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Weekend Specialties 05.17.12

2012-05-16T20:29:48Z

You're looking at a rather large Tautog (aka Blackfish), one of Long Islands best kept secrets. Despite it's generally ugly appearance ( I tend to think the uglier, the tastier), Tautog has a deliciously mild and sweet flavor. We'll have plenty of fish this weekend, so come on by and try it out!

Congrats to Jonathan for winning two tickets to the Great Googamooga Food Festival this weekend in Prospect Park. If you we're fortunate enough to snag a ticket, come on by and pay us a visit, we'll be grilling up half lobsters and serving clam chowder bread bowls for the masses!

Check out the full specialty list and oyster lineup below.

Arriving Thursday May 16th, 2012
Live Sea Urchin, CA
Steelhead, North Pacific
Shad Roe, MD
Blackfish, NY
Wahoo, HI
Trigger Fish, NC
Atlantic Dory, NC

Arriving Friday May 17th, 2012
Soft Shell Crabs, MD
Tilefish, NY
Wild King Salmon, Troll Caught, North Pacific

N/A List
Wild Striped Bass

Weekend Oyster Lineup
Beau Soleil, Mirimichi Bay, NB
Watch Hill, Winnapaug Pond, RI
Hog Neck, Southold, Long Island
Flying Point, Maquoit Bay, ME
Mystic, Noank, CT
Broadwater, Occohannock Creek, VA
Kusshi, Deep Bay, BC
Kumamoto, Humboldt Bay, CA
Totten Inlet, Totten Inlet, WA
Barron Point, Little Skookum Inlet, WA

We hope you'll stop by this weekend and take advantage! Stay tuned next Thursday for another addition of specialty items. Please note that occasionally items listed will not make it to our store due to weather or unforeseen supply issues.

Sincerely,
The Lobster Place

Weekend Specialties 05.10.12

2012-05-09T21:17:17Z

A little reading comprehension test for all of our faithful followers. Please make sure to check out the entire newsletter for a special treat at the end.

Now, on to the good stuff. Re: the above picture, no, we're not trying to poison you or mom. Those are Blowfish tails, also known as Sea Squab on the east coast and are perfectly harmless. Blowfish tails resemble tiny chicken drumsticks, with a single bone running between two morsels of fine, firm, succulent flesh. They're one of many delicacies we'll have on tap this weekend to help you celebrate mom in style.

Check out the full specialty list and oyster lineup below.

Arriving Thursday May 10th, 2012
Wild King Salmon, Troll Caught, North Pacific
Haddock, Gulf of Maine
Barramundi, Turner Falls, MA
Live Sea Urchin, CA
Blowfish Tails, MD
Steelhead, North Pacific
Shad Roe, MD
Monchong, HI
Wahoo, HI
Blackfish, NY

Arriving Friday May 11th, 2012
Jonah Crab Claws, ME
Soft Shell Crabs, MD
Pompano, FL
Wild King Salmon, Troll Caught, North Pacific
Gray Sole, Gulf of Maine

N/A List
Wild Striped Bass
Cod

Weekend Oyster Lineup
Beau Soleil, Mirimichi Bay, NB
North Havens, North Haven Island, ME
Hog Neck, Southold, Long Island
Pemaquid, Damariscotta River, ME
Indian Creek, PEI
Montauk Pearl, Mecox Bay, Long Island
Kusshi, Deep Bay, BC
Kumamoto, Humboldt Bay, CA
Fanny Bay, Baynes Sound, BC
Chef's Creek, Baynes Sound, BC

We hope you'll stop by this weekend and take advantage! Stay tuned next Thursday for another addition of specialty items. Please note that occasionally items listed will not make it to our store due to weather or unforeseen supply issues.

As part of this week's newsletter, we also have a GoogaMooga ticket giveaway! Be the first to respond to this e-mail with the word "GoogaMooga" and WIN TWO GENERAL ADMISSION TICKETS to the next weekend's event where we will be serving grilled lobsters and bread bowl chowders. Hope to see you there!

Sincerely,
The Lobster Place

Product Spotlight - Soft Shelled Crabs

2012-05-08T20:44:01Z

As alluded to in our intro, more than any other seasonal seafood, Soft Shells are a bellwether of summer with their arrival ushering in consistently warmer temps, a general relaxed state, and of course a serious meal upgrade. For those of you who don't know, soft shells on the east coast refer to Blue Crabs which have recently molted their old exoskeleton and are typically available from April to September. They begin to molt when water temperatures rise and the soft shell season works its way from south to north with the first availability typically coming from Florida before the season begins in the in the Chesapeake Bay, where over 90% of the total Soft Shell catch comes from. Over its two to three year lifespan, a blue crab outgrows and sheds its shell about 20 times! Once the blue crab molts, it typically takes four days for its shell to harden and in between, as you may know, the shell is soft enough to eat (thus Soft Shells). Watermen harvest soft shell crabs as peelers (about to shed), rank peelers (within hours of shedding), and busters (in the process of shedding).

Soft Shells are great sautéed in your favorite sauce or fried up as soft shell crab sandwich, and all they need is a simple cleaning. Be sure to check out our recipe of the month below for a delicious soft shell sandwich.

Market Insights Tuesday 05.08.12

2012-05-08T20:16:58Z

The current state of the North Atlantic Cod market is not looking good. The government has released the 2013 quotas and they are very low. The general idea here is that the current stock levels of North Atlantic Cod are below what they need to be for the long term sustainability of the fish. Lowering quotas means less fish and higher prices for a species that has considerable demand in the NYC market place. We originally thought that there would be fish to go around, albeit at higher prices, but the first few weeks of the new quota system for 2013 has made it all but impossible to bring in fish. We’re hopeful that that this trend will not continue, but for now it’s best to look to alternatives such as Hake or Pollock.

Wild Salmon – We’re seeing some great quality troll caught wild salmon from the North Pacific, and many of the major rivers should start to see their runs any week now. We’re expecting another great year, with several rivers equal or greater catch compared to last year.

Local Finfish – After reaching the end of the quarter in April, a lot of local fisheries closed due to reaching their quarterly catch quotas. Tilefish and Stripped Bass were two of the more popular choices to become quite scarce, but there have been some openings recently and price and supply have begun to level off. We should see good levels of Striped Bass, Black Sea Bass, Spanish Mackerel, Black Sea Bass, Blackfish, and Tilefish over the next few weeks.

Gulf Fish – Grouper and Snapper are in good supply and we don’t forecast any issues with these fish in the near term.

Halibut – Halibut has been looking great and prices are easing now that the North Atlantic fishery is in full swing.

Crab – Stone Crab Claws are all but done after a relatively nice season. Fortunately, while mother nature takes away one delicacies, she brings back another in the form of Soft Shells. The season always starts off a little tepidly, but we should see things get into full swing during May. Be sure to check out great Soft Shell crab recipes on the blog.

Lobster – After dealing with some serious supply issues due to increased demand in Europe and lack of supply here, the lobster market appears to be easing ever so slowly.

Stay tuned next month for more updates.

Soft Shell Crab Sandwich

2012-05-07T22:53:43Z

As summer turns into spring there are few things that get our customers more excited than the start of soft shell crab season. And how could we possibly disagree? Not only are soft shells a sign of warmer days ahead, but their sweet crab flavor and perfectly crunchy texture is borderline addictive to any seafood lover. Whether you grill them, broil them, pan-sauté them or deep-fry them, there’s no way you can go wrong. We happened to be in a sandwich kind of mood over the weekend, so we decided to improvise and create a fried crab sandwich that turned out to be pretty damn tasty and worthy of a recipe feature in this month’s newsletter. Enjoy the soft shell season while it lasts over the next few months and please pass along any feedback or recipe ideas you have!

½ Cup Canola or Vegetable Oil
1 Cup Flour, seasoned w/ salt and pepper
1 egg
½ cup of milk
1 cup Panko breadcrumbs
2 soft shell crabs, cleaned and patted dry (How to video on cleaning soft shells)
2 Soft Brioche Buns or English muffins, lightly toasted
Ripe tomato, sliced
Bibb lettuce

Spicy Mayonnaise:
4 Tablespoons Mayonnaise
1 Tablespoon Sriracha
½ teaspoon sesame oil
1 teaspoon lemon juice
Salt to taste

To prepare the soft shells, heat the oil in a large sauté pan over high heat. While oil is heating, place flour in one bowl, whisk together the egg and milk in a second bowl and then add the Panko breadcrumbs to a third bowl. Once the crabs are cleaned and patted dry and the oil is heated to 370 degrees, lightly dust the crabs with flour, then dip into the egg wash and then coat with the breadcrumbs. Carefully place each crab into the pan and fry for approximately 3 minutes per side, until golden brown and crispy. Once they’re ready, remove from the pan and drain on paper towels.

To prepare the spicy mayo, whisk together all ingredients and store in your refrigerator for up to one week.

To assemble the sandwich, spread the spicy mayo on each of the bread halves and then pile the lettuce, tomato and crab in between. Crack a cold beer and eat it right away while the soft shells are still hot and crispy!

Weekend Specialties 05.03.12

2012-05-02T19:25:32Z

Great news for all of you oyster heads out there. The incredibly rare Belon Oysters (Maine Flats) from Harpswell, Maine are gracing us with their presence this weekend. For those of you who aren't familiar, the Belons (Ostrea edulis) were originally harvested exclusively in the coastal French region that bares the same name. The same species was introduced to the Gulf of Maine last century, and have flourished in some areas, albeit not many. As an aside, true "Belons" are only sourced from the waters of the Belon region of France, thus any O. Edulis harvested from any area outside of the Belon region is technically called a "Flat." The Flats we are typically able to get our hands on are actually by-catch from a Maine hard-shell clam fishery in Harpswell, Maine. The clams are hand raked and, lucky for us, they occasionally come across a bed of Flats. These Flats are not for the feint of heart. The typical high brine associated with Gulf of Maine oysters is overshadowed by strong metallic and mineral tones, especially Zinc and Copper, and the meat yields end up on the large side.

We should have the last Stone Crab Claws of the season in the store this weekend as reports indicate that most claws have been spoken for (or harvested) with the season set to wind down on May 15th. While we're on the topic of Stone Crab Claws, did you know that Stone Crabs are able to regenerate their claws and fisherman leave one claw on for the crab to defend itself while this regeneration occurs? Just another great example of sustainable fisheries.

Check out the full specialty list and oyster lineup below.

Arriving Thursday May 3rd, 2012
Wild King Salmon, Troll Caught, North Pacific
Steelhead, North Pacific
Porgies, NJ
Live California Sea Urchin, CA

Arriving Friday May 4th, 2012
Stone Crab Claws, FL
Soft Shell Crabs, FL
Turbot, Chile
Live Dungeness Crab, WA

Monchong, Hawaii

Hamachi Collars, Japan

Blackfish, Cape Cod

Weekend Oyster Lineup
Belon, Harpswell, ME
Mystic, Noank, CT
Beau Soleil, Mirimichi Bay, NB
Hog Neck, Southold, Long Island
Salt Pond, Point Judith Pond, RI
Wiley Point, Damariscotta River, ME
Montauk Pearl, Mecox Bay, Long Island

Tatamagouche, Nova Scotia
Malaspina, Malaspina Inlet, BC
Kumamoto, Humboldt Bay, CA
Barron Point, Little Skookum Inlet, WA
Sister's Point, Southern Hood Canal, WA

We hope you'll stop by this weekend and take advantage! Stay tuned next Thursday for another addition of specialty items. Please note that occasionally items listed will not make it to our store due to weather or unforeseen supply issues.

Sincerely,
The Lobster Place

Weekend Specialties 04.26.12

2012-04-25T21:18:48Z

Time to hang loose this weekend, and we've got two excellent Hawaiian finfish to help you do just that. Monchong (pictured above) and Wahoo (Ono) are currently en route to our store after being caught by longliners off the coast of Hawaii. For those of you who haven't tried them, Monchong is firm in texture and moderate in flavor, with a high oil content, while Wahoo is flaky, delicate and a little more mild. Both are well suited for the Grill.

We're also pleased to announce that we'll have farmed Barramundi in the store this weekend. Now Barramundi haven't exactly flown off the ice when we've had it in the past, but allow us to make our case as to why this fish deserves your attention:

Wild Barramundi are native to Australia's northern tropical wilderness and are typically found in small muddy ponds in dried up riverbeds due to the harsh summer. As a result, Barramundi have unfairly been associated with a muddy flavored flesh, but we can assure you these farm raised Barramundi are nothing of the sort. In fact the good folks at Austrailis in Turner Falls, MA produce a fish that that is prized for its sweet, buttery taste and succulent, delicate texture. It's comparable to sea bass, but is moister and has very high levels of heart friendly omega-3's, and it's Mercury and PCB free. Now if nutrition and taste hasn't sold you, consider that the farmed Barramundi produced in Turner Falls is one of the most responsible sustainable farms around. Austrailis is considered to be a pioneer in developing in-land closed containment tanks. What's a closed containment in-land tank? Glad you asked. Unlike other flow through systems or partial recirculation systems, closed containment systems barely emit any pollution or waste. Austrailis is able to re-use 99% of all water and the remaining 1% of waste is used as fertilizer. Barramundi are also particularly well suited to high stress environments such as closed tanks because of their history being trapped in ponds in dried up river beds. On top of that these fish have a feed conversion ratio (amount of protein it takes to yield 1lb of fish) of less than 1:1 yielding in a net protein gain. Please stop by this weekend and help support sustainable aquaculture.

Check out the full specialty list and oyster lineup below.

Arriving Thursday April 26th, 2012
Monchong, Hawaii
Wahoo, Hawaii
Wild King Salmon, Troll caught, North Pacific
Steelhead, North Pacific
Live California Sea Urchin, CA
Blackfish, MD

Arriving Friday April 27th, 2012
Barramundi, Turner Falls, MA
Soft Shell Crabs, FL

Weekend Oyster Lineup
Indian Creek, Indian Creek, PEI
Beau Soleil, Mirimichi Bay, NB
Hog Neck, Southold, Long Island
Barnstables, Barnstable, MA
Wiley Point, Damariscotta River, ME
Montauk Pearl, Mecox Bay, Long Island
Flying Point, Maquoit Bay, WA
Kumamoto, Humboldt Bay, CA
Eagle Rock, Totten Inlet, BC
Sister's Point, Southern Hood Canal, WA

We hope you'll stop by this weekend and take advantage! Stay tuned next Thursday for another addition of specialty items. Please note that occasionally items listed will not make it to our store due to weather or unforeseen supply issues.

Sincerely,
The Lobster Place

Our Thoughts Regarding Recent Whole Foods Seafood Ban

2012-04-23T19:20:18Z

In this morning’s New York Times you may have read an article about supermarket giant Whole Foods’ decision to stop selling certain species of fish – many of which are harvested in the Northwest Atlantic fishing grounds of the Gulf of Maine and George’s Bank. (If not, click here). According to the article, Whole Foods will take Gray Sole, Skate, and Atlantic Halibut off their shelves entirely, and they will cease purchasing Atlantic Cod unless it is hook and line or gillnet caught. (A variety of other non-domestically harvested species are also mentioned as being banned.)Their decision is reportedly the result of sustainability ratings published by the Monterey Bay Aquarium and Blue Ocean Institute, conservation groups which contend that consumers should avoid purchasing such species due to the depleted state of their stocks and the impact that certain types of fishing have on marine habitats. If you are an existing Lobster Place customer, or if you’re contemplating buying fish from us, you may very well be wondering what our stance is on this issue.

First, to the extent that Whole Foods’ decision is a principled commitment to sustaining the ocean’s resources, we applaud the company for their conscientious approach to sourcing and marketing their products. However, we at The Lobster Place – while equally committed to conscientiousness and transparency in our sourcing decisions – take a somewhat different angle on this complicated problem. It’s our feeling that effective conservation policy must engage industry in a way that encourages continuous improvement to the way we manage our resources. When significant evidence exists that a resource can be sustained without the real economic consequences that an outright “boycott” causes – as it does in this case, we feel that continuing to market a species while following government regulations and educating the consumer is the most responsible way forward.

In the case of the species identified by Whole Foods, information on NOAA’s website, http://www.fishwatch.gov/index.htm (an excellent resource) suggests that the Federal Government is taking a common sense approach to management of these resources – an approach that engages ALL stakeholders with the goal of preserving seafood for tomorrow while minimizing economic impact today. This approach makes tough – and often very unpopular – decisions about what needs to be done in order to avoid the mistakes of the past. (For example, new management measures for the Gulf Of Maine Atlantic Cod fishery will go into effect next month which will drastically reduce landings of that species.) At The Lobster Place, we pay close attention to those decisions and follow the rules that get laid down as a result.

There’s no doubt that we as a nation have made mistakes in the way that we manage natural resources – fish in particular – over the past century. However it’s our sincere feeling that when it comes to fisheries management, the Federal Government is largely getting it right by soliciting the research of independent scientists; engaging industry; and marshaling significant resources to enforce the law. So – as long as NOAA continues to permit the harvesting and marketing of the species singled out by Whole Foods, The Lobster Place will continue to market them – AND educate the consumer about the science and regulatory processes behind our decisions.

Weekend Specialties 04.19.12

2012-04-18T19:14:17Z

You may have noticed that last week's E-newsletter had a misleading picture. Despite the subject of troll-caught wild king salmon, the picture presented was in fact that of a farmed king salmon. We apologize for any confusion this incorrect picture may have caused and want to reiterate our steadfast commitment to transparency and traceability. If you ever have any questions about products or are looking for more information, please don't hesitate to ask, that's what were here for.

Now, with that out of the way, we're thrilled to announce that some gorgeous looking Mudbugs (Crawfish) will be arriving this Friday, so get your favorite seasoning mix, gather your friends and celebrate the weekend in style.

On the oyster front, we're going east coast centric this weekend, Just too many great varieties that we want to try out or haven't had in the store in a while. Blackberry Point oysters from Foxley River, PEI are making their first appearance. They're a great large choice oyster suitable for half shell or other preparations and have full meats and that classic high brine from Prince Edward Island.

Check out the full specialty list and oyster lineup below.

Arriving Thursday April 19th, 2012
Wild King Salmon, Troll caught, North Pacific
Steelhead, North Pacific
Live Maine Urchin, CA
Trigger Fish, NC
Blood Clams, Cape Cod, MA
Blackfish, MD
Live Conch, Cape Cod, MA

Arriving Friday April 20th, 2012
Live Crawfish, LA
Soft Shell Crabs, FL
Live Dungeness Crab, WA
Shad, VA
Shad Roe, VA

Weekend Oyster Lineup
Blackberry Point, Foxley River, PEI
Watch Hill, Winnapaug Pond, RI
Hog Neck, Southold, Long Island
Barnstables, Barnstable, MA
Wiley Point, Damariscotta River, ME
Mystic, Noank, CT
Broadwater, Occohannock Creek, VA
Flying Point, Maquoit Bay, WA
Kumamoto, Humboldt Bay, CA
Eagle Rock, Totten Inlet, BC

We hope you'll stop by this weekend and take advantage! Stay tuned next Thursday for another addition of specialty items. Please note that occasionally items listed will not make it to our store due to weather or unforeseen supply issues.

Sincerely,
The Lobster Place

Weekend Specialties 04.12.12

2012-04-11T20:38:55Z

The weather is getting nicer, days are getting longer, you're suffering from allergies, and naturally you're wondering when you're going to be able to get your hands on some fresh wild salmon. Unfortunately, most wild salmon seasons won't be starting for another month or so, however lucky for you, we were able to get our hands on a limited amount of beautiful troll caught wild king salmon for the weekend to tide you over. For those of you who don't know, troll caught refers to salmon caught in the ocean before they return back to the river where they breed.

While wild salmon season is soon to ramp up, we're reaching the tail end of the Stone Crab season. We've got some in this weekend, so make sure you grab some before the season winds down in late April, early May.

Check out the full specialty list and oyster lineup below.

Arriving Thursday April 12th, 2012
Wild King Salmon, Troll caught, North Pacific
Live California Sea Urchin, CA
Stone Crab Claws, FL
Striped Bass, DE

Arriving Friday April 13th, 2012
Black Grouper, NC
Live Dungeness Crab, WA

Weekend Oyster Lineup
Beau Soleil, Mirimichi Bay, NB
Hog Neck, Southold, Long Island
Barnstables, Barnstable, MA
Pemiquid, Damariscotta River, ME
Katama, Martha's Vineyard, MA
Broadwater, Occohannock Creek, VA
Barron Point, Little Skookum Inlet, WA
Kushi, Deep Bay, BC
Calm Cove, Hood Canal, WA
Eagle Rock, Totten Inlet, BC

We hope you'll stop by this weekend and take advantage! Stay tuned next Thursday for another addition of specialty items. Please note that occasionally items listed will not make it to our store due to weather or unforeseen supply issues.

Sincerely,
The Lobster Place