare the lobsters, fill a large heavy pot or standard clam steamer pot with the water and the kosher salt. Set over high heat and bring to a boil. Place the lobsters in the pot and cover tightly. Boil for 14 minutes. Remove the pot from the heat and carefully pour the lobsters and the water into a deep sink or colander. Cover with ice for about 10 minutes. Take the meat out of the shell (see How to Eat a Lobster, page 83).

Cut the lobster meat and place in a bowl. Toss with the mayonnaise and lemon juice. Slather the outside of the rolls with the butter and quickly grill on both sides either in a skillet or on an outdoor grill. Fill the grilled rolls with the lobster salad. Combine the herbs, mix well, and sprinkle over the salad. Serve immediately.

BOILED LOBSTER with DRAWN BUTTER

SOMETIMES THE SIMPLEST THINGS ARE THE BEST, SO WHAT MORE CAN WE SAY? Serve this with our Coleslaw with Caraway Seeds (page 213) and another Maine classic, well, a classic everywhere, Deviled Eggs (page 188).

YIELD: 6 SERVINGS

½ gallon water

¼ cup kosher salt

6 (1¼-pound) lobsters

½ pound (2 sticks) butter

6 lemon wedges

Fill a large heavy pot or standard clam steamer pot with the water and the kosher salt. Set over high heat and bring to a boil. Place the lobsters in the pot and cover tightly. Boil for 14 minutes. Remove the pot from the heat and carefully pour the lobsters and the water into a deep sink or colander.

FOR DRAWN OR CLARIFIED BUTTER: Cut the butter into cubes. Slowly heat the butter in a small saucepan until the butter is completely melted and the solids have foamed to the top, about 10 minutes. Remove from the heat. Skim the foam from the top of the clear golden liquid underneath or pour through a fine sieve until you reach the white solids. Discard the solids. Let cool. Use the clarified butter as a dip for the lobsters. Serve with lemon wedges.

LOBSTER BISQUE

ALTHOUGH BISQUE USUALLY IMPLIES A SMOOTH CREAMY SOUP WE LIKE TO LEAVE some potatoes and onions in the soup to give it a bit more texture. You will find that this bisque certainly is creamy and smooth with some surprising contrasts.

YIELD: 6 SERVINGS

3 (1¼-pound) lobsters

½ pound (2 sticks) butter

½ cup finely chopped Spanish onion

¼ cup all-purpose flour

1 quart (4 cups) whole milk

4 cups diced potatoes (about 1¼ pounds)

2 cups clam juice or lobster stock

1 quart (4 cups) heavy cream

½ cup mixed herbs (such as chives, tarragon, thyme)

¼ cup fresh lemon juice (about 3 lemons)

Kosher salt

Cook and pick the lobsters and reserve the lobster meat and shells. In a large nonreactive saucepan melt the butter over medium heat. Add the onions and sauté until soft. Stir in the flour and cook slowly for 5 more minutes, stirring constantly. Heat the milk in a saucepan over medium heat until just hot and then add the hot milk slowly to the onion and butter mixture. Cook over medium to low heat for about 15 minutes, or until it begins to thicken. Add the potatoes and the clam juice and keep at a simmer until the potatoes are done.

In another nonreactive pan combine the lobster shells and the heavy cream. Bring to a simmer and reduce the heat. Simmer for 15 minutes. Strain the cream from the shells and discard the shells. Set aside.

Chop the lobster meat by slicing the tails and claws, leaving the knuckle meat whole. Chop the herbs. Add the lobster cream to the potato and milk mixture. Keep at a low simmer and add the lobster meat, the herbs, lemon juice, and salt to taste. Serve in six warm bowls.

LOBSTER STEW with BELL PEPPERS and CORN

WHEN CORN WAS FIRST PLANTED AT ARROWS, CLARK AND EXECUTIVE CHEF, Justin Walker, were out in the garden looking at the tops of the stalks one day and saw no corn cobs. By that time of the season there should have been plenty, and they were concerned they weren’t going to get any corn. Growing up in Ohio—which is corn country—I came out and said, “Are you two out of your minds? The corn comes from the sides of the stalk!” I got a good laugh out of their gaff, and after they looked where they were supposed to, they saw that we did indeed have plenty of corn. You don’t get corn in Maine until almost September—there’s no “knee high by the Fourth of July” here—so the wait seems endless. When it does come in, it’s just great. Things taste so much better when eaten in season and locally because you’re craving them. This dish takes advantage of a few of our local gems and its colors show off the season. Cook your own lobster or make it easy on yourself and buy freshly cooked and picked meat.

YIELD 6 SERVINGS

6 ears fresh corn

½ pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter

1 cup chopped Spanish onion

¼ cup all-purpose flour

4 cups milk

1 small yellow bell pepper, seeded and diced (about 1 cup)

1 small red bell pepper, seeded and diced (about 1 cup)

2 cups half-and-half

1 teaspoon kosher salt

2 cups chopped lobster meat

2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives

Freshly ground black pepper

Shuck the corn, clean it of silk, and then remove the kernels (about 4 cups) with a sharp knife. Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat and sauté the onion in the butter until soft. Add the flour and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally until it becomes a light tan color. Warm the milk in another saucepan and whisk into the flour mixture. Slowly bring the mixture to a boil. Turn down the heat and simmer for 5 minutes. Add the corn, ½ cup of the yellow bell pepper, and ½ cup of the red bell pepper. Stir in the half-and-half and simmer until the corn is soft. Add the salt and cook until thick, about 10 minutes. Add the lobster meat and the remaining red pepper. Serve in large bowls. Garnish with the remaining yellow pepper and the chopped chives. Season with black pepper to taste.

LOBSTER SHORTCAKE with RUM VANILLA SAUCE

FOR MANY YEARS THIS HAS BEEN A SIGNATURE DISH THAT WE OFTEN TAKE ON THE road to events and TV shows. It brings together many of the traditions of the seafaring Mainers of old, involving the Triangle Trade when New England ports would send rum produced here to Africa to trade for slaves. The slaves would be sold in the West Indies for sugar and molasses, which would complete the circle—the sugar and molasses came right back to New England to make—you guessed it—more rum. One of the by-products of this triangle was an infusion of some of the more exotic ingredients we now find here. In this recipe we also hearken back to Maine’s bustling spice trade, which brought even more flavors from exotic lands to our plain Yankee cooking. This dish can be an elegant way to start a lavish dinner, as we like to do, or it can be a main dish with our Celery Root Salad (page 201).

YIELD: 6 SERVINGS

SHORTCAKE

1½ cups all-purpose flour

1½ teaspoons baking powder

½ teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

12 tablespoons (1½ sticks) very cold butter, cubed

¾ to 1 cup buttermilk

¼ cup heavy cream

 

LIME VANILLA RUM SAUCE

½ cup lime juice

½ cup rice wine vinegar

¼ cup dark rum

1 serrano chile, seeded and finely chopped

½ vanilla bean, split lengthwise

¼ cup finely chopped shallots

1 tablespoon finely sliced fresh ginger

½ pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

 

CURRIED SHALLOTS

8 shallots, peeled and thinly sliced

1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh ginger

1 serrano chile, seeded and finely chopped

1 teaspoon turmeric

1 tablespoon Madras curry powder

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 cup rice wine vinegar

 

LOBSTER

3 (1¼-pound) lobsters, boiled and meat removed

½ pound (1 stick) butter

FOR THE SHORTCAKE: Preheat the oven to 325°F. Combine the dry ingredients in a bowl. Cut the butter into the dry ingredients. Add the buttermilk, a bit at a time, until a soft dough holds together. Roll the dough to a ½-inch thickness and cut with a 3-inch round cutter. Make 12 cakes. Brush with cream and bake until lightly brown, about 15 minutes. Cool on a rack.

FOR THE LIME VANILLA RUM SAUCE: Combine the lime juice, vinegar, rum, chile, vanilla bean, shallots, and ginger in a saucepan. Cook on medium heat until reduced by two-thirds. Reduce the heat to low and whisk in the softened butter. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Strain through a fine sieve and discard solid ingredients. The sauce can be held in a warm place for up to 1 hour.

FOR THE CURRIED SHALLOTS: Place all the ingredients in a stainless steel pot and bring to a boil. Turn off the heat and cool. These can be made a day ahead and kept in the refrigerator.

FOR THE ­LOBSTER: Split each lobster tail in half. Melt the butter over medium heat. Add the lobster and heat gently until the lobster is warmed through, 3 to 4 minutes.

To assemble the dish: Spoon half of the sauce evenly onto six warm plates. Split each shortcake and place the bottom half on each plate. Top each shortcake with one-half of a tail, a claw, and knuckle meat. Top with the remaining sauce and then with the top of the shortcake. Divide the curried shallots among the plates.

THE SUSTAINABLE LOBSTER

WE ALL KNOW THAT MAINE IS FAMOUS FOR LOBSTERS, AND WE’D like to keep it that way. To keep our lobsters populating the frigid Atlantic Ocean, Maine regulates how lobsters are caught and kept. You won’t see one of those twenty-five pounders in a restaurant in Maine; our lobstermen are required to throw them back.

Regulations vary in the Atlantic states, but in Maine any lobster under 3¼ inches, a “short,” gets thrown back into the water as well as those over five inches. In addition, “scrubs,” female lobsters with eggs attached under the tail, are clipped or notched in the flipper so that they are identified and thrown back as well.

Lobsters can only be legally caught in lobster traps, or “pots,” to discourage trawling. There’s an eight-hundred-pot limit to each inshore license to prevent over-fishing, and lobstermen pull in up to four hundred pots a day and only between sunrise and sunset.

Lobstermen must also have distinctly marked buoys so that they can tell whose pots are whose down below, and these patterns and markings are displayed on the lobster boat as well. Hauling up anyone else’s pot is against the law, and there are territorial disputes between lobstermen that self-regulate this too.

It’s hard work hauling up those large, heavy lobster pots in cold, often rough seas. They work every day of the year, but Maine is the largest supplier of lobsters in the country and it’s an important part of our economy. All of that hard work pays off in sweet, tender lobster, so when you crack open a steamy lobster tail, give it a squeeze of lemon, dip it into hot butter, and raise a glass to our lobstermen who are out there bringing them all in and following the laws so our lobsters keep on coming.

LOBSTER in a “PAPER BAG” with GREEN CURRY

THIS DISH COMES FROM OUR TRAVELS IN SOUTHEAST ASIA. USING A REALLY FRESH green curry and hints of lime and coconut with Maine’s fresh shellfish was a no-brainer for us. Heating the ingredients in paper is a gentle way to cook, and you can make it ahead of time and then bake them at the last minute. For a dramatic effect at a dinner party, open the paper bags at the table, serving the sauce on the side. Your guests will gasp when the steam is released, bringing the aroma of lobster and spices to the room.

YIELD: 6 SERVINGS

GREEN CURRY SAUCE

1 cup cilantro leaves, washed and picked

½ cup basil leaves, washed and picked

¼ cup parsley, washed and picked

½ tablespoon peeled and finely chopped fresh ginger

3 shallots, peeled and finely chopped

1 (8-ounce) can unsweetened coconut milk

1 serrano pepper (about 2 teaspoons), stem removed, seeded, and finely chopped

½ cup canola oil

Juice of 3 large limes (about 6 tablespoons)

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

 

LOBSTER

6 (18 x 13-inch) sheets parchment paper

1 large zucchini squash (about 6 ounces), julienned and seeds discarded

6 (1¼-pound) lobsters, boiled and picked (page 65)

1 large yellow (summer) squash (about 6 ounces), julienned and seeds discarded

6 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided

1½ teaspoons kosher salt, divided

Freshly ground black pepper

FOR THE GREEN CURRY SAUCE: Place all the ingredients into a blender and blend until smooth. Set aside.

FOR THE LOBSTER: Prepare the paper “bags.” Fold one parchment sheet in half, shorter end to shorter end. Using as much of the paper as possible, start at the upper folded edge and cut out a heart shape (as if making a valentine in grade school). Discard the remainder of the paper. Continue for the remaining five bags. Lay the left side of the heart over the right side. Starting at the top of the heart, fold down the edge section by section, crimping down the edge as you go. Continue folding and crimping until you reach the bottom and the bag is fully sealed. At the bottom, twist the pointy end of the heart and tuck under. Place a baking sheet in the oven to warm.

Divide the squash into six portions. Place each portion (about 4 tablespoons) inside the heart on the right side. Add the meat of each lobster on top of the squash. Top each with 1 tablespoon butter, ¼ teaspoon salt, and a pinch of pepper.

Place the bags on the cookie sheet in the oven. Bake for 8 minutes and remove from the oven. To serve, cut a hole in the center of the bag about 6 inches across, leaving part of the cut intact to create a flap. Roll back the flap and present the bag at the table. Serve the green curry sauce on the side, or drizzle some on the bag contents at the table or before serving.

LOBSTER MAC ’N’ CHEESE

COMFORT FOOD, MAINE STYLE—THAT’S THE IDEA BEHIND THIS SLIGHTLY UPSCALE version of an American classic. The rich buttery flavor of lobster marries perfectly with creamy pasta. It’s a good way to use “culls”—the cheaper lobsters often available in summer that are missing a claw or are otherwise less then perfect looking. This could be a first course, or a simple main meal for the family. Serve with our Warm Dandelion Greens (page 000), Coleslaw with Caraway Seeds (page 000), or some simple sliced cucumbers.

YIELD: 6 SERVINGS

1½ pounds uncooked elbow macaroni

2 cups heavy cream

½ cup grated Gruyere cheese

½ cup grated Monterey Jack cheese

½ cup grated Parmesan cheese

1 tablespoon chopped fresh chives

1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley

2 lobsters, boiled (page 65), cooled, picked and coarsely chopped

Kosher salt

½ cup panko breadcrumbs

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Cook the macaroni according to the package directions in a large pot of boiling salted water. Drain, rinse, and set aside in a large bowl. Meanwhile, bring the cream to a boil in a large nonreactive saucepan. Add the cheeses, chives, parsley, lobster, and salt to taste to the cream. Stir to melt the cheese. Pour the mixture over the macaroni and stir to combine. Transfer to a 3-quart casserole dish, sprinkle with the breadcrumbs and bake until the casserole is bubbling, about 15 minutes. The dish can be made a day ahead and kept in the refrigerator, covered, until ready to use.

LOBSTER SALAD with MINER’S LETTUCE and CHIVE MAYONNAISE

MINER’S LETTUCE, ALSO CALLED WINTER PURSLANE, GROWS NATURALLY UNDER trees. It has a velvety, intensely “green,” almost grassy flavor that goes well with the sharp onion flavor from the chive and creaminess of the mayonnaise. If you can’t find miner’s lettuce, use mache or arugula for their distinctive character. This salad is wonderful to serve out on the patio with a chilly bottle of white wine.

YIELD: 6 SERVINGS

CHAMPAGNE VINAIGRETTE

¼ teaspoon kosher salt

⅛ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

¼ cup Champagne vinegar

1 cup olive oil

 

SALAD

½ cup chopped chives

12 tablespoons mayonnaise (see Herb Mayonnaise, page 49, but omit the herbs)

3 (1¼-pound) lobsters, boiled and picked

6 cups miner’s lettuce or other greens

3 slices each tomatoes, radishes, avocado, for garnish

FOR THE CHAMPAGNE VINAIGRETTE: Combine the salt and pepper in a bowl. Add the vinegar and whisk to blend the seasonings. Drizzle in the olive oil while whisking to bind the mix into an emulsion.

FOR THE SALAD: Mix the chives with the mayonnaise and the lobster meat in a bowl. Toss the greens with the Champagne vinaigrette and divide onto each of six chilled plates. Top each plate with half a lobster tail, one claw, and one knuckle. Garnish with the tomato, radish, and avocado slices.

LOBSTER PLT

THE BLT IS ONE OF CLARK’S FAVORITE SANDWICHES AND ADDING LOBSTER MAKES it a little more sophisticated. We call this a PLT because we use pancetta, a great salty contrast to creamy sweet lobster. Tarragon, our favorite herb, is so good with both lobster salad and tomatoes, so it’s a double treat. We offer quantities for each ingredient here, but a PLT is a personal thing so add or take away whatever you like. Experiment with herbs and the many colors and varieties of tomatoes you’ll find in the f armers’ markets and make an event of it by laying out variations and letting family and friends assemble their own.

YIELD: 6 SERVINGS

12 slices pancetta

12 ounces lobster meat

½ cup tarragon mayonnaise (see chive mayonnaise, page 78, and substitute tarragon for chive)

12 slices sourdough bread, toasted

12 arugula leaves

2 tomatoes, sliced

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Place the pancetta on a baking sheet and bake until crisp, about 10 minutes depending on thickness. Remove the pancetta and blot on paper towels. Toss the lobster meat with the tarragon mayonnaise until it’s the consistency you like. Assemble the sandwiches with 6 slices toasted bread topped with lettuce, tomato, pancetta, and finally the lobster. Top with the other slices of bread.

BUTTER-POACHED LOBSTER with JOHNNYCAKES

LOBSTER MEAT IS VERY DELICATE SO IT’S IMPORTANT NOT TO OVERCOOK IT AS it will get rubbery and just plain fall apart, neither of which is very appetizing. Butter poaching, just warming the meat ever so gently in melted butter, coats the meat and the gentle heat prevents overcooking. It doesn’t hurt that the lobster is infused with the buttery deliciousness we love. The trick is to cook the lobster in the shell just enough to get it out of the shell, but then finish cooking it in the butter. This dish is great for brunch, as a knockout appetizer, or an elegant fish course in a multi-course meal.

YIELD: 6 SERVINGS

POACHED LOBSTER

3¼ pounds lobster

½ pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter

 

JOHNNYCAKES

1⅓ cups milk

1⅓ cups water

¾ cup plus 2 tablespoon cornmeal

1 teaspoon butter

½ teaspoon kosher salt

¼ cup canola oil, divided

FOR THE LOBSTERS: Bring a large pot of water to the boil and plunge the lobsters into the water. Cook for 6 minutes. Pour the lobsters into a colander or deep sink and cover with ice. Remove the meat from the shell (page 83). Split the tails in half. Heat the butter in a saucepan over medium-low heat and add the lobster. Gently heat the lobster for 6 minutes.

FOR THE JOHNNYCAKES: Bring the milk and water to a boil in a saucepan. Gradually whisk in the cornmeal. Add the butter and the salt. Finish with warm water until the batter is the consistency of thick pancake batter. Remove from the heat, and let stand 10 minutes stirring occasionally. Heat 1 tablespoon of the canola oil in a skillet over high heat. When smoking hot pour in a small amount of batter, about 2 tablespoons. Cook until golden brown on each side and the edges are firm. Repeat in batches until you use all of the batter.

To assemble, place one cake on each of six plates, top with half of a lobster tail and then divide the rest of the lobster meat among the plates. Drizzle with the lobster butter from the poaching pan.

JOHNNYCAKES

JOHNNYCAKES ARE AN OLD NEW ENGLAND DISH, AND THERE’S much debate as to whether they should be called “Journey Cakes.” Mainers of old would take them on long trips because they just wouldn’t spoil. Like any pancake, the first ones don’t always come out right, but don’t despair; it won’t take many to get it just right. They’re thin so use a lot of butter and be sure to use a perfect nonstick pan with no “wear or tear.” While they used to be made with a cast-iron pan, this is one instance when modern technology is needed. They are not just for this more elegant dish, either. Have them at breakfast with jam, honey, or maple syrup and at lunch and dinner with stew or chowder.

LOBSTER COCKTAIL with HORSERADISH-TOMATO MAYONNAISE

THIS DISH IS VERY FESTIVE SO IF YOU’RE MAKING IT FOR FRIENDS THEY’LL BE quite impressed. As we say in Maine, though, it’s “wicked” easy to make. We suggest chives and parsley here, but please feel free to use anything coming up from your garden to liven up the flavors. The horseradish and tomato in the mayonnaise is a little play on classic cocktail sauce. Use eight-ounce Champagne flutes or glasses.

YIELD: 6 SERVINGS

3 (1¼-pound) lobsters, boiled and picked (page 65)

1½ cups Champagne vinegar

4½ tablespoons sugar

1½ tablespoons salt

1½ tablespoons ground horseradish

6 tablespoons mayonnaise (see Herb Mayonnaise, page 49, but omit the herbs)

1½ cups chopped tomatoes

6 lemon wedges

⅛ cup chopped fresh parsley

⅛ cup chopped chives

Chill the lobster meat. Mix the Champagne vinegar, sugar, and salt in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Add the horseradish and simmer for 5 minutes. Remove the mixture from the heat and chill. To layer the cocktail, start with 1 teaspoon mayonnaise in the bottom of each flute or glass. Add 1 teaspoon tomato, 1 teaspoon horseradish mixture, a bit of the lobster, mayonnaise, horseradish, part of the tail, mayonnaise, tomato, horseradish, lobster claw, mayonnaise, and horseradish. Top with 1 tablespoon of the Champagne vinaigrette. Add a lemon wedge and snips of parsley and chives on top. Serve chilled.

HOW TO EAT A LOBSTER

CRACKING A LOBSTER SEEMS DAUNTING TO SOME, BUT IT’S REALLY quite simple. We often look at the cartoonlike drawings on the paper place mats at typical lobster pounds in New England, but we think they’re just designed to confuse you further. Just start with the tail. Hold the tail as if the lobster is swimming away from you. Twist to remove the tail. With two hands, push the tail together until the top of the tail cracks; then flip the tail over and place two thumbs in the ridge of the tail and push outward until the entire shell comes off.

Now, twist off the arms. Discard the body and reserve it for stock or keep as a garnish. Twist the claws off the arms. Place the arms on a cutting board and cut along the lines separating each knuckle with a heavy-duty chef’s knife. Using your fingers or a chopstick, push the meat out of each knuckle. Use the heavy end of the knife to hit the claw gently until it’s cracked all over like an egg. You may want to cover the claw with a towel before hitting it to keep the juice from flying. Remove the meat from the claw. Twist the small part of the claw with your hand until it comes away from the flesh and then gently twist the larger part and pull it out from the shell. Using your fingers, pull the cartilage from inside of the claw out as well.

As for the thin legs, just give it up, man! There are fanatics who like to suck the meat out of the legs and, if you feel so inclined, go ahead. We know they always show that on the place mats, but we think it’s just too much trouble.

THE LOBSTERMAN

TED JOHNSON HAS ALWAYS LED A DOUBLE LIFE—AS A BUILDER AND as a lobsterman. Lobstering came first. He started fishing at age thirteen when a friend of his father’s who had a lobster boat let him play around in the skiff. That’s when he got his first two traps. Although his mother was scared he would drown, lobstering was now in his blood. When Ted finished high school he realized he also wanted to build and for decades he built houses and boats, lobstering for six months of the year. It was a lifestyle that fit into his personality—he’s an independent man and he says he didn’t like working for other people. Being out on the lobster boat fit into his view of life as did the building. At age sixteen he built his own house, clearing the land with an ax. He used a shovel to dig out the foundation.

Now Ted’s retired from building and can spend more time lobstering, but he says he doesn’t really know anyone who can make a living just lobstering. Many of his fellow lobstermen have “regular” jobs that pay the bills and benefits so they can get out on the water and pull in the traps. Ted says he sees more lobsters now than he did in years past because many of the lobster predators are gone due to dragging as a fishing technique. He says more people are trying to get into lobstering despite the limit on licenses, and he’s got to keep buying his license each year or lose it.

There’s also more competition than in the past. More independent people coming into the business and advances in technology are putting pressure on his way of life, a way of life that can often be very dangerous. Ted says he’s been lucky through the decades. He’s been “hung up” a few times, but he always got out of it. In some years, men die on the water, men who get caught in ropes and are pulled down because of the repetitive nature of hauling. Ted says pulling up the traps and letting them down over and over again can make you careless. He always carries a sharp knife and has a knife at the stern of the boat in case he goes overboard, but he’s been lobstering a long time and still enjoys doing it.

CLASSIC SHORE DINNER

MOST PEOPLE DON’T HAVE TIME TO GO DOWN TO THE BEACH AND DIG A PIT— if it’s even allowed. This is our way of doing the lobster shore dinner using the family barbecue. Ask your fishmonger for seaweed or go gather your own.

YIELD: 6 SERVINGS

FIRE PIT

Newspaper

1 (25-pound) bag charcoal

12 pieces dry firewood

1 (5-gallon) bucket of river rocks or pumice stones

10 pounds fresh seaweed

FOOD

12 small Maine or new potatoes, scrubbed

12 ears sweet corn, husk on, soaked overnight in salted water

6 chorizo sausage links

6 (1¼-pound) lobsters

36 littleneck clams

1 pound (4 sticks) unsalted butter, made into drawn butter (page 52)

FOR THE OUTDOOR FIRE PIT: Start a fire using newspaper and charcoal. Once the charcoal is flaming, add wood and allow it to burn down until you have a large amount of coals. Place the river rocks or pumice stones around the coals in a ring and place some in the coals themselves, being careful not to extinguish the fire. Add half of the seaweed on top.

FOR THE FOOD: Place all of the food on top of the seaweed and then cover with the rest of the seaweed and steam until the ingredients are cooked, about 1 hour. Remove the seaweed and take out the food. Serve each guest 1 lobster, 6 clams, 1 sausage link, 2 ears corn, and 2 potatoes with the drawn butter.

PIT COOKING

EVERY INDIGENOUS CULTURE SEEMS TO HAVE HAD A METHOD OF cooking which involved burying the bounty of the land and sea, and cooking with hot rocks, wood, and whatever else was around for fuel. In the Hawaiian Islands you’ll find the Kalua pig. Traditionally, it’s roasted in a pit with hot rocks and banana leaves and buried to cook for five hours. Here in Maine, we have the shore dinner or clam bake. To find the antecedents of the New England feast, one needs to look no further that the Native Americans who taught the settlers to cook in this manner. The early Native Americans created pits dug into clay soil. They lined them with rocks and then put on a layer of aromatic leaves, which further enhanced the flavor of meat and shellfish and kept in the steam. The Penobscot tribe here in Maine taught the settlers how to bake beans underground by digging a fire pit in which to bury a bean pot and cook them overnight. The Bean Hole dinner is still a tradition today, and New Englanders still have the clam bake and the shore dinner. In summer, tourists flock to clam bakes to get a taste of that tradition.

In creating a fire pit, a large hole is dug in the ground and stones are placed inside to line it and build up a wall and to provide a ledge on which to place a grill. The cooking stones are laid in the pit’s center along with the wood that will get them piping hot. Once the stones are glowing, it’s necessary to let the fire burn down and to create a bed of embers. Next, comes a layer of seaweed on the stones and finally the food. Steamers, mussels, lobsters, potatoes, corn, sausages, onions, and really anything you like, alternating layers of seaweed and food. Then the entire pit is covered with canvas that has been soaked in sea water, and the food is allowed to cook for hours, steaming in all the great flavor.

Pit cooking is slow and laborious, but also a festive way to prepare our local seafood, sausage, and potatoes. While some Mainers have a dedicated area behind the house for their shore dinners, most of us don’t want to dig up our own lawns and the park rangers frown on digging up the beaches with a big pit and a fire, so the New England Clam Boil came into being. Just cook it all in a big pot on the stove or try our middle-of-the-road version right in your kettle grill on the patio.

SCALLOPS

WHEREVER YOU GO AROUND THE WORLD, YOU FIND SOMETHING on a skewer; the Greeks call it souvlaki, the Turks call it shish kebab, and as we’ve traveled, we’ve always found fun ways to interpret these meals on a stick. Maine diver scallops are delightful because they’re pure and unadulterated. Look for scallops that are dry and never dripping wet to ensure that they are fresh. We like to use the large U-10 size for these dishes, meaning ten to a pound. Here we offer three scallop-on-a-skewer recipes. Mix them up at a dinner party or outdoor lunch barbecue for more variety and fun.

GRILLED SCALLOPS with a LEMONGRASS SKEWER

YEARS AGO WE DISCOVERED WE COULD GROW LEMONGRASS EVEN THOUGH OUR garden is in a Zone 4 growing area, and we did grow it—long before we could find it in the local supermarket. It was very successful and we had plenty, so we found that if we cut it before a hard freeze and trimmed it, we could freeze it and keep it all winter. The oil from the lemongrass infuses the scallops with a hint of exotic lemon and a whiff of Southeast Asia.

YIELD: 6 SERVINGS

18 U-10 scallops

6 lemongrass stalks

24 large basil leaves

2 tablespoons corn oil

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Heat the grill as hot as it will go. Each lemongrass skewer will have 3 scallops and 6 basil leaves. Fill each skewer with a scallop, 2 leaves, scallop, 2 leaves, scallop, 2 leaves. Baste each skewer with corn oil and season with salt and pepper to taste. Grill for 2 minutes on each side until the scallops are lightly browned.

SCALLOPS on a BROCHETTE with BAY LEAVES and ONION

THESE TAKE THE LEMONGRASS SCALLOP FROM SOUTHEAST ASIA TO SOUTHERN Italy; same concept, but from cultures that are worlds apart.

YIELD: 6 SERVINGS

18 pearl onions, peeled

2 tablespoons olive oil

18 bay leaves

18 U-10 scallops

18 lemon peel slices

6 (10-inch) bamboo skewers

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Heat the oven to 350°F. Toss the onions in the olive oil and bake in a casserole for 30 minutes, until just soft. Remove the onions from the oven and cool. Heat the grill as hot as it will go. Skewer the ingredients in order: 1 bay leaf, 1 scallop, 1 onion, 1 lemon peel. Repeat twice for each skewer. Grill until the scallops are lightly browned, about 2 minutes.

SCALLOPS WRAPPED in PANCETTA

COCKTAIL PARTY CIRCA 1960 ANYONE? WE HAD TO TAKE THOSE CLASSIC BACON wrapped scallops and bring them up to date. Don’t forget the Motown.

YIELD: 6 SERVINGS

18 slices of pancetta, inch thick (to wrap around the scallop)

18 U-10 scallops

6 (10-inch) bamboo skewers

2 tablespoon clarified butter or canola oil

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Wrap the pancetta around each scallop. Skewer three scallops on each skewer. Sear the scallops in the butter or oil, 1 minute on each side and then 30 seconds on the edges to crisp the pancetta. Season to taste with the salt and pepper.

SCALLOPS with GRILLED TOMATOES and AIOLI

SEAFOOD, TOMATOES, AND GARLIC ARE ESSENTIAL FOR A GREAT BOUILLABAISSE, the classic French seafood stew. For this recipe we decided to take those delicious ingredients and create a much simpler version. It’s a nice, light dinner with a salad and crusty bread. The aïoli is simply our mayonnaise recipe with plenty of nutty, sharp garlic added. Aïoli is also great with grilled vegetables.

YIELD: 6 SERVINGS

6 plum tomatoes

18 U-10 scallops

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

2 teaspoons chives, chopped, for garnish

2 teaspoons chervil, chopped, for garnish

½ cup aioli

 

AÏOLI

1½ cups mayonnaise (see Herb Mayonnaise, page 49, but omit the herbs)

3 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped

Heat the grill to medium hot. Slice the tomatoes in half, coat with oil, and grill 2 minutes per side. Pull off the charred skin. Grill the scallops until golden brown, 2 minutes per side. Serve on a large platter or individual plates and top with chopped herbs. Combine the mayonnaise and garlic cloves and mix well. Serve at once with aïoli on the side.

SCALLOPS with WILD MUSHROOMS and HERBS

THIS DISH GIVES YOU A CHANCE TO LEAVE THE FRESH GARDEN GREENS BEHIND and move on to mushroom season. Maine’s forests are filled with golden chanterelles, which you can find in your local market. They’re the ultimate autumn mushroom, one many chefs consider the king of mushrooms—buttery, rich, and lovely to smell and touch. When the fall gives you the king of mushrooms and the sea brings the best scallops of the year, they simply must be combined. Toss this dish with fettuccine or linguine for an entree, or serve the scallops solo for a robust autumn appetizer.

YIELD: 6 SERVINGS

¼ cup drawn butter (page 65)

18 U-10 scallops

¼ cup white wine

8 tablespoons (1 sticks) unsalted butter, divided

4 cups cleaned and sliced chanterelle mushrooms

1½ cups chicken stock

3 teaspoons chopped tarragon

3 tablespoons chopped fresh chervil or parsley

Heat the clarified butter in a sauté pan until smoking hot. Sauté the scallops for 2 minutes per side and then remove from the pan. Add the white wine to the pan, scraping off the caramelized scallop bits and juices. Add 6 tablespoons of the butter. Sauté the mushrooms in the butter until just soft and the liquid is almost gone, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the chicken stock and cook until the mixture is reduced by half. Add the herbs. Toss the scallops in the sauce to warm. Finish with the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter. Divide the scallops onto six warm plates, top with sauce and mushrooms, and serve at once.

SAUTÉED SCALLOPS with ROASTED SHALLOT CREME FRÂICHE

ROASTING SHALLOTS—THE SWEETER, MILDER SISTER GEMS OF THE ONION— makes them soft and even sweeter. Wrapping the shallots in foil makes it easy—you can’t mess anything up or overcook them, but do cook them until they are absolutely soft. We offer our recipe for crème frâiche, which is terrific on grilled peaches. When mixed with herbs and spices, it can jazz up many dishes, but you can use sour cream or an even a mix of sour cream and heavy cream. Serve this dish with our Root Cellar Gratin (page 275) or Carrot and Parsnip Purée (page 277). A chilled brown ale or a locally brewed IPA would be great too.

YIELD: 6 SERVINGS

CRÈME FRÂICHE

1 cup heavy cream

⅛ cup yogurt

⅛ cup buttermilk

SCALLOPS

6 ounces (about 8) shallots, peeled

1 teaspoon olive oil

¼ teaspoon kosher salt

¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme

2 teaspoons lemon juice

1 cup crème frâiche or sour cream

3 tablespoons unsalted butter

18 U-10 scallops

FOR THE CRÈME FRÂICHE: Whisk the ingredients together in a bowl and let sit for 30 minutes. Chill.

FOR THE SCALLOPS: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Toss the shallots with the olive oil, salt, and pepper. Place the shallots on a large sheet of foil, sprinkle with the thyme, and fold the foil over and seal to form a packet. Place in the oven and roast until soft, about 20 minutes. Remove the shallots from the foil, cool to room temperature, and then purée them in a food processor. Add the lemon juice to the shallots and mix into the crème frâiche. Melt the butter in a skillet. Add the scallops and sauté in the butter until golden brown, about 2 minutes each side. Divide the scallops onto six plates and serve with the shallot crème frâiche on the side.

BAKED SCALLOPS with POTATOES

CASSEROLES WITH BAKED FISH ARE SOMETHING MANY OF US GREW UP WITH. They offer a quick, easy way to make something really good for family, company, or one of those frequent pot-luck gatherings. This one is a no-hassle winter dish, hearty and delicious. Serve it with our warm Brussels Sprout Salad (page 121), Warm Dandelion Greens Salad (page 209), or the Fried Green Tomatoes (page 204).

YIELD: 6 SERVINGS

2 pounds fingerling potatoes

1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme

3 tablespoons melted unsalted butter, divided

8 U-10 scallops

¾ cup crème frâiche (opposite page)

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

4 ounces Parmesan cheese, thinly shaved

3 tablespoons panko breadcrumbs

Preheat the oven to 375°F. Cook the potatoes in a pot of boiling water until just tender. Drain, let cool, and slice into coins. Toss with the thyme and 1 tablespoon butter. Slice the raw scallops into ¼-inch slices. In 6 (4-ounce) ramekins, assemble the ingredients in layers beginning with potatoes at the bottom, a dollop of crème frâiche, salt and pepper to taste, sliced scallops, potato, shaved Parmesan, another layer of scallops, a dollop of crème frâiche, and finish with potato slices. Sprinkle ½ tablespoon panko breadcrumbs on each ramekin and drizzle with the remaining melted butter. Bake for 30 minutes and serve at once.

CHILLED SCALLOPS with CITRUS

WHEN THE FIRST WARM DAYS COME TO MAINE AND THE CITRUS KEEPS ROLLING IN from far and wide, this early spring dish can’t be beat. It’s a fun dish to serve with fruity cocktails, just put it out on a platter at the bar or on the kitchen table (where everyone gathers anyway) and it will just blow everyone away. Light, healthy, and packed with flavor, people are really starting to understand this kind of “cooking” where the juices from citrus do all the work. Serve with iced Cold River Vodka, a favorite in Maine.

YIELD: 6 SERVINGS

1 lime

1 lemon

2 oranges

Juice of 1 lemon (about 2 tablespoons)

Juice of 1 lime (about 2 tablespoons)

½ cup extra virgin olive oil

12 large scallops

1 tablespoon chopped chives

1 teaspoon chopped fresh cilantro

Peel the citrus fruits and divide into sections. Mix the juice of the lemon and lime in a bowl. Whisk in the olive oil. Add the lime, lemon, and orange sections and toss with the scallops for 3 minutes. Add the herbs. Slice the scallops to ¼-inch thickness. Serve at once.

SCALLOPS with PAPPARDELLE, MARJORAM, and ROASTED GARLIC

IF FISH OR SHELLFISH CAN MAKE A TRUE NEW ENGLAND STICK-TO-YOUR-RIBS dish, this is the one to do it. Marjoram is an intense, earthy herb more commonly paired with meats, but it’s great in robust cooking of any kind. Pairing rich scallops with this herb just works. Pappardelle is great with this dish because the wide noodles give the wine sauce and marjoram something to stick to so the flavors weave throughout the dish. Go ahead and impress your friends with your knowledge of wine pairing and serve this with a Chianti or a pinot noir.

YIELD: 6 SERVINGS

3 large heads garlic, broken into cloves, husks intact

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 teaspoon kosher salt plus more to taste

18 U-10 scallops

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1½ cups chicken stock

1½ cups white wine

1 teaspoon marjoram

2 teaspoons unsalted butter

6 cups pappardelle, cooked

Freshly ground black pepper

Preheat the oven to 375°F. Toss the garlic cloves with the olive oil and 1 teaspoon salt and heat in the oven for about 15 minutes. Remove the garlic, let cool, and peel. Sauté the scallops in the extra virgin olive oil, 2 minutes per side. Remove the scallops and discard the oil. In the same pan, bring the chicken stock and the wine to a boil and cook to reduce the liquid by half. Add the marjoram and whisk in the butter. Combine the scallops, the sauce, and the garlic in a large bowl and then toss with the pasta. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve on a platter or divide between six heated individual plates.

SCALLOPS with CORN PUDDING

MAINERS LOVE TO MAKE PUDDING OUT OF ANYTHING, AND THEY’LL CALL IT A million things—slump, puffets, dowdy, even seventh heaven. They make it with plenty of wholesome farm products—vegetables, milk, eggs, and flour—and we love puddings just as much as everyone else.

YIELD: 6 SERVINGS

CORN PUDDING

1 cup sour cream

2 large eggs

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 cup cornmeal

1 tablespoon baking powder

1 teaspoon kosher salt

2 cups corn kernels

1 cup milk

ScALLOPS

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

18 U-10 scallops

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

 

 

BUTTER SAUCE

¼ cup white wine

¼ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice

8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter

FOR THE CORN PUDDING: Preheat the oven to 400°F. Mix the sour cream and eggs in a bowl. Mix the flour, cornmeal, baking powder, and salt in a separate bowl. Add the sour cream and egg mixture to the dry ingredients. Add the corn and milk and mix well. Pour the batter into a 2-quart, 9-inch round buttered baking pan. Bake for 45 minutes.

FOR THE SCALLOPS: Melt the 2 tablespoons of butter in a medium skillet over medium heat. Sauté the scallops in the butter until they get a nice crust on either side, about 2 minutes each side. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

FOR THE BUTTER SAUCE: Mix the wine and the lemon juice in a skillet over medium heat and cook to reduce the liquid until syrupy. Remove from the heat and add the butter, one chunk at a time, whisking until combined. You might need to bring the pan back to the heat to get it all melted but if you do, keep it over a very low heat. Serve the scallops with a wedge of corn pudding and top the scallops with the butter sauce.

SHRIMP COCKTAIL

IF WE COULD SAY, “’NUFF SAID” ABOUT ANY RECIPE, IT WOULD BE THIS ONE. IT’S everybody’s favorite, including ours and great as an appetizer or a poolside snack. If Maine shrimp are in season, we especially like to use them in a shrimp cocktail because they arrive only in the winter, making the sweet little shrimp a delicacy. If you’re ambitious, you can buy them unpeeled, but after you do it once, you might just pay a bit extra and ask your fishm onger to do it the next time—it’s meticulous work.

YIELD: 6 SERVINGS

SHRIMP

1 carrot, peeled and sliced

1 celery stalk, sliced

½ Spanish onion, sliced

6 garlic cloves, peeled and sliced

2 sprigs fresh thyme

1 teaspoon chili flakes

2 bottles beer, not a dark beer

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 cups water

3 pounds Maine shrimp, peeled

 

COCKTAIL SAUCE

1 cup ketchup

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

2 tablespoons fresh-grated horseradish, or prepared will work

1 teaspoon finely ground black pepper

Tabasco sauce to taste (some like it HOT!)

FOR THE SHRIMP: Place the carrot, celery, onion, garlic, thyme, chili flakes, beer, olive oil, and water in a large pot and bring to a rolling boil. Add the shrimp and cook until the flesh is white, about 1 minute. Strain the shrimp from the liquid and cool the shrimp on a parchment-lined cookie sheet in the refrigerator. When cool, serve with the cocktail sauce.

FOR THE COCKTAIL SAUCE: Combine all of the ingredients in a bowl. The sauce can be kept up to one week, tightly sealed, in the refrigerator.

SHRIMP DUMPLINGS with SWEET CHILI SAUCE

IN CHINESE CUISINE ANYTHING CAN BE MADE INTO A DUMPLING, AND THE’RE always a great way to impress a crowd. Maine shrimp are so special and delicate they really work in Asian preparations. If you have people over who like to cook, have all the ingredients ready and have your guests help with the assembly. Save the cooking for yourself so they actually get to the table. The dumplings are hard to resist when they come out of the water. We like to serve the dumplings with a sweet chili sauce from Thailand. It’s a spicier version of a sweet-and-sour sauce.

YIELD: 6 SERVINGS

10 ounces raw Maine or other small shrimp, shelled

½ cup finely chopped cabbage

¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves

2 tablespoons sugar

2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh ginger

1 tablespoon sweet chile paste

2 teaspoons soy sauce

1 teaspoon sesame oil

36 wonton wrappers, fresh or frozen then thawed

2 large eggs, lightly beaten

¼ cup cornstarch

6 quarts water

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1 tablespoon kosher salt

Thai sweet chili sauce

In a bowl combine the shrimp, cabbage, cilantro, sugar, ginger, chile paste, soy sauce, and sesame oil. Mix well with a wooden spoon. Spoon ½ teaspoon of the mixture into the center of a wonton wrapper. Keep the remaining wrappers covered with a clean kitchen towel or plastic wrap to prevent drying. Using a pastry brush, coat two adjacent edges of the wrapper with the beaten egg. Fold the wrapper over to form a triangle and seal the edges, pushing out any air. Join the two opposite points into a closed “bishop’s hat,” pointy and joined at the top to completely seal the joint with a dot of beaten egg. Transfer to a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper, sprinkle with cornstarch, and cover with a clean kitchen towel. Repeat the process until all the filling is used. The dumplings will keep in the refrigerator for up to 3 hours.

Bring the 6 quarts of water, the oil, and the salt to a boil in a large pot. Work in batches to avoid overcrowding the pot, if necessary. Place the dumplings in the pot and cook until soft and the filling is cooked through, about 2 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and transfer to a cookie sheet. Cover with foil to keep warm while cooking the remaining dumplings. Serve at once with the sweet chili sauce.

SEARED SHRIMP with GARLIC and TOMATOES

THERE ARE MANY WAYS TO SERVE THIS SIMPLE, ELEGANT DISH—AS A LIGHT summer appetizer foll owed by a white bean soup or a big green salad, with fresh pasta with butter, or with our Corn Pudding (page 102). When tomatoes are at their best and you can get different varieties in many colors—such as the smoky Purple Cherokee, the sharp-tasting Green Zebra with it’s green and yellow pattern, the deep-red round Brandywine with a slightly tart taste, or the White Queen with it’s pale yellow color—then go all out and use them all in this dish.

YIELD: 6 SERVINGS

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided

1 cup slivered garlic

12 ounces large U-25 shrimp

3 cups quartered tomatoes, various types

½ cup white wine

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 cups chopped loose herbs, such as garlic chives or fennel tips

Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a large sauté pan over high heat. Add the garlic and sauté, stirring vigorously until browned, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the shrimp, and cook until the shrimp are white. Stir in the tomatoes. Add the white wine. Drizzle the remaining tablespoon of olive oil over the shrimp. Remove from the heat and season with salt and pepper to taste. Divide the shrimp and tomatoes among six plates and sprinkle with chopped herbs. Serve at once.

CLASSIC SHRIMP SALAD with RUSSIAN DRESSING

THIS IS A DISH YOU MIGHT FIND IN AN OLD TURN-OF-THE-CENTURY BOSTON cookbook when Mainers started getting a little more gussied up and recipes like this began to crop up that were a little less colonial, and a little more worldly. Salads like these seem to have fallen out of favor in the past thirty years, but when you prepare it you’ll realize why it was a favorite for so long and why classic dishes like this one are coming back, modern style. The Russian dressing is rich and luxurious, and the Maine shrimp dot the dish with bursts of sweetness.

YIELD: 6 SERVINGS

RUSSIAN DRESSING

1 tablespoon whole-grain mustard

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

1 tablespoon lemon juice

¼ cup finely chopped Spanish onion

¼ cup tomato paste

1 tablespoon sweet paprika

½ teaspoon cayenne

1 cup mayonnaise (see Herb Mayonnaise,

page 49, but omit the herbs)

½ cup sour cream

1 teaspoon Sriracha

2 teaspoons ketchup

 

SHRIMP SALAD

24 ounces Maine or other small shrimp, cooked and peeled

6 large lettuce leaves

3 tomatoes, sliced

3 large hard-boiled eggs, each cut into 6 slices

6 sprigs chervil and 6 sprigs parsley, for garnish

FOR THE RUSSIAN DRESSING: Combine all of the ingredients in a bowl, mix well, and set aside.

FOR THE SHRIMP SALAD: Toss the shrimp with 10 tablespoons of the dressing. Place one lettuce leaf on each of six small plates and divide the dressed shrimp on each leaf. Surround each leaf with a half of a sliced tomato and three slices of hard-boiled egg. Add 1 tablespoon of Russian dressing to each plate. Cover the remaining Russian dressing and refrigerate. Garnish the salads with chervil and parsley. Serve at once.

GRILLED SHRIMP with LEMON, OLIVE OIL, and BLACK PEPPER

BLACK PEPPER IS THE SIMPLEST SPICE TO USE, AND ONE OF THE EASIEST OF ALL to find and store. It’s on every table, but it’s often forgotten as a pronounced part of a dish. When we visited Cambodia, once the largest producer of black peppercorns, we found it to be an integral part of the cooking there. It gives shrimp an exotic flavor when used as a major part of the dish, and we think you’ll be surprised at just how complex the flavor of black pepper really is. In colonial times pepper was hard to get in Maine and was highly prized, but now we can go to town and grind away. Serve these shrimp with our aïoli (page 96) and with boiled potatoes or jasmine rice.

YIELD: 6 SERVINGS

48 U-15 shrimp with the shell on

6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

6 tablespoons lemon zest

1½ teaspoons freshly ground black pepper

6 teaspoons lemon juice

1 teaspoon kosher salt

12 bamboo skewers

Olive oil for drizzling

2 lemons, sliced, for garnish

Marinate the shrimp in a bowl in the olive oil, lemon zest, and black pepper for 1 hour. Heat the grill to as hot as it will go. Add the lemon juice and salt to the shrimp. Place four shrimp on each skewer. Grill for 2 minutes on each side. Drizzle with olive oil and garnish with lemon slices.

SHRIMP with SALT PORK, ONION, and POTATOES

WE LOVE TO READ OLD COOKERY BOOKS FROM MAINE AND NEW ENGLAND, AND they all include fatback, the part of the pig used to make lard and salt pork as well as a part of the sausage making tradition. Mainers live in an adverse environment and in the old days, nothing was wasted. Now, Americans are afraid of fat, but used in small amounts, it’s a great way to add flavor to any dish as well as honor our new artisan food sensibility. This dish is a kind of hash, a very New England dish as thrifty Yankees and frugal Mainers, then and now, use leftovers to create great next-day dishes. Serve this dish at brunch with a poached egg on top.

YIELD: 6 SERVINGS

3 ounces fatback (or butter), diced

1 cup finely chopped Spanish onion

6 baby Yukon Gold potatoes

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 tablespoon canola oil

2 teaspoons clarified or drawn butter (page 65)

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

12 ounces shrimp, peeled

2 teaspoons chopped chives, for garnish

2 teaspoons chopped tomato, for garnish

In a sauté pan over medium heat, cook the fatback for 5 minutes. Pour off the excess fat. Add the onion and sauté until translucent. In a pot of water, boil the potatoes until tender. Drain and then cut the potatoes into ¼-inch slices. Place the potatoes in the pan with the fatback and onions. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Cook until the potatoes are golden and then set aside. In a sauté pan heat the canola oil and clarified butter over high heat until smoking. Add the shrimp and cook for 1 minute. Lower the heat and add the butter. Add the potato and onion mixture to the shrimp. Divide between six heated plates and garnish with chives and tomato. Serve at once.

IN the SHELL BOILED SHRIMP with SPICES

SPICES WERE A BIG THING WHEN THEY FIRST CAME TO THIS COUNTRY. WHEN Maine ship captains returned from the Far East, they brought back more exotic influences. We, too, have the wanderlust, and one of our more exciting experiences was in Indonesia where we had shrimp with turmeric, which gave the shrimp a touch of orange flavor. Combining our travels with that spice heritage of old, we can come up with some great ways to meld the Far East and Maine, as in this spicy dish. It’s a great casual party food and unexpectedly participatory; everyone gets their hands dirty, and it’s a great way to break the ice.

YIELD: 6 SERVINGS

1½ gallon water

6 tablespoons sliced garlic

2 tablespoons kosher salt

3 tablespoons whole coriander

3 tablespoons chili flakes

3 tablespoons Madras curry

3 tablespoons cumin seed

1 cinnamon stick

1 tablespoon ground cloves

3 tablespoons mustard seed

24 U-15 shrimp, shell on

Bring the water to a boil in a large pot with the garlic and salt. Meanwhile, toast the coriander, chili flakes, curry, cumin, cinnamon, cloves, and mustard seed in a large sauté pan with no oil over medium heat until the aroma is apparent, about 5 minutes. Add the spices to the water. Drop in the shrimp and cook for 1½ minutes. Strain the water through a sieve, leaving the shrimp and all the spices. Serve the shrimp and spices either hot or cold on a large platter.

SHRIMP ROLL with HERBS and CELERY

A FUN ALTERNATIVE TO THE LOBSTER ROLL, THIS TREAT USES OUR SWEET MAINE shrimp in season, so it’s a great way to bring summer to the cold-weather months. If they’re not in season, use small rock shrimp instead or large shrimp cut into good-size pieces. Serve one roll per person or as party food cut into smaller pieces.

YIELD: 6 SERVINGS

2 quarts water

3 tablespoons kosher salt

24 ounces Maine shrimp, peeled and cleaned

1 cup chopped celery

5 tablespoons mayonnaise (see Herb Mayonnaise, page 49, but omit the herbs)

5 teaspoons chopped chives

5 teaspoons chopped chervil

1½ teaspoons lemon juice

6 top-loading hot dog buns

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

Boil the water and the salt in a large pot. Reduce the heat, add the shrimp, and cook for 1 minute. Drain and chill the shrimp. In a bowl, toss the shrimp with the celery, mayonnaise, chives, chervil, and lemon juice. Brush the outside of the buns with melted butter and grill or toast in a pan. Fill the buns with the shrimp salad and serve.

SHRIMP SALAD with CELERY ROOT and LEMON

CELERY ROOT IS ONE OF THOSE THINGS THAT SEEMS TO BE POPPING UP IN TRENDY restaurants everywhere, but looking at this large, earth-covered bulb can be daunting for the home cook. It’s actually very easy to work with. Just wash it and cut off the outside layer, and then shred it with a mandolin or food processor. To cook it but still leave a light crunch, blanch it quickly in boiling water to bring out the flavor and soften it. Its delicate flavor is a perfect accompaniment for seafood. Serve this salad with chilled Champagne or a citrusy Belgian beer.

YIELD: 6 SERVINGS

2 quarts water

3 tablespoons kosher salt

2¼ pounds Maine shrimp, shelled and cleaned

4 cups julienned celery root

24 cherry tomatoes, sliced ¼ inch thick

1 Granny Smith apple, julienned

6 tablespoons mayonnaise (see Herb Mayonnaise, page 49, but omit the herbs)

¼ cup sugar

¼ cup Champagne vinegar

14 basil leaves, shredded

Juice of 1 lemon (about 2 tablespoons)

24 Bibb lettuce leaves

Boil the water and the salt in a pot. Add the shrimp and cook for 1 minute. Drain the shrimp and chill on a cookie sheet in the refrigerator. Blanch the celery root in a pot of boiling salted water for 4 minutes. Drain the celery root and chill in an ice bath. As soon as the celery root is cold, remove it from the ice bath and place in a bowl. Toss with the shrimp, tomatoes, apple, mayonnaise, sugar, vinegar, basil, and lemon juice. Arrange four lettuce leaves on each plate and top with the shrimp salad.

SHRIMP with SHELLING BEANS and HAM

THE BEANS IN THIS DISH SEEM VERY SOUTHERN, BUT IN ANY REGION WHEN YOU garden, one of the fun things to do is to watch the beans grow. They’re so pretty as they wind their stalks around arbors and trellises and their beautiful blossoms tell you there is something wonderful coming. In Maine, this happens at the end of the season, and one of our favorites is the cranberry bean because of the deep red color. You can’t get much more Maine than mixing beans and ham, and this is an updated way to present this pair. The beans are fresh and the ham lightly cooked, creating a light ragout. We suggest using white, gigante, or fava beans because they’re sturdy and plump.

YIELD: 6 SERVINGS

1 quart water

1 tablespoon kosher salt

6 cups fresh shelling beans (white, gigante, favas)

3 tablespoons olive oil

36 U-15 shrimp

1½ cups ham, cut into ¼-inch cubes

6 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

6 tablespoons chopped chives

6 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme

1½ cups chicken stock

3 tablespoons lemon juice

4 tablespoons unsalted butter

Combine the water and salt in a pot over high heat. Add the beans, bring to a boil, and cook salt for 30 minutes. Drain the beans and set aside. Heat the olive oil in a sauté pan until almost smoking hot and then toss the shrimp in the pan for 30 seconds. In another large, heavy pot, place the ham, herbs, chicken stock, and lemon juice. Add the beans to the pot and heat. Add the shrimp and the butter and cook through until the butter is melted. Serve in six bowls on a large platter.

SUSTAINING THE SEA

IN MAINE, WE ARE VERY PROUD OF OUR STATE’S LONG COMMITMENT to husbanding the ocean’s resources. As early as 1872 Maine passed its first law protecting lobsters. In 1874 a minimum size limit was established. In 1917 harvesters began “notching” the tails of egg-bearing females to protect them from harvest. And in 1961, in a landmark law, dragging the sea floor for lobsters was banned to eliminate both unwanted by-catch and damage to the sea floor.

Maine has not just been interested in protecting the sea for lobsters. Harvests of Maine shrimp, one of the great delicacies of the sea, are strictly regulated. In the Damariscotta region of Maine, a tremendous resurgence in oyster farming has emerged in the last two decades. The innovative oystermen and women of this region have employed environmentally sound methods of raising these coveted byvalves. Just thirty years ago, Maine had few oysters left, but now we have a thriving, healthy oyster supply in our state.

Overfishing and pollution are causing many of our fish species to become depleted. Marine habitats are damaged through dredging and trawling the sea floor. Destroying the sea floor eliminates the place where marine life lives and breeds. Bycatch is also an environmental concern. When ocean trawlers pull up many species of fish at once, the fish are sorted and rejected and many varieties are thrown back often dead or in distress. This is a tragic waste of the world’s marine life. Now, efforts are being made to use solutions like trapdoors in nets or sound to keep unwanted species away.

There are ways we can all help to ensure our fish species thrive. At our restaurants we work closely with the best purveyors and local fishermen who share our vision of a sustainable marine environment. We see ourselves as “ambassadors of sustainability.” We are involved with a number of groups that help protect our sea life, including the Monterey Bay Aquarium and the Maine Lobster Council, but you can help just by being aware of what fish you buy and how they are caught or raised. We never serve bluefin tuna, Chilean sea bass, orange roughy, or other endangered species, in any of our restaurants.

When shopping for seafood, take along the Seafood Watch Guide found at Seafood-Watch. com. Shop only from reputable markets that make an effort to support the sustainability of our seas. We encourage you to buy fish that are pole caught rather than netted and find seafood harvested in a carefully controlled manner, such as Maine shrimp. Some farm-raised fish is better than others: consult your fishmonger. Wild fish harvested in a sustainable manner is best. If you want to make a recipe from this book but can’t find sustainable fish, choose another recipe until sustainable fish is available. It’s that important.

Every time we cook from the sea, we make an impact; so if we all work to cook what is sustainable, then we can really make a change.

HADDOCK SANDWICH with TARTAR SAUCE

THIS IS CLASSIC MAINE SHORE FOOD BUT MAKING IT WITH THE RIGHT INGREDIENTS and freshly caught haddock will elevate it from average to sublime. In Maine, we have endless debates about who makes the best fried fish and tartar sauce and no one seems to agree. We think the debate ends here. A frosty mug of great ale with this sandwich wouldn’t hurt to help make you agree.

YIELD: 6 SERVINGS

TARTAR SAUCE

1½ cup finely chopped red onion

½ cup chopped gherkins

2 cups mayonnaise (see Herb Mayonnaise, page 49, but omit the herbs)

Juice of 1 lemon (about 2 tablespoons)

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

FISH

1 cup panko breadcrumbs

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

6 (6-ounce) haddock fillets

6 white rolls or 12 slices sourdough bread, buttered

Lettuce and tomato slices, optional

FOR THE TARTAR SAUCE: Combine all the ingredients in a bowl, mix well, and set aside.

FOR THE FISH: Preheat the oven to 400°F. Combine the breadcrumbs with salt and pepper to taste. Lightly coat the haddock with the seasoned breadcrumbs. Heat the butter in a large ovenproof sauté pan until bubbling. Sear the haddock in the butter, about 2 minutes on each side. Place the pan with the haddock in the oven until the haddock is browned, about 4 minutes. Toast the buttered rolls or bread on a griddle. Place one piece of the fish on one side of a slice of sourdough or roll. Top with tartar sauce and the remaining bread slice. Add lettuce and tomato if desired.

BAKED LEMON-THYME FLOUNDER

MANY PEOPLE THINK OF FLOWERS AS BEING JUST ORNAMENTAL, BUT THE flowering herb—lemon thyme—in this recipe brings together the flavor attributes of lemon with one of our favorite herbs. Adding a squeeze of lemon brings in even more layers of flavor. Lemon thyme might be a bit hard to find, but it’s worth seeking out and it’s certainly easy to grow in a window box or small garden. If you can’t find it, don’t despair; just use regular thyme and an extra squeeze of lemon.

YIELD: 6 SERVINGS

2 cups finely ground panko breadcrumbs

2 teaspoons kosher salt

¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

6 (6-ounce) flounder fillets

4 tablespoons melted unsalted butter or olive oil, divided

2 tablespoons chopped fresh lemon thyme

Preheat the oven to 400°F. Combine the breadcrumbs with the salt and pepper. Dip the fish in 3 tablespoons of the melted butter or olive oil then into the seasoned breadcrumbs. Lightly oil a cookie sheet with the remaining butter or olive oil and place the fish on the sheet. Sprinkle the chopped thyme over all. Bake until brown, 10 to 12 minutes, and serve.

SALMON WIGGLE, OUR WAY

THIS IS ONE OF THOSE OLD DISHES MAINERS LOVE TO HATE BECAUSE IT’S ONE that can go horribly wrong if you overcook it. Don’t cook that salmon and peas to mush like Mom used to—it might ruin it for your future generations. The traditional old menu for the Fourth of July is fresh salmon, new peas, boiled potatoes, and hard-cooked eggs with one cup of medium thick white sauce. We’ve jazzed that old dish up a bit with herbs and some non-traditional red pepper.

YIELD: 6 SERVINGS

8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter

½ cup all-purpose flour

2 cups sliced mushrooms

½ red onion, finely chopped (about ½ cup)

2 cups chicken or vegetable stock

2 cups heavy cream

2 cups fresh peas

⅓ cup diced red bell pepper

⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper

¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg

½ cup chopped fresh chives

1 pound salmon, cut into ½-inch chunks

1 teaspoon lemon juice

Melt the butter in a large sauté pan over medium heat and slowly add the flour, whisking until it thickens, about 5 minutes. Add the mushrooms and onions and turn the heat to low. Continue to cook, stirring occasionally. In a pot, heat the chicken stock and the cream. Add the cream mixture to the onion mixture, whisking in slowly. Cook on low heat until thick, about 5 minutes. Add the peas and the bell pepper. Stir to mix. Add the cayenne, nutmeg, and chopped chives. Add the salmon and cook for 5 minutes. Finish with the lemon juice. Serve at once.

HALIBUT and BRUSSELS SPROUT SALAD

CLARK’S FATHER HATED BRUSSELS SPROUTS. HE GREW UP IN THE DEPRESSION, and back then he had to eat many a Brussels sprout. He’d often say it was his least favorite vegetable. When we said we were going to serve him Brussels sprouts one night, he was discouraged, but this dish completely changed his mind. He loved it. The Brussels sprouts come out fresh, crisp, and buttery and when you brown the halibut well, it’s nice and flaky inside, a perfect complement for the buttery salad.

YIELD: 6 SERVINGS

BRUSSELS SPROUTS SALAD

48 medium Brussels sprouts

4 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 teaspoon kosher salt

¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

HALIBUT

½ cup all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon kosher salt

¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

6 (6-ounce) thin halibut fillets

4 tablespoons (½ stick) unsalted butter

FOR THE BRUSSELS SPROUTS SALAD: Separate the Brussels sprouts into leaves by removing the tough outer leaves and coring the sprouts. Coring is easier if you cut the sprouts in half then cut out the hard center. Remove the tender inner leaves and reserve. Melt the butter in a large sauté pan over medium heat and add the Brussels sprouts. Cook slowly, stirring frequently until just tender and bright green, about 3 minutes. Season with the salt and pepper and serve with the halibut.

FOR THE HALIBUT: Combine the flour, salt, and pepper and mix well. Dredge the halibut in the seasoned flour. Heat the butter in a very large nonstick sauté pan over medium heat. Sauté the fish, a few pieces at a time, until it is browned, about 3 minutes per side. Keep the fish warm while you finish cooking the remaining fillets. Divide the fish on six plates and garnish with the warm salad.

GRILLED SALMON with GREEN BEANS and CORN

IT’S SUMMER, SUMMER, SUMMER WHEN THE CORN AND BEANS ARE COMING OUT of the garden and those fresh-from-the-garden vegetables are great with seafood. All you need to do is fire up the grill and create a ragout, which can also be done on the grill.

YIELD: 6 SERVINGS

4 tablespoons unsalted butter

6 ears of corn, cleaned of silk and kernels cut off (about 4 cups)

1 cup chicken stock

1 cup peeled, seeded, chopped tomato

2 tablespoons chopped thyme

1 pound green beans

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

6 (6-ounce) pieces salmon fillet

¼ cup olive oil

Heat the grill as hot as it will go. Melt the butter in a large sauté pan over medium heat and sauté the corn for 1 minute. Add the chicken stock, tomato, and thyme. Boil 1 quart salted water and add the green beans. Blanch the green beans in boiling water for 3 minutes. Drain the beans and add to the corn. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Brush the salmon with the olive oil and season with salt and pepper to taste. Grill the salmon until cooked, about 5 minutes on each side. Divide the bean and corn mixture onto six plates. Top with grilled salmon and serve.

CIDER-POACHED SALMON with APPLES

AUTUMN IN NEW ENGLAND IS GORGEOUS, AND THE HIGHWAYS ARE CLOGGED with RVs and retirees coming north to catch the spectacular colors before they fade. At Arrows in the fall, we’re blessed by numerous old apple trees that give us apples for cooking and cider. Our chef Justin Walker has a hundred-year-old cider press, and it’s a fun group enterprise to gather apples for the cider for many dishes, including this one. Salmon and apples go well together whether the salmon is poached or sm oked.

YIELD: 6 SERVINGS

1 gallon apple cider

2 teaspoons rosemary

2 tablespoons thyme

¼ cup plus ¼ teaspoon brown sugar

2 tablespoons fennel seed

1 tablespoon kosher salt

1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper

6 (6-ounce) salmon fillets

½ pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter

1 quart (about 6) cooking apples, such as Macintosh, cored and sliced

Heat the cider in a nonreactive, wide-bottomed saucepan and reduce the liquid by half. Add the rosemary, thyme, brown sugar, fennel, salt, and pepper to the cider. Bring to boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer. Gently place the salmon in the liquid. The liquid should be steaming, but not moving. Cook the salmon for 6 minutes. Heat the butter in a sauté pan. Add the apples and sauté until golden, about 2 minutes. Remove the salmon from the cider liquid with a slotted spatula. Place the salmon on six heated plates and garnish with sautéed apples.

FINNAN HADDIE, RUTH’S WAY

CLARK’S FATHER WAS A SCOT AND HIS MOTHER NORWEGIAN, SO HIS FAMILY alternated between many different kinds of Northern European breakfasts. People were always surprised by the unique breakfast dishes that appeared on their table like the light donut-like pancake called ebelskivers, blintzes, and of course, finnan haddie, named for a fishing village of Finnan in Scotland. There, the fish was originally smoked over peat, and it’s still often served poached in milk for breakfast. You can find sm oked haddock at a good fish market and some upscale supermarkets. The cream cuts some of the potency of the smokiness, dryness, and saltiness of the fish. Haddock is readily available here. Settlers ate smoked fish, which was hung on the barn door in just about every household. Cooking dried meats and fish in milk softened them and brought them back to life. Serve this like you would creamed chipped beef on toast—if you still do that—but on a toasted English muffin and with some thick bacon or sausages.

YIELD: 6 SERVINGS

3 cups half-and-half

12 ounces smoked haddock cut into large chunks

6 tablespoons unsalted butter

1½½ cups finely chopped Spanish onions

1½ cups panko breadcrumbs

1 teaspoon kosher salt

Dash of freshly ground black pepper

Juice of 1 lemon (about 2 tablespoons)

1½ cups finely diced potato

Chopped chives, for garnish

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Put the half-and-half in a saucepan over medium heat, add the fish, and cook until the liquid is reduced by half and the fish is soft. Remove the fish and reserve the finnan haddie cream. Melt the butter in a small skillet over medium heat and add the onions. Sauté until translucent. Add the breadcrumbs, salt, and pepper. Cool to room temperature. In a 2-quart baking dish, place the haddock, finnan haddie cream, lemon juice, and the potato. Bake for 20 minutes. Garnish with the chives. Serve with a toasted English muffin.

BACON-WRAPPED COD with HOMINY CAKE

HOMINY IS CORN PRESERVED WITH LYE, MADE FROM AN OLD COOKING TECHNIQUE used to preserve and bring dried corn back to life. The Cherokees made hominy grits by soaking corn in a weak lye solution and beating it with a corn beater called a kanona. Hulled corn is a favorite old New England dish made from yellow corn, while hominy is made from white corn. Elderly New Englanders may still tell stories of peddlers who used to sell hulled corn and horseradish. Today hominy can be purchased in two forms—hulled and ready to cook, or in tins ready to just heat and serve. Either is an excellent change from potatoes. You can find it in the supermarket in tins, almost always in the Mexican food section. We’ve included it in this updated fish stew.

YIELD: 6 SERVINGS

HOMINY

2½ cups hominy

2 large egg yolks, lightly beaten

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon sugar

¼ teaspoon kosher salt

⅛ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

¼ teaspoon sweet paprika

1 teaspoon baking powder

2 egg whites

½ cup canola oil, divided

COD

6 (6-ounce) cod fillets

6 strips thick-cut smoked bacon

2 tablespoon canola oil

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

FOR THE HOMINY: Combine the hominy, egg yolks, flour, sugar, salt, pepper, paprika, and baking powder in a bowl and mix. In another bowl, beat the egg whites to stiff peaks. Gently fold the egg whites into the hominy mixture. Heat ¼ cup of the canola oil in a nonstick sauté pan. Spoon one-sixth of the hominy into the pan, flipping the cake when golden brown and firm to the touch on one side, about 1 minute per side. Cook the remaining hominy cakes, adding more canola oil when needed. Place the cakes on a cookie sheet while making the entire batch.

FOR THE COD: Wrap each piece of cod in a slice of bacon. Heat the canola oil in a large nonstick sauté pan over medium he at. Add the butter and when melted and foaming, add the cod. Sauté until the bacon is lightly crisp and the cod is cooked through, about 5 minutes on each side. Place one hominy cake on each plate and top with the bacon-wrapped cod. Serve.

COD CAKES with TARTAR SAUCE

NEW ENGLAND’S ECONOMY WAS BUILT ON COD—IT WAS ONE OF THE COMMODITIES we exported along with rum in the Triangle Trade. People used to say you could walk on the backs of the cod they were so plentiful. Unfortunately, the stock of cod is severely diminished today, but efforts are being made to save it.

YIELD: 6 SERVINGS

20 ounces cod, coarsely chopped

½ cup fresh lemon juice

6 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided

1½ cup finely chopped Spanish onion

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

1½ cup panko breadcrumbs

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 cup sour cream

3 tablespoons chopped chives

Toss the fish in the lemon juice in a bowl. Melt 1 tablespoon of the butter in a sauté pan over medium heat. Sauté the onion in the butter until translucent. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Stir in the breadcrumbs and then set the mixture aside to cool.

Combine the breadcrumb mixture and the fish. Stir in the flour, ¼ cup at a time, to bind, but be careful to use just as much as you need to hold the cakes together. Add the sour cream and the chopped chives. Form into six “cakes.” Heat the remaining butter in a large nonstick sauté pan and sauté the cakes on each side until golden brown, about 3 minutes on each side. Serve with tartar sauce (see page 118).

PAN-FRIED TROUT

THE STOUT FLAVORS OF CHINESE SHAO XING WINE INSPIRED THIS DRAMATIC dish, and it has become a signature dish in our restaurants where we often combine influences from our trips to Asia with classic Maine dishes and ingredients. One can catch trout in New England and our own Maine brook trout is delicious. In China, a whole fish is a sign of prosperity so we came up with this rendition using Maine’s freshwater fish and always serve it whole, sometimes to the dismay of our guests.

YIELD: 6 SERVINGS

¼ cup plus 3 tablespoons canola oil, divided

1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger

1 tablespoon sliced garlic

½ cup chicken stock

½ teaspoon Shao Xing wine or sherry vinegar

½ tablespoon soy sauce

⅛ cup sesame oil

1 cup all-purpose flour

2 tablespoons sesame seeds

2 teaspoons kosher salt

6 (8- to 10-ounce) whole boneless trout

3 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 tablespoon Chinese fermented black beans

¼ cup chopped scallions

2 tablespoons chopped tomato

Julienned scallions, for garnish

Cilantro sprigs, for garnish

Preheat the oven to 450°F. Heat 3 tablespoons of the canola oil in a large nonreactive saucepan over medium heat. Sauté the garlic and ginger. Add the chicken stock, wine, soy sauce, and sesame oil. Cook until the liquid is reduced by half and set aside.

Combine the flour, sesame seeds, and salt in a bowl, and dredge the trout in the breading mixture. Heat the remaining ¼ cup canola oil in a large, nonstick sauté pan over medium-high heat. Fry the trout both sides until golden brown, about 3 minutes on each side. Place the trout on a cookie sheet, and bake in the oven for 4 to 5 minutes. While baking, bring the chicken stock mixture to a simmer and whisk in the butter, black beans, chopped scallions, and tomato. Cook until heated through, about 2 minutes. Divide the sauce onto six plates and gently place a trout on each plate. Garnish with scallions and cilantro.

PLANK-ROASTED TROUT with ROSEMARY

PLANK ROASTING IS A NATIVE AMERICAN METHOD OF COOKING. IT LENDS ITSELF to modern cooking because it’s quick and easy and the wood imparts a subtle flavor. It’s a fun presentation as well. The board should be plain cedar, untreated by any chemicals. Just go to your hardware store and tell them what you’re using it for. Be sure to “marinate” the boards ahead of time with a small amount of oil. And save them—the boards can be reused even if they’re a little charred. Serve with jasmine rice or parslied new potatoes and lemon wedges.

YIELD: 6 SERVINGS

6 (10-ounce) whole cleaned trout, heads off

6 cedar planks

½ cup olive oil

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

12 rosemary sprigs

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Split the trout and place skin side down on the plank. Sprinkle the trout with olive oil and salt and pepper to taste. Place rosemary sprigs on top of each trout.

Roast on the plank until cooked through and opaque, about 10 minutes. Place one plank with trout on each of six plates.

SAUTEED STRIPED BASS with BACON and ONIONS

OK, WE’VE SAID IT BEFORE BUT PORK, FAT, AND ONIONS ARE ALL OVER TRADITIONAL Maine cooking, so we just couldn’t resist offering it again this time with striped bass. Slowly cooking the onions and bacon together adds a bold full-bodied flavor to a delicate white fish, and again, it’s a kind of winter or cold-weather food for when you want a heartier dish.

YIELD: 6 SERVINGS

18 strips of thick bacon (about 9 ounces), chopped

1 cup finely chopped Spanish onion

½ cup all-purpose flour

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

6 (6-ounce) fluke fillets

2 tablespoons canola oil, divided

¼ cup finely chopped chives

2 tablespoons lemon juice

Cook the bacon in a large nonstick sauté pan until just crisp, about 4 minutes. Add the onions and lower the heat. Stir and sauté until the onions are translucent, about 5 minutes. Remove the onions and bacon from the pan, and reserve 2 tablespoons of the bacon fat and discard the rest. Season the flour with a dash of salt and pepper. Dredge the fluke in the seasoned flour. Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in the pan with 1 tablespoon of the bacon fat and sauté 3 of the fluke fillets until browned on both sides. Add the remaining tablespoon of oil and the remaining bacon fat and sauté the remaining fillets. Place one fillet on each of six plates. Top with the bacon and onions and then the chopped chives and a sprinkle of lemon juice.