It is that time of year again, Valentine’s Day.  The time when seemingly the whole world is wrapped up in love.  It also means coming up with romantic ways to express what someone means to you.  If the usual dozen roses, jewelry or a box of chocolates doesn’t cut it and you are looking for something different, you have come to the right place!  Close your eyes and picture the most delicious red Maine lobster arranged beautifully on you and your partner’s plates.  What could be more luxurious or decadent on such a day?  Let us show you why a Valentine’s Day dinner, New England style can be just what you are looking for.

Still need a table for Valentine’s Day? Skip the last-minute phone calls —
an effortless romantic dinner is just a few clicks away.  Whether you are here in New England or live all the way on the West Coast, a seafood gift can be shipped right to your front door. Gourmet seafood, expertly prepared using only the freshest quality ingredients is never a bad idea.

Options are plentiful, and whether your preference is surf or turf, you are bound to not forget this year’s Valentine’s Day dinner.  Crisp salads piled high with succulent lobster meat or velvety bisque make for a great first course.  Chowders and scallops are popular items too. Whole lobster, tails, or claws make for an unbeatable entree.  If you prefer filet mignon, go ahead and enjoy.  Perhaps you are feeling a bit adventurous, or you just want to show off your inner chef, order a live lobster. New England has long been haled as the lobster mecca of the world, particularly Maine.  Which ever delectable treats you decide on, you are bound to put a smile on you loved one’s face.  After all, what can possibly beat a Maine lobster dinner? Love is Lobster!

Fish cakes or Cod Cakes are a New England classic.  Serve as a main dish, or, has been done in New England since the 17th century, serve with baked beans as a Sunday breakfast!

Fish Cake Ingredients
4 Medium Potatoes, quartered
2 Medium Onions, minced
2 cups fine bread crumbs
cup thick white sauce
8 oz. salt codfish
2 eggs, beaten

1. Soak the codfish in cold water for eight hours, and drain.
2. Cover with more fresh water, bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer for five minutes.
3. Drain, saving the stock.
4. Shred the codfish, discarding any skin and bones that still remain.
5. Add the potatoes to the fish, and cover with the stock.
6. Mash the potatoes and fish together while still in the stock, and drain off excess liquid.
8. Saute the onions until they have begun to turn golden brown.
9. Add the onions and the white sauce to the potato and fish mixture.
10. When the mixture is cool, shape into patties about 4″” in diameter and about 1/2” thick.
11. Dip the patties into the eggs, roll into the bread crumbs, then pan fry in oil over moderate heat until they are brown on all sides.

Looking to order cod fish cakes? We make them from scratch and can deliver them to your door, no matter where you live. See our special Cod Fish Cakes.

Happy New Year from the East Coast!

Unless you’re living way down South, chances are you’re experiencing some chilly–maybe even downright freezing–weather right now. It’s the perfect time to warm yourself up with our chowders and soups. Our popular Chowder Sampler offers our New England Clam Chowder, Lobster Bisque, Manhattan Clam Chowder and Shrimp & Corn Chowder in one delicious package.  If you place an order for a Chowder Sampler between now and Wednesday, Jan. 19…we’ll add in a 20 oz bag of Nantucket Lobster Chowder absolutely FREE! That’s a $20 value!

Just enter the phrase FREE CHOWDER in the Special Order Instructions box at the last page of checkout, so we know you heard about this special offer on our blog.

Need to send out thank you or late gift…our sampler is a real treat for anyone…including yourself!

Beat the holiday rush and serve up some seafood specialties from East Coast Gourmet!

It’s the busiest time of the year for shipping and we want to make sure your East Coast Gourmet order arrives without delay.  That’s why we’ll take $10 off your order and throw in a FREE 20oz bag of our Lobster Bisque if you take delivery of your holiday order by Friday, Dec. 17.  That’s a $16 value and makes 2-3 servings.  All of our delicious items (with the exception of live lobster, of course) ships frozen and can be stored in your freezer until your holiday festivities.

Just enter the code ECG17 at checkout to save on your order.

LOBSTER MAC & CHEESE

Lobster might not be a food associated with a traditional Thanksgiving menu, but it should be! Did you know that the pilgrims feasted on lobster on the very first Thanksgiving?  Yup, back in those days, lobsters were so plentiful that you could grab them by hand straight out of the ocean at low tide.

Lobster’s a great addition to any meal, so why not start a new Thanksgiving tradition by adding some lobster to the Turkey Day spread.

Here are some easy and delicious ways from East Coast Gourmet to incorporate some lobster into your Thanksgiving dinner:

Maine Event Lobster Pie – Overstuffed with fresh Maine Lobster meat and finished with a touch of wine, garlic and lots butter!

Lobster Mac & Cheese – A decadent twist on a comfort-food favorite.

And don’t forget that our chowders and bisques make stunning starters for your meal!

And if you order by 11/19, you can take $12 your order of $50 or more and get your East Coast Goodies in time for Turkey Day! Just enter the coupon code TURKEY in at checkout.

From humble beginnings in the unassuming seafood shacks dotting the New England Coast, the Lobster Roll has traveled all the way to the Pacific Ocean to become a king among sandwiches. And when you think about it, what better to stuff in a warm toasted roll than sweet, Maine lobster meat–and lots of it!

The Classic Maine Lobster Roll:
A classic, mouth-watering Lobster Roll is simply lobster meat gently tossed in mayo and piled high in a New England style split-top hot dog roll that’s been buttered and toasted on both sides.  Here’s a time-tested recipe that’ll serve 2-3:

Lobster Roll Ingredients:
1/2 pound fully cooked lobster meat or 1 (2 1/2 pound) live lobster
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1 piece of celery, chopped
Kosher or sea salt
Freshly ground pepper
2 to 3 New England-style hot dog buns
2 to 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened Pickles and potato chips as accompaniment

Boil your live lobsters and let them cool for a few minutes at room temperature.  Then, shuck the lobster meat out of the shell. Claw and knuckle meat is perfect for a lobster roll. Now mix your lobster meat with a 1/4 cup of mayonnaise–just make sure not do go overboard with the mayo. Add the salt, pepper and chopped celery. Then chill your lobster salad mixture in a covered bowl for at least 30 minutes. The right roll is absolutely essential to making an authentic Lobster Roll. We’re talking about New England-style hot dog rolls, which can be near impossible to find outside of the East Coast.  It’s basically a hot dog bun with white sides that’s split at the top, instead of the side.  This way you can toast both sides and have it stand perfectly upright when stuffed with lobster.  You’ll want to butter both sides of each bun and grill for 2 minutes per side, until golden brown. Open the top split and pile in your lobster meat until your lobster roll is overstuffed. Serve with potato chips and enjoy!

Lobster Rolls Shipped to You! Yup. Enjoy an overstuffed lobster roll at your home without traveling to Maine.  Our authentic lobster roll kit includes 2 lbs. lobster meat, real New England hot dog rolls, and salt water taffy from Maine! Makes up to 8 overstuffed lobster rolls. Enter LROLLS online and get $12 off your first order!

Most folks are familiar with the typical Maine Lobster: a greenish-brown guy that turns bright red (and delicious) when cooked, but lobstermen have been known to find some curious crustacean variations in their traps from time to time.  Here are some pretty incredible examples you have to see for yourself!

BLUE LOBSTER: One in 5-10 million lobsters will turn up in this brilliant blue color.

RED LOBSTER: This lobster looks like it’s already been boiled, but it’s actually a rare red lobster. Odds of getting one are 1 in 30 million.

YELLOW LOBSTER: Odds of encountering one of these curious critters is 1 in 30 million.

CALICO LOBSTER: Chances of finding one of these striking speckled specimens in your lobster trap is 1 in 30 million.

HALF AND HALF LOBSTER: Believe it or not, this two-tone lobster is the real deal. It’s possible because the two halves of a lobster grow separately. Only 1 in 50 million lobsters develop this way.

ALBINO LOBSTER: This white lobster is the rarest color variation of all—odds of finding one are 1 in 100 million! Since it possesses no color pigments at all, this is the only lobster that won’t turn red when you cook it…but you’d be better off donating this one to an aquarium!

Mmmm….these tasty crab cakes are one of our favorite comfort foods!  Makes a memorable dinner appetizer–buy hey, you could have them as a snack or with breakfast too! If the recipe looks simple…that’s because it is.  You want the cakes to be delicately spiced and lightly dressed so that the full, sweet flavor of the crabmeat comes through.  No sauce is necessary to enjoy these delicious crab cakes, but you can serve with some tartar sauce or remoulade on the side if you wish.

Crab Cakes

1 pound of crabmeat
1 medium onion, chopped
1/2 cup butter
1 cup of fine dry plain bread crumbs
3 eggs
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspooon dry mustard
Few sprigs of parsley, finely chopped
2 tablespoons of cream
All-purpose flour

Flake crabmeat if needed.  Brown the chopped onion with a 1/4 cup of butter. Add breadcrumbs and mix well.  Beat eggs thoroughly and add to crabmeat along with crumb mixture, salt, mustard, chopped parsley and cream.  Shape into 8 flat patties, coat with flour and saute in remaining butter until delicately browned on both sides.

And for an amazing crab cake you don’t have make yourself…try our handmade Jumbo Lump East Cost Crab Cakes bursting with big chunks of fresh Blue crab meat.

We’re very proud to announce that our Lobster Bisque won the Best Bisque or Stew award at the recent Hampton Beach Seafood Festival in lovely Hampton Beach, New Hampshire…one of the biggest annual events in the country!

Thousands of seafood lovers flock this resort town each September for the festival, now in its third decade, to sample the best coastal cuisine from over 60 regional seafood restaurants and vendors. 

In celebration of our big victory, we’re offering a FREE 20 oz pouch of our award-winning lobster bisque with any order of $50 or more from East Coast Gourmet!  That’s a $15 value!  Hurry, this offer ends on Sunday, September 26.  Just enter “GIVE ME BISQUE” in the Special Order Instructions box at checkout and your free lobster bisque will be added to your order.

I think I’d have no problem eating shrimp every day.  It’s high-protein, low-calorie and there’s a million delicious ways to serve it up. If you ever visit Boston, you can always find a storied seafood restaurant with baked stuffed shrimp on the menu.  Here’s one of our favorite stuffed shrimp recipes that’s a breeze to make:

Baked Stuffed Shrimp

18 Ritz crackers, finely crushed (should make 3/4 cup)
3 tablespoons of unsalted butter, melted
1 can of minced clams, drained
3 tablespoons of fresh parsley, chopped
1/4 tablespoon of garlic powder
Salt & pepper to taste
touch of dry sherry
12 lg. jumbo shrimp

Shell the shrimp, leaving only the tail attached. Butterfly the shrimp with a cut through the center that leaves the two halves barely attached. Open the shrimp, remove the vein and rinse clean. Combine the crushed Ritz crackers and melted butter. Add 1 can of minced clams, drained. Add the chopped parsley, garlic powder, salt and pepper.  Mix all thoroughly and stuff each shrimp.  Put small amount of dry sherry in the bottom of a casserole dish.  Add the stuffed shrimp and bake for 20 to 25 minutes in a preheated oven.  Serve hot and garnish with lemon wedges. Makes 4 servings.

There are many ways to spice up the basic stuffed shrimp recipe, like East Coast Gourmet’s Crab Baked Stuffed Shrimp featuring a special blend of blue crab meat and spices.  They make the perfect seafood appetizer and all you need to do is pop them in the oven when the guests arrive!  And for more great shrimp recipes click here!