Original Lobster Dish Recipe Wanted

Posted on April 11, 2011

Photo Courtesy LobsterfromMaine.Com

Calling all chefs — It’s that time of year to put your best original lobster dish recipe down on paper. The Maine Lobster Council announced today that it is now accepting submissions for its Annual Maine Lobster Chef of the Year Competition.

The Lobster Chef Competition is a roll-up-your-sleeves cook-off that is part of the Harvest on the Harbor Festival celebrated in Portland, Maine in late October. When you add “bold and innovative” to “fresh and local,” you’ve described the spirit of the event, according to festival organizers. All recipes must be original and include Maine Lobster. And based on past submissions, these folks do not fool around.

A quick reading of past recipes is enough to bring both cooks and seafood lovers to their feet with a cheer.

2010 Winner Lobster Tail Arugula (Source: Maine Lobster Council)

The 2010 winning recipe was Herb Grilled Maine Lobster Tail on Arugula with Chive Ricotta Gnocchi &Corn Milk. The recipe was from Chef Kelly Patrick Farrin from the Azure Café in Freeport, Maine. At Azure, Chef Farrin boasts creative Italian cuisine using fresh Maine Lobster and other local ingredients. Farrin was educated at the New England Culinary Institute (NECI) in Essex, Vermont.

The deadline for submissions is June 30, 2011, and must include a written original recipe and photo of the dish. Judges will select the finalists and there will be a $1,000 prize to the winner of the cook-off.

The Maine Lobster Council promotes the cook-off as part of the larger event sponsored by the Portland Convention & Visitor’s Bureau. The finalists will compete for the title before an audience of 200 lobster enthusiasts, journalists and industry representatives. The audience will watch each of the chefs demonstrate their recipes, taste a sample of each and will vote for their favorite.

Last year, more than 5,000 people attended the three day event. But if you are not planning on being in Maine for the festival, well perhaps a little of Maine can come to you to help out you out with your own favorite lobster recipe.

“No matter where the cook calls home, fresh Maine lobster is the key ingredient to all winning lobster recipes,” said Wayne Howe, manager of the LobsterOnline web site. “Since 1997 we have been providing chefs of all types, from Boston to Hawaii, with live lobster and New England seafood. From our docks and facilities in Maine and Cape Cod, we can ship to chefs everywhere.”

“Simply order today by 2:30 p.m. and live lobster can be at your door the next day,” Howe said. “That will help to make all chefs winners.”

© Wayne Howe 2011

Boston and Cape Cod Maine

A Lobster Fishing Village Older Than America

Posted on March 7, 2011

Hauling traps at dawn (Courtesy LobsterfromMaine.com)

People often ask what a Maine lobster fishing port is like.

People often ask what a Maine lobster fishing port is like. Picturesque, quaint, and as if you are referring to Machiasport, older than America itself. Machiasport, Maine is a popular tourist destination about an hour from Canada and a historic seaport, dating back to 1663.

The Machias Bay area — Machias and Machiasport — had a rough beginning, even by Maine standards. The settlers saw buildings sacked three times during its early history. Once by the French trying to kick the English out of Northern Maine, and later by the British during the Revolutionary War, and again during the War of 1812.

The legendary June 1775 Naval Battle of Machias

The legendary June 1775 Naval Battle of Machias was the first naval battle of the fight for independence and led to the capture of a British schooner, the HMS Margaretta. A small group of settlers, having attacked the British schooner by both land and from the coastal sloop Unity, were able to overcome the British and capture the ship. Later in the war the British returned to burn parts of the town, though they were quickly chased back out to sea by the Militia. The area was attacked by a British Fleet again in 1814 and the fort destroyed a second time. Later, the federal government rebuilt the fort during the Civil War, but no shots were ever fired. Fort O’Brien, as it is called, now belongs to the state.

Machiasport Maine in the Fall

With a population of about 1,100 people, Machiasport today is far more peaceful than its legendary past and is best known for its historical taverns, charming bed and breakfasts and its seafood, especially lobster. And of course, its lobster fishermen.

The Lobster Trap Company operates four pounds and two buying stations located in Machiasport and Steuben Maine, providing access to 4,000,000 pounds of product. These subsidiaries are known as BBS Lobster Trap. In addition, the company operates numerous storage facilities throughout Canada providing holding capacities in excess of 2,000,000 pounds making orders of ANY SIZE possible.

The retail online web service leverages the high wholesale volume to provide customers with fresh, select grade, hard shell lobster that are strong and healthy. This ensures that only the very best lobster make the trip across the country to a customers front door. Since Lobster Trap buys direct from the fishermen, there are no middlemen. The result is the best quality, price and service found anywhere online.

© Wayne Howe 2011

Fishermen Lobster statistics Maine

Maine Hauls in Record 2010 Lobster Catch

Posted on February 28, 2011

“First Light” sets out at Dawn from Vinalhaven, ME (Source: Lobster From Maine.Com)

Maine Caught Record 93 Million Pounds of Lobster in 2010

The story broke on February 18, 2011 announcing that Maine Fishermen caught a record 93 million pounds of lobster in 2010. Now that’s quite a haul!

According to a report from the Maine Department of Marine Resources (DMR), more than 93 million pounds of lobster were caught in Maine’s waters during 2010. This giant lobster catch represents an estimated increase of 12 million pounds of lobster from the previous 2009 record of 81 million pounds.

Abundant supply of fresh, first quality lobster

What that meant for lobster gourmets across the country was an abundant supply of fresh, first quality lobster. From coast to coast, the American seafood eating public enjoyed America’s favorite comfort food. As for bragging rights, ask anyone from Maine, and they will quickly tell you the best lobster in the world come from their rocky seashores.

Who is actually out there making the catch?

All last season more than 4,260 licensed commercial lobster fishermen went to sea each day filling their boats with lobster. The value of the boat catch for the year was up to nearly $310 million, much better than in 2009.

According to Department of Marine Resources (DMR) officials, the large catch was a definite spur to the local fishing village economies, especially with the price of fuel and bait being higher than average. Local officials said the last three years have been slow so a good lobster catch spurs all the related businesses, including trap builders, truck dealers, bait dealers, boat yards and others.

The lobster season is year round, but during the winter only a few hundred boats go out on a regular basis, according to lobster wholesalers that buy from the fishermen. This means much of catch is stockpiled in large, natural salt water lobster pounds. Which is why lobster lovers can enjoy baking and steaming lobster year round. Fresh Maine lobster can be ordered online in the winter, spring, summer and fall and shipped overnight anywhere in the country.

U.S. lobster landings come from Maine, Massachusetts and Rhode Island.

Lobster accounts for more than 70 percent of the value of all marine species harvested in Maine. More than 90 percent of U.S. lobster landings come from Maine, Massachusetts and Rhode Island.

© Wayne Howe 2011

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