johnnyd

Shrimp Season in Maine is set a bit differently every year depending on findings by the Department of Marine Resources. Last year was December 20th to March 25th. Here is a thread about harvesting shrimp in Maine. Lots of pictures of course.

Article in this week's Portland Phoenix about current red tide conditions both in Maine waters and in area restaurants. Justin Cross, chef of Scales in the Portland Public Market used to dig for clams himself and is often frustrated when customers become apprehensive about his raw bar options. Read all about it and more.

A most disconcerting report, Lucy. Though it's been a while since I've been up that way, my cronies have steadily informed me of the wild swings in quality above the treeline, mostly in Switzerland. When I went, it was usually winter, and stews were common. Our group was usually 12 or 15 and once we were passed by a guy with a backpack full of baguettes. If huts are accessible by snowcat, one can get anything up there. If not, you generally bring your own and share. We all brought a piece of cheese, hard sausage, chocolate bars, an orange and a few tea bags, just in case. The early morning departure is normal as it takes advantage of quieter weather and safer conditions. I'd do this again, but more research is needed. Those hikes are among my fondest memories. A quick google of some of my favorite off-the-beaten-path areas yielded this detail on the Val d'Anniviers from a UK site. Grimentz is an enchanting little village and the alps around it are breathtaking. On y vas!

I do declare that bevmax tip was a revelation. On the basis of Sam's recomendation (and the fact that it was on sale) I ordered Beleza Pura. According to the tracking # I should receive it in a couple of hours.

Stunning, MrZ. Nicely done!

On this day I had no cilantro, the preferred choice. Chopped fennel bulb provided a soft counterpoint to the garlic and shallot. Try it. You only need a tablespoon or so. I'm stocking it for ceviche from now on.

After a quick search I found this link to a recipe from bbc's Ready, Steady, Cook which features a small picture of the roe sac in the shell with scallop. I've seen better but I'm short on time. The recipe looks interesting too. Indeed, scallops are apparently more perishable with roe attached, thus the law forbidding their landing by scallop fishermen, at least up here in maine.

Holy Hannah, Ah'm droolin' heyah...

Nice coverage gentlemen. Looking forward to pics of today. It's going to be a hot one too. Good luck everybody.

For this particular preparation, I'd say the four hour mark yielded the firmer texture for a 1/3 inch thick round slice, and the better marriage of flavours in the lime juice marinade. The thing of it is, people's preferences vary widely. Being a sushi fan, dipping the freshly sliced scallop slices into the marinade and immediately popping it my mouth was pretty good to me. I have left ceviche overnight or longer and they are more acceptable to people who can't wrap their brain around raw fish. At this point they begin to get tough for my liking, but to others (wait for it...) it tastes like chicken.

I have learned tonight that I am totally wrong on the gale solution. Apparently, a long stretch of hot sunny weather will foster native algae to consume that offensive bacteria, thus bringing the alexandriae algae to acceptable levels. More about the historic red tide here.

USA law dictates that nothing but the abductor may reach port. This was mystifying to a european friend who accompanied me out on a dive trip years ago. She ate the coral raw with a bit of fresh lemon and was in heaven. The law is in place because of the high perishability factor. Indeed, outside the USA the combo is delicious.

Okay it's been four hours that our ceviche has been marinating. Upon viewing at this stage, the scallop surface appears straited as the acid is breaking down the cell structure. But who wants to get scientific when the best damned scallop ceviche in the world at that moment is begging to be eaten??? The fennel was a good idea. I'm definitely sticking with it. Chilis were a great asset as well. I'll post a recipe in recipeGullet later. BE SURE to use the freshest possible seafood when making ceviche. I've used frozen scallops for ceviche and had excellent results. Ceviche is also a famous hangover cure. Gosh, how did I know that?

You are correct, of course, but like anything you do often enough, one yearns for a little variety at times.

I couldn't take more than two snaps, I was drooling too much. I can't believe I left the rest of 'em in the bowl either! Shells run about 7 or 8 inches when they contain meat this size. We call them "platters". They decorate some of the wooden summer camps on the coast. A fishermans co-operative downeast I went to had a really big one nailed to the office wall.

Right, then! It's been an hour... I peeled back the plastic wrap and saw that the formerly transluscent scallop slices were whitened by the acidic juice of the fresh limes. Naturally the thinner slices will "cook" faster. Slices that are too thick will get a tough exterior and a silken center. This is not necessarily a bad thing, maybe even preferable to some. In fact, the more Rob-o comes by, the greater chance I'll have to experiment! These are very good. The texture of the scallop is no longer so gelatinous but firmer. The wait has allowed the thai chili to meld with the shallot, garlic, fennel and lime, creating an outstanding backdrop to this distinguished sea creature. As I type this the combination still lingers on the palatte. I still have a reasonable handful back in the fridge marinating so we'll see how they turn out later.

I'll second that recommendation. Stayed there right after the Winter Carnival for a couple days and thoroughly enjoyed it. Breakfast buffet included a rabbit pate that was excellent. Steps from good restaurants and a funicular ride away from the Frontenac Lounge/Bar where they have a reasonable selection of Cuban cigars. Enjoy yourselves!

So my pal Rob dropped by with a few scallops yesterday. He'd gone out early and did two scuba tanks on his "secret spot" out here in Casco Bay. There is a Red Tide alert this week but the abductor muscle of the scallop (the part we eat) is not affected. Good thing he has a license to do it as many clammers and mussel aquaculturalists are losing money while they sit on shore and play cribbage. Rob also takes people out fishing on the F/V "Maine Lady III". Among the bag of treasure he brought by was this gigantic scallop... It's about two and half inches wide at the small end. We call these "hockey pucks". Here's a better look (still perfecting my shutterbug skills). This thing was ginormous so I had to post it for all to see. I heard of some chefs in NYC that serve just two of these monsters in a mornay sauce and charge about twenty-five bucks. Could be a bargain. Since they don't come any fresher, we have to get started on a ceviche right away. I'm not a fan of too many ingredients in ceviche. A Peruvian friend of mine, also a diver, once whipped up a stunning version with just lime juice, cilantro, and thinly shaved shallot. The addition of chili pepper in some form is de riguer but his young daughter preferred it without that day. I'm out of cilantro and it's only five inches tall out in the herb garden so we're going with fennel bulb, shallot, garlic and juice of two limes today. After removing the tough bit on the sides, I took four regular size scallops and sliced them into rounds about a 1/3inch thick. I added sliced shallot, one clove coarse minced garlic and fennel bulb, coarsely chopped. Dug out some fresh thai chilis which I cleaned and sliced into ringlets. Of course I forgot I did that until I had to get something out of my eye, and ended up running around like I'm being chased by bees. Now the hard part. Waiting! I wrapped the bowl and put it in the fridge. An hour should be fine (everyone has their opinion), but I couldn't resist a taste. It was fresh scallop alright, but there hadn't been time to "cook" in the lime juice. Chili blew my mouth apart for a quick second. Perfect!

I hate to say it but what we need is a huge, rockin' gale to push this malevolent stuff outta here. grrrrrr!

UPDATE: This mornings TV newscast reports that coastal Maine has been tested for bacteria PPM at seventeen spots. Two spots were over the federal limit, four were just under but too close to consider re-opening to harvesters and the rest should re-open next week.

Stunning work, folks! Back a few pages I caught a glimpse of your beautiful knife, Sam. "SMITH", it said. I googled that and I seem to get a bunch of woodsmen's product. What is the story behind that nice blade?

I once posed the theory to a group of globetrotter friends that some countries along the equator have spicy foods, not only using spices as a preservation vehicle in hot weather, but also to cut through the smokers palate.

Yes, the price does look about right for a clam or seafood stuffing style patty on a hamburger roll. I presume the fishburger are fitted filets (4-5oz?) on the same bun. Not too big i'd imagine.

Siren, Thought I'd serve up a couple older posts for your reading pleasure. this report from New Years and ghostrider's Christmas Visit are informative, as well as CSASphinx trip to 555 Congress . There were copious reports on Fore Street, still a favorite of mine, but I can't find them. Apparently the bartender gets the most negative comments re: service, but I've always had a good experience there especially the food. Thanks on the tip on Benkay. I love escolar and Tak stopped serving it at Yosaku last year. A weekend(?) barkeep there by the name of Lauren worked at Sapporro back when it was on Fore Street and he makes a perfect Saketini. Tak also seems to be the only sushi chef here who goes for the unusual items, which I look forward to when I visit. This summer should be no exception. I also found this blog: "From Away; A Portland Travelogue" which is an interesting take on the town from a guy who's been here a year. He mentions the Brit/Indian take-out Haggerty's and the fabulous Chickey's Fine Dining in Westbrook among other low-key options. I have heard great things about Dogfish Cafe (see review here) especially their mussels. I read recently that they are doing something with the Free Street Taverna soon, which will certainly put this hot spot in a better location. Others worth looking at is Mim's and Back Bay Grill. I just found another thread on Portland places but it is about a year old. Have fun, and don't worry: Portland seems to get a bit better every year.

The deal with hard/soft shell lobsters is basically a migratory issue. Lobsters come in-shore in early summer to molt. After spending winter in deep water canyons a few miles out, they come in to shed their shell and then hide out in crevices or under rocks while their now-larger shells get strong enough to take off into deep water again. They are very vulnerable to predators at this stage, but they still have to eat and eventually a few will get caught in the parlor of a lobster trap. You will find the soft-shell only in summer markets. They are easy to break without the aid of a shell-cracker, just your hands will do it. Some people find the meat of a soft-shell lobster far sweeter and more desirable than the hard-shell kind, even though there is much less meat inside. Indeed, the winter markets get their supplies from lobster "pens" that sit in harbors all winter, basically last summer's catch. These tend to have less flavor which offers a chance to experiment a little. Some local chefs have time in the winter to create delicious dishes. ...yeah, you'll have to become a Red Sox fan!