Coastal Cuisine
Fiction :
Maine lobsters
are best when
caught
in the winter.
Peak lobster season is between
summer and fall, when the lobsters
have just freshly shed their shells.
Lobsters with new shells are much
sweeter and more flavorful, and
many seafood enthusiasts consider
these “shedders” to be a delicacy.
The best time to eat Lobster is not
in the winter, but in the late summer to mid-fall. Lobsters can be
caught year-round, even during the
winter and early spring months, but
they won’t be as meaty and sweet
as the prize lobster every foodie is
used to.
If you’re looking for a place to find
fresh lobster, plan for next August
and head to Rockland, Maine for
the Annual Maine Lobster Festival.
Lobster crate races, lobster eating
contests, live entertainment, and
tons of lobster to eat are just a few
of the activities you can expect.
Even though it is the off-season for
harvesting lobster now, it doesn’t
mean that you still can’t find a fresh
and succulent tail to dip in butter
and slurp down.
Stay close to the coast, and always
ask your server or market if the
lobsters being served or sold are
farm-raised or wild. If they’re wild,
ask when their season was. As long
as the months are close to the peak
season, then your plate will be just
as tasty as always.
66
FoodTraveler l Winter 2016
Fact :
Peak season for mussels
is October-March.
Mussels filter iron from seawater to
make the adhesive with which they use
to attach themselves to rocks and barriers. Fishermen have been pulling up
mussels and using them as a main food
source for well over 10,000 years. It is,
without a doubt, that the best times
for mussels are in the fall and winter
months, so buy them by the pound this
season, and stock up for Super Bowl
parties, New Year’s events, and more.
Mussels are best to eat within a day of
purchase, so fresh is naturally the finest. The freshest mussels should have
a salty, briny smell, rather than fishy
or dull. The shells should be bright
and tightly closed when raw, and upon
cooking, will open.
Are you looking for a legendary place
to enjoy mussels in their peak season?
Head to Baltimore, Maryland. In the
historic district of Fells Point, Bertha’s
Restaurant is known for serving up the
best mussels around. What was once
a little dive bar in a funky location, has
now become a landmark establishment, of which all the locals are proud.
Bertha’s serves their mussels steamed
with bread, and a selection of unbeatable sauces, such as anchovy, tomato,
and garlic butter, or a Lancaster creamy
mustard sauce. Order with one sauce,
or several, depending on your palate.
For a heavier meal, try the Paella for
two. At $45, you can’t beat the smell of
the saffron rice covered in shrimp, scallops, chicken, and Bertha’s signature
mussels, all married to a Spanish sausage and drenched in spices.
Most of these shellfish abide by the classic
“r” month rule, though a lot of inland seafood establishments will only source farmraised seafood. Along the coasts, make
sure you order the specials and what is in
season, because you know you’ll be getting
a fresh dish every time from these places.
If you are looking for fish instead of mollusks and shellfish, then eat mackerel and
wild bass in the winter time, as these are
peak seasons for them as well. Alaskan
King crab and Dungeness crab are in fair
season, so stock up on these now if you’re
a crab fanatic. You can’t go wrong with a
fridge full of freshly-caught seafood!