Friday, January 27th, 2012 | posted by mike

sign drawn by Mike

The northern shrimp section of the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission met last week to determine whether the total allowable catch for the 2012 Maine shrimp season would be increased. The news is that there will be an increase from 2000 metric tons to 2211.The commission threw the industry a bone that I’m sure it will think is inadequate but at least it’s something.  So it looks like this year we should see shrimp through February and maybe into early March!

In our continuing search for new and exciting Maine shrimp recipes our own Wendy Williams recommended an amazing Spanish shrimp pancake dish called tortillitas de camerones. Mark Bittman wrote in the New York Times that he first tried this dish at the Taberna Toscana in Madrid. Made with a combination of chickpea flour and white flour, you’ll be amazed at how fast, simple and fantastic they are as an appetizer or a light main course!

This recipe is perfect for our sweet little Maine shrimp but as I’m savoring each bite, the thought of substituting plump oysters, squid, bacalao, lobster meat, crabmeat or a combination of any of them makes me anxious to experiment!

Read more about Maine Shrimp here.

Friday, January 14th, 2011 | posted by wendy

In the cold dead of winter one of our all time favorite seasonal delicacies appears—Maine Shrimp! The hermaphrodites have returned in all their fresh, sweet and delicate glory! These lovely little pink beauties begin their lives as males and as they migrate south to the gulf of Maine they become females packed with sweet roe!

They are really quite different than their southern cousins—much smaller about 50-60 to the lb., there is no need to devein them (just peel) and they take about a minute to cook. They are a beautiful pink orange color have a firm but tender texture and are just about the sweetest and nuttiest flavor you’ll ever experience .

We first started bringing in these gems back in the early 80s and every season we discover new and amazing ways to prepare them. Our original Maine Shrimp recipe handout has some great recipes: Open face Scandanavian sandwich with hard boiled egg and fresh dill on rye, stir-fried with herbs and sun dried tomatoes over linguini, Sesame stir fry over rice. We now make Maine shrimp po, boys and shrimp rolls , ceviche Thai shrimp cakes, scampi, all kinds of salads, fried head on with roe, served raw for sashimi or with a splash of lemon and a good olive oil—Forrest Gump’s buddy Bubba would have been amazed with the possibilities!

The season usually officially last until May but they seem to start pertering out in April. So if you need a fresh lift out the winter blahs come on down and get em while their runnin’!

Tuesday, February 9th, 2010 | posted by Monahan's

This year, February marks the peak of Maine’s shrimp fishing for the northern (pink) shrimp, Pandalus borealis. Most of this particular species begin life as males but undergo a “leisurely sex reversal” part way through their adult lives to become spawning females. At this time they are drawn south to the estuaries along Maine’s coast while its waters remain cold enough for this circumpolar group.

These little pink shrimp surpass their Gulf shrimp cousins by such a margin in flavor and texture that East Coast chefs can’t get enough of them, but Monahan’s can. Our long-time, direct dealings with a small independent shrimp and shellfish company in Maine are our guarantee of an abundant, fresh supply at a fair price.

We have these little beauties fresh from Maine at our Kerrytown market with recipe ideas on using them in stir-fries, salads and soups. They may be confused but they are, without a doubt, the prettiest, tenderest, most delicate, sweet-and-nutty tasting crustaceans ever to sit on our ice. They’re definitely worth the visit.

The yearly arrival of these sugar sweet pink jewels from the Gulf of Maine is momentous to all who’ve ever tasted them. Eaten raw as “sweet shrimp” by the Japanese (AMA EBI) and in demand by all fine East Coast chefs, the competition for supply is fierce. But Monahan’s has them, fresh from Maine and sweet as ever. Come in while the supply lasts.

Eating Like Swedes…

Simply boil the shrimp in their shells (it doesn’t take long – just enough time to turn them from translucent pink to opaque) and immediately ice them and chill thoroughly. Put the shrimp in a big pile on a plate in the middle of the table with some lemon wedges and chopped dill and a large bowl for the shells. Serve each guest a green salad and some dry white wine, aquavit or lager beer and shell them as you go. Then go take a sauna.

VARIATION: Serve peeled, cooked & chilled shrimp in an avocado half with lemon or vinaigrette, and dill, spooning out bites of avocado along with the sweet shrimp.