Memorial Day Tradition- the Copper River Salmon Are Back!

Friday, May 24th, 2013 | posted by mike

Last Thursday, May 16th, marked the opening of the 2013 Copper River salmon season. Weather was rough and landings were low. We received a shipment of gorgeous sockeyes last Saturday, but none of the regal kings. 82,000 sockeyes or “reds” were landed and only 700 kings were taken.

Bernie in 2012 with a 35 lb. fat beauty!

Higher than anticipated landings of sockeyes, lower on kings. The second opening on the 20th saw better overall catches and we’re optimistic about next week’s supplies.

For the Memorial Day weekend we will have plenty of gorgeous sockeye but the king of salmon will remain elusive ‘till next week. Not to say that the Copper River sockeye won’t be some of the most scrumptious salmon of the year! We planked some on red cedar planks (available at Monahan’s) with some of our Irish whiskey maple glaze and it was amazing! And the leftover salmon salad I made was almost as good.

Check out our past Copper River articles for more info, including the story of how a man named John Rowley changed an entire fishery.

Springtime in Michigan = SMELT!

Thursday, May 16th, 2013 | posted by mike

Ahh…sweet spring has arrived! We’re in the perfect moment of soft spring breezes, fresh new life popping up all around us, sweet smells of lilacs, honeysuckle and Michigan smelt frying in the pan!

Like many fish that we consider to be our own, smelt, all the Michigan salmons, rainbow trout, and carp, to name a few, aren’t really natives. Our smelt originally came from hatcheries in Maine. They were first introduced into the St. Marys River back in 1909 to hopefully become feed for Lake Michigan salmon, but after repeated failures the stocks never survived. Smelt was stocked in Crystal Lake in 1912 as feed for land locked salmon and they not only survived but also flourished. They made their way into Lake Michigan and by the spring of 1920 so many fish were running into Cold Creek, flowing through the town of Beulah at the head of Crystal Lake, that they were overflowing the banks! Fisherman flooded into Beulah in such numbers that the state police had to be called in to control the crowds. The tradition of ” smelt dipping” had begun.

There were so many fish; they were caught simply by dipping a net for them. The Michigan spring ritual of making a bonfire stream side and filling buckets, garbage cans and even pick up trucks full of smelt, then staying up all night cleaning them with a pair of scissors and frying ‘em up continued on for years. By 1936 these little fish were in all of the Great Lakes and there was a huge sport and commercial fishery for them with fresh and frozen smelt being shipped all over the country and as far away as Japan.

Anthony Bourdain at Monahan's Seafood Market in Ann Arbor, MI

Here’s Tony in our courtyard about to enjoy a plate of Michigan smelt on a gorgeous spring day.

If you’ve ever experienced the sweet crunch of a fried smelt, salted and eaten whole you’d know what all the fuss is about! When Anthony Bourdain was at the store in April 2010 to film a promo for his book Medium Raw, we asked him what he’d like us to cook up for him. He eyed the pile of fresh smelt and asked “Are those the little guys you eat whole? I’m all over that.”

The days of truck loads of smelt are, at least for now, over. Populations have gone down over the years, partially the work of invasive species like zebra mussels competing with them for food, and there is even a 2 gallon limit for sports fishermen now. Fortunately, there is still a pretty fair commercial catch.

As far as cooking methods, in my opinion, there’s only one way to properly cook smelt and that’s to fry them. Lightly dusted and hot pan or deep fried. Here’s our recipe for fried smelt at the Market and here’s another great way to serve them after they’ve been fried, smelt nanbanzuke.

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Tags: anthony bourdain, great lakes, smelt

Edible Obsession -The Great Rachel Nimsombun

Thursday, May 9th, 2013 | posted by mike

Thai food is way up on the list of my favorite foods. Lots of fresh fish and shellfish, fresh herbs like Thai basil, mint and cilantro, tangy fish sauce, lime, lemon grass, lots of fresh veggies and rice, all kicked up with those fiery little Thai chilies.

I’m a lucky guy to know a fine Thai cook who lives in East Lansing, MI. She happens to be my sister Kathy’s dear friend and her name is Rachel Nimsombun. Rachel came to the US in 1991. She received a MBA in finance from Seattle University in Washington and she’s been here ever since. While in E. Lansing, she’s studied hotel & restaurant food management at Lansing Community College.

It wasn’t long before Rachel started to really miss the fresh from scratch flavors of home. She tells me stories of cooking with her mom back in Bangkok; peeling shrimp, cutting veggies, getting the milk from coconuts and scraping the meat out. Even making curry paste from scratch! Man I would have loved to smell that kitchen!

A true foodie, Rachel now manages the Oriental Mart in East Lansing. She has her own blog called Edible Obsession. Today’s recipe is Rachel’s Thai basil shrimp. This dish is everything a good Thai dish should be: simple, lots of fresh flavors with tangy Thai basil and peppers. The flavors are subtle, a little oyster sauce, garlic, lots of onions and peppers. The taste of the shrimp really shines. Rachel (one of the sweetest people you’d ever meet) was kind enough to share this recipe with us.

Check it out and enjoy!

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¡Feliz Cinco De Mayo!

Friday, May 3rd, 2013 | posted by mike

cinco de mayo detroit
Once again Cinco de Mayo is upon us! Time to kick up some good mariachi music and enjoy some fine Mexican food and drink. We have some great recipes for you to try on this site: red snapper Veracruz, shrimp quesadillas, Island fish fajitas, salmon quesadillas, pico de gallo, pineapple salsa, mango salsa and fish tacos. We even have a good margarita recipe! This year I thought I’d try to come up with a dish that would be something a little different. I remembered seeing lots of ray in the fish markets (pescadería) in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. These ray they called mantarraya, (not the giant manta ray species), were very similar to our skate and seemed to be quite popular at the market.

We received some super fresh skate at the market so I brought some home to try and come up with a Mexican style dish using them. The fillets with their beautiful fan like shape when put together side by side made a circle shape that (with a little stretch) kind of resembled a tortilla. What if I made a nice shrimp stuffing and made tacos using the skate fillets as the tortilla? Well the dish didn’t turn out to be finger food like tacos, but this shrimp stuffed skate over tomato and chilies in adobo turned out great! ¡Buen provecho!

Here’s last years Cinco de Mayo article.

cinco de mayo detoit

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Tags: cinco de mayo, mexican, skate

The Soft and Beautiful Swimmers are Back!

Thursday, April 25th, 2013 | posted by mike

Our first of the season shipment of soft shell crabs are coming in today! My wife, Lisa, is so happy, her favorite thing in the world has returned. What could be better than to take one of the world’s most delicious crabs (blue crabs) and be able to enjoy not just the sweet chunky meat but also the entire crab right down to the crispy claws, legs, and paddle fins. In May 2010′s blog post we talked about the painstaking work that the watermen have to go through to get these delicacies to our tables. But what about the crab’s life and what they go through in this whole process?

The amazing story of the love life of Callinectes, Greek for beautiful swimmer, Sapidus, Latin for savory, is a noble and romantic tale…
A male, called a Jimmy, will approach a female, or Sook, after molting, knowing that she is about to peel (molt). While trying to entice her with a sexy dance on the tips of his legs, he sways tall, waving his claws around, even flipping backwards and kicking up sand! If she thinks he’s worthy she’ll sway to and fro and wave her claws around. After displaying the love dance for a bit she’ll decide whether or not to succumb. If she is taken by him she will turn around and back up under his body where they will click claws for a time until things settle down a bit. He then clasps his legs around her, cradling and carrying her, while searching for a safe place for her to molt for up to a week. He stays with her not only to protect her during this very vulnerable time but also to make sure that he is with her at the moment she peels—and it’s time for some lovin’. Gently he flips her over to begin mating followed by another 48 hours or so of cradling and carrying until her shell hardens. What a crab will go through for a little romance!

As you can see there is a very short window of opportunity to harvest soft crabs. Watermen know how to read for coloration or a reddish line on the paddle fins when crabs are getting ready to peel. Stored in holding tanks they must be monitored 24 hours a day until they peel. After which they are taken out of the water where they cease to harden and are shipped off to market. An incredible process from molting to market and an incredible spring/summer treat!

If you would like to read the most comprehensive blue crab book ever, check out William W. Warners, Beautiful Swimmers, Watermen, Crabs and the Chesapeake Bay. It’s a classic.

Cooking soft crabs is easy. As far as I’m concerned the best way to prepare them is either pan fried, deep fried, or grilled. We often grill them and here’s a simple recipe. Enjoy!

Grilled Soft Shell Crab

Pan Fried Soft Shell Crab

VIDEO: How to Clean a Soft Shell Crab

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Tags: soft shell crab

The Return Of Finnan Haddie: The Real Deal Is Back!

Friday, April 19th, 2013 | posted by mike

Direct from Stonington Seafood on Deer Isle, Maine, smoke master Richard Penfold is smoking the finest finnan haddie we’ve ever offered. Finnan haddie is lightly brined and smoked haddock. It is said to have originated near Findon, Scotland in the 1600s and has been a delicacy, often served for breakfast, ever since.

Richard with Torry kiln

Richard learned his trade while working in Shetland, Scotland in the 80s from old masters who were still using an old Torry kiln to smoke kippers and finnan haddie. The Torry kiln was the first mechanized kiln ever built. The first one was produced at the Torry research center in Aberdeen, Scotland in 1939. Richard shipped an exact replica of the kiln to Stonington in 2001. He brines then smokes his haddock over white hickory in the traditional Scottish style. He even uses an antique brass brinometer to ensure a perfect salt content. The balance of salt and smoke with the sweet flaky haddock is perfect.

Today’s recipe is, to me, the ultimate breakfast: finnan haddie and poached eggs with smoky béchamel sauce. There are lots of great recipes for finnan haddie that would make a great lunch or dinner too. The famous Scottish soup, Cullen Skink, made with onions, milk and finnan haddie is one we’ve got to make soon (now that we have an amazing finnan haddie). Creamed finnan haddie on toast, fish pie or the fantastic Indian/ English dish, Kedgeree, a rice curry dish, is one we’ve already posted.

Fish for breakfast? Oh yeah. Plan on it this weekend, you’ll be glad you did!

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Tags: finnan haddie, smoked haddock

Gettin’ Saucy With Fresh Chopped Sea Clams

Friday, April 12th, 2013 | posted by mike

Out of everything we sell at the market, clams have always been one of my favorite gems from the sea! So many possibilities. Giant geoduck clams for sushi, little manila clams for clams con le vongole or miso soup. Quahogs for stuffing, cherrystones on the half shell, littlenecks for Portuguese cataplana, ciopinno, clams casino or just steamed in white wine with garlic and parsley, soft shell steamer clams, razor clams grilled or steamed.. Incredible variety!

sea clams

Out of all the clams that we sell there is one clam that we use an awful lot of because they’re used in our New England and our Manhattan clam chowders. It’s a clam that many of you are not familiar with. A clam that is probably one of the biggest selling clams in the country. It’s too big and too tough for steaming or even eating on the half shell, but its meat is sweet and it’s fantastic in chowders and sauces. Any guesses? It’s the sea clam (or surf clam). Sea clams are large; they can be 9 inches wide and weigh up to 1 lb. They’re caught offshore in up to 120 ft. of water with hydraulic dredges.

Since 1979 our oldest supplier, M.F. Foley in Boston and New Bedford Mass., has been supplying us with fresh chopped sea clams. At least once a day Foley gets a delivery from their neighbors next-door, Top Quality Seafood and Shellfish Co., of fresh shucked, chopped sea clams. I spoke with Top Quality’s owner, Frank, earlier today about why his clams are always so good. He told me that they hand shuck all their clams, chop them, and send them out, often still wiggling. It’s common in his industry to heat the clams to make them weaken and start to open, making it easier to machine shuck them. Frank says the heat will toughen the clams.

Fresh chopped sea clams are a sustainable fishery and are low in fat, full of protein, selenium, omega 3s, vitamin A, iron and niacin. On top of all that they are a great value!

Make chowder, a seafood pizza with clams or try this delicious red clam sauce over pasta. Enjoy!

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Tags: chopped clams, sea clams

Say Good-Bye To Winter- Just For The Halibut

Friday, April 5th, 2013 | posted by mike

Chuck, Tom & Mike Monahan with their Alaskan halibut catch

We knew it would happen. Spring has finally arrived! Alaskan halibut season is open and right now we’re seeing some of the fattest, freshest fish of the year!

The dense, firm flesh of these big beauties is very versatile and takes to many cooking methods. Baked, pan seared, steamed, poached, fried or grilled, this fish has a delicate flavor and takes on the taste of whatever you sauce it with. The pan searing method in today’s recipe, sears in the tastiness and the moisture and is wonderful over spring asparagus with a tangy lemon caper dill butter sauce.

Click here for the recipe.

Click here to learn more about halibut and more recipes.

Click here to read what I wrote about flat fish.

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Tags: halibut

Haddock Cakes

Friday, March 29th, 2013 | posted by mike

A little fat on haddock this morning, I decided to make some kind of haddock cake as a lunch special.

Really any kind of fish can be used in this recipe. A great use for leftovers too!

We’ve made all kinds of cakes in the past: Salmon cakes, shrimp cakes, scallop cakes, Thai fish cakes, crab cakes, tortillitas de camerones, cod cakes. They’ve all been good and they’re fun to make!

One cake we haven’t played with yet is an Indian inspired fish cake. With just enough mashed potato and egg to bind them, we added onion, curry powder, turmeric and garam masala along with big whole flakes of haddock. Fried to a golden brown and served with mango chutney and sriracha sauce they are destined to become a favorite in our cake arsenal.

A fun little post Passover, pre Easter treat for ya. Enjoy!

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Tags: fish cakes, haddock

Happy Spring!

Friday, March 22nd, 2013 | posted by mike

flower bouquet

I’m sitting here on the first day of spring, looking out the window, watching the trees blowing, the snow falling and thinking about last year at this time, 70 degrees, sitting outside at Dominick’s enjoying a beer.

I was hoping that it would feel a bit more like spring and we could offer a recipe this week that would be light and spring like. Well, Mr. Winter, I defy you!

I prepared a light, easy, delicious, nutritious squid salad that turned out to be a hit on a cold wintery night. A warm salad with great northern beans and a dressing of jalapeño peppers, capers and sun dried tomatoes. I cut the squid into scored triangles so that they curl up and hold all the tasty, warm vinaigrette.

Our sweet Narragansett squid are perfect for this dish. The beans in this salad take on all the flavors and make the dish into a meal on its own.

All you need is a crusty baguette and it’s dinnertime! Click here for recipe.

Enjoy and think spring!

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Tags: squid