Maine’s Mains:
Seafood Tricks and Tips from Vacationland
Lobster, lobster, lobster and….
More lobster but also…clams, mussels, scallops and salmon. Maine is bountiful with fresh seafood. We’ll dive into the why’s and what’s that make Maine a seafood cuisine champion plus give a couple tips and tricks on how you can cook up Vacationland favorites.
Cameron’s Seafood, keeping you stocked in Maine Seafood.
Cameron’s Seafood provides all the necessary seafood for you to cook like a Mainer without having to leave your house. Stock up on all the lobster, clams, mussels, scallops and salmon for recreating the Vacationland experience.
Why is Maine…Vacationland?
Maine offers a little bit of everything for the vacation planner. Stunning coastlines, scenic mountain ranges and dense forests. It’s majestically splendid and folks flock to Maine to beat the brutal heat of the lower 48 and experience all the glory it has on offer.
Must mention, Maine is a hub for some of the best food in the country and a foodie destination for the seafood lover.
Why is the seafood from Maine sooooo good?
It’s in the water. The coastal regions of Maine offer waters that stay pretty chilly all year round.
It is these cold crisp waters that provide many of their famed seafood the best environment to grow. Warmer waters tend to give seafood a muddy taste, being that slit and algae swirl freely instead of being trapped in ice or kept settled by colder waters. All of Maine’s main seafood offerings are filter feeders, and since these waters are so crisp and clean, the seafood have the same flavor.
What is the difference between chowder, bisque and stew?
Just a little culinary side note, and something that I noticed throughout my travels in Maine and New England at large. Chowda, lots of chowda plus offerings of bisque and stew. Chock full of fresh seafood flavor but…What is the difference between them?
Seafood chowders are chunky chunky soups. Loaded with seafood and vegetables (often potatoes). These can be cream based or broth based (as in Manhattan clam chowder).
Bisques are slow simmered creamy soups that have no chunks, all smooth. The seafood is simmered in cream and seasoning before being strained or pureed.
Seafood stews (particularly in Maine) are cream based, not really thick (like a bisque) or chunky (like a chowder). The cream is usually thin, well seasoned with large bite sized pieces of seafood floating throughout. Hardly another vegetable in site.
Top Tip for Cooking Seafood Like a Mainer….
The best way to cook up seafood like a Mainer is to grill… That’s right, grilling! Even when the temperature drops you’ll see brave locals huddled around the grill, all bundled up in their cold weather gear, cooking seafood. And since the brave souls who fish these cold waters do so all year round, there is seafood to be had.
Besides the lobster, clams, mussels, scallops and salmon the only other ingredients needed are salt, butter and beer.
Another culinary side note…Maine is full of craft breweries, so famously so that you can even partake in the Maine Beer Trail (I think you get a tee shirt if you visit all the breweries~and I’m talking hundreds!).
Other equipment needs are, of course, a grill. Plus a basting brush, tongs and a squirt bottle.
Grilling your seafood….
Think of your grill as quadrants. Each of these seafood components cook at different rates, some taking longer than others. So keeping them separated makes it easier to do temperature checks and insure that you’re not over cooking your seafood.
Fill your squirt bottle with beer (I prefer lager), melt your butter (for basting) and fire it up (medium to medium high heat is perfect).
Place you salmon fillets on first, basting with butter. Grill for 5 minutes, give a few squirts of beer and flip (basting, yet again).
Once you’ve flipped your salmon, then you can add the rest of your seafood: scallops, clams, mussels and lobster. Give each a little squirt with the beer, close up the lid and cook for 2-3 minutes.
Baste with butter (scallops and salmon), flip as needed and give a few more squirts of beer. Once the mussels and clams have opened give a few more beer squirts and baste with some butter. Then remove everything from the grill.
Season to taste with salt and serve with even more melted butter….it’s perfection!
Last culinary side note, I promise…Blueberries are a THING in Maine. Fresh, juicy and wonderful. Round out your Vacationland meal with a bubbly blueberry cobbler served a la mode for dessert.
Buy Fresh Maine Seafood Online
All of the seafood listed in these cooking tips are available at our online store. As we say, ‘from shore to door, 3 days fresher than the grocery store’-all of our seafood is delivered right to your door when you schedule it, guaranteed! That’s convenience you need when meal planning and prepping.
We’d love to see how you cook with Cameron’s Seafood-share your images on any of our social pages, Instagram, Facebook or Twitter be sure to tag us @cameronsseafoo
About the author
Patterson Watkins is a professional chef with over 17 years of experience. With a robust career in restaurants, contract dining and catering (including 4 Summer Olympic posts preparing food for the athletes!) Patterson joined the Cameron’s Seafood team at the end of 2018 to concoct some delicious recipes with our premium seafood items as the centerpiece.
