Fried Clams To Die For

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Clams

There are fried clams and then there are fried clams!!  This past week I attended a conference in Freeport, ME.  I asked at the Harraseeket Inn where we were staying who had the best fried clams in the area where the locals ate.  I was told it was the Harraseeket Lunch and Lobster on Casco Bay. The weather was quite lovely on the evening we went. The lobster shack was like so many other lobster and clam shacks along the coast of New England. Visitors had the choice of dining in or out, but since there was quite a breeze we decided to eat in the dining room which was simple and immaculate.

Harraseeket_home2_r1_c3

At the window we ordered fried clams and learned you could have them with a choice of batters, crumbs or batter. My friend and I went with the crumbs and it was an excellent choice. The clams with the batter option would have been more batter than clams in my humble opinion. The fried clams with the crumbs were light with just the right amount of batter. One could actually enjoy the taste of the clams. It didn’t hurt that these were most likely the freshest clams I have ever eaten. Literally right off the boat! The order came with fries which were hot and crispy and the order was large enough for the two of us to share one order.

Batter choice

Crab Cakes

As an appetizer, we tried the crab cakes.  Again they were made with Maine crabs and were light and absolutely delicious. If you are heading to Maine this summer, it is a mere 3 miles from L L Bean on Main Street. Just head down Bow St (right across from the main entrance), take a right on South and continue until you see the sign for Harraseeket Lunch and Lobster right on Casco Bay.

Clam Cakes

Fried Clams at Janine’s in Ware, MA

Believe or not, Janine’s in Ware, MA serves delicious fried clams and an excellent lobster roll.  Whenever I have had their fried clams I have requested a light dusting of flour which make them similar to those at Harraseeket Lunch and Lobster.

Fried Clam Recipe from Woodman’s in Essex, MA

For the recipe from the inventor of the fried clam, check out our blog at http://tasteandtales.com/books/chubby-and-the-clam/.

 

Cortez Fishing Village’s Star Fish Market

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Historic_fishing_village_of_Cortez,_Florida (1)Cortez village is one of the last remaining fishing villages on Florida’s southwest Gulf coast.  The area was originally settled In the 1880s by families from the southern edge of the Outer Banks in North Carolina who came to the area known then as Hunter’s Point to escape the Atlantic hurricanes. Records indicate that by 1887, Cortez was a thriving fishing village with a store and school.  A hurricane in 1921 destroyed virtually all the buildings, but the residents, in true Florida fashion rebuilt.

Many of the descendants still live in the village. The residents called the eastern shore of Sarasota Bay south of the village “The Kitchen” as its wealth of fish, scallops, and other seafood made it possible for them to feed their families in hard time.

Docks 1The Village comprises homes, stores, marinas, and restaurants.  I have been hearing about the village for decades, but finally decided to explore some of it this year.

My neighbor was celebrating her 87 birthday and I decided we needed to have lunch at the Star Fish Market.  We arrived around 11:45 a.m. figuring we were ahead of the lunch crowd – wrong!!  I stood in line for 45 minutes to place our order and then waited another 30 for the meal to be delivered in a white box.  Nobody complained about the wait because the meal was well worth it.                                                                              Grilled Haddock

I had my usual, grilled grouper from the best flat top grill in the area and the birthday girl had crab cakes.  This was by far the freshest grouper I have ever had, most likely caught within 24 hours.  The meals come with fries, hush puppies and the absolutely very best cole slaw I’ve ever had.  They chop the slaw into small pieces and it had a wonderful flavor.  I took home a Stone Crab and Corn Chowder and more slaw to have the next evening.  There was enough to serve 3 of us.

Seating on the dock watching all the activity was fun.  Seems that the waters off the docks are the home to a flock of white pelicans.  I have spent years trying to add this bird to my life list, but Pelicanshave never located them in the area.  Imagine my surprise when I look out and there they are.  While eating a pod o f dolphins also swam by.

So the next time you are visiting the west coast of Florida stop by and grab a bite.  Also in February they also have the Cortez Fishing Village Festival which attracted 25,000 attendees this year.