A fisherman’s feast

by megan WaldreP

My husband, Chris Dabney, fishes for spiny lobster at the Channel Islands. However, when you think of lobster, you generally think of Maine.

It’s cool. I get it. I didn’t realize California had lobsters until Chris and I dated.

Maine lobsters are known as “true lobsters” because of the claws or pinchers on their front legs to protect them from predators. Spiny lobsters are found in California, Florida, Mexico, and the Southeastern coast, and instead of claws they have little prickly horns covering their bodies and antennae to keep them safe. Still, octopuses, otters, sharks, and fish like groupers and snappers love a “lobby.” Hungry humans, too.

Which leads us to “Catch, A Maine Seafood Cookbook,” created by the Maine Coast Fishermen’s Association. Monique

Coombs, a fellow partner of a commercial fisherman, director of community programs for the association, and a long-lost schoolmate from Germany (a story for another time), sent me a copy.

As I flipped through meals like Super Seaweed Pesto, Scallop Num Pang, and Gulf of Maine Haddock w Crab and Maine Blueberries with Potato Chips, I realized no matter our place in the world, one huge ocean connects us. And the hardworking fishermen and families behind each catch allow us to enjoy the bounty of the sea. That and the love you and I pour into each home-cooked meal for our families.

Butter helps, too.

The spiny lobster season runs from October to March, and the catch is available at your local seafood market, and other places like the Saturday Fishermen’s Market in Santa Barbara or Sunday’s Farmers’ Market at Channel maIne seafood ChoWder (No cream necessary)

Islands Harbor in Ventura. In the off-season, you can find Maine lobster at the Santa Barbara Fish Market or your trusty local seafood market. No matter what time of year, fresh lobster is within reach.

Recipe notes: It’s wise to double or triple the recipe because it’s so delish. Chris and I finished the pot in one sitting, and if it weren’t for chunks of crunchy sourdough bread from Lazy Acres, we’d have hungered for more. Although the wild-caught seafood shines, the butter and sweet corn balances the flavors with a chef’s kiss. I use organic salted butter by Straus Family Creamery for its high-quality taste. Flour is the magic ingredient tying it together for a creamlike, heartier dish. We bought frozen New England scallops from Lazy’s and didn’t have crab, so I doubled the scallops, which was incredible. It’s hard to go wrong here. Serves 4-6 or two hungry adults.

3 fully cooked true or spiny lobsters, peeled from the shell and cut into chunks

1/2 pound US wild-caught scallops, quartered

1/2 pound US wild-caught lump crab meat

4 cups seafood stock (sub. veggie or chicken stock if needed)

1/4 pound unsalted butter (I used part salted and olive oil)

1 cup peeled and diced carrots

1/2 cup diced yellow onion

1 leek, halved and thinly sliced

1 cup diced white or red potatoes

1/2 cup corn kernels, fresh or frozen

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

Maine sea salt and pepper to taste

1 1/2 tablespoon heavy cream (optional)

Generous pinch of Aleppo pepper (optional)

Fresh parsley for garnish (optional)

Directions:

In a large, heavy-bottomed pot, melt the butter. Add carrots, onion, leek, potatoes, and corn and sauté over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until the potatoes are barely cooked. Reduce heat to low, add flour, and cook, stirring often, for three minutes.

Add the stock and bring it to a boil. Add the scallops, reduce heat, and simmer uncovered until almost cooked (about five minutes). Add lobster and crabmeat and continue cooking on low until the scallops are done and the lobster and crab are warmed. Add heavy cream and Aleppo pepper, if desired, and parsley. Salt and pepper to taste. Garnish with parsley. Serve immediately.

To get (or gift!) MCFA’s cookbook, visit www.mainecoastfishermen.org for recipes to impress while supporting U.S. fishermen.

By Karen Watterson for the Maine Coast Fishermen’s Association