Nova Scotia stretches 500 kilometres on a southwest-northeast axis from Cape Sable to Cape North, the shape of the province is often compared to that native delicacy, the lobster, with Cape Breton Island representing the outstretched claws, preparing to nip unsuspecting Newfoundland across the Cabot Strait.
The coastline of the uplands region is deeply indented, forming many good harbours, some of which are considered outstanding. Hundreds of islands dot the landscape along the entire Atlantic coast, most notably at St. Margarets Bay and Mahone Bay. Reefs and shoals abound, accounting for the many lighthouses erected along this coast. In many ways the Atlantic uplands coast epitomizes the North Atlantic coastline with its bare granite sheets plunging headlong into the raging surf to produce an awesome cataclysm between land and sea. When people think of Nova Scotia, they usually envisage the rocky granite shores of the uplands. Seasfood
The success and prosperity of the present-day lobster fishery is evident in towns and villages across the Maritimes. It challenges the stereotype of hardscrabble life in a fishing village. Inevitably there has been controversy about the control of licenses, fishing seasons and the number of traps in a given area. In 1999, the New Brunswick community of Burnt Church became a hotbed of tension between native and non-native lobster fishermen. The native fishermen were exercising their treaty right to set lobster traps throughout the year, regardless of the season. During the often violent demonstrations, non-native fishermen destroyed native traps, fish plants, boats and equipment.
A moratorium helped defuse the trouble, and in 2002, the federal government released a report aimed at preventing more conflict. It recommended that all charges stemming from the confrontation be dropped and that Ottawa should compensate the fishermen for their lost traps and boats. It also recommended that native fishermen adhere to the same season as nonnatives, meaning they would be banned from fishing lobster in the fall.
Traditionally, live lobsters are held in poundslarge, fenced areas of the ocean-but recently, huge dry-land holding facilities pioneered in Atlantic Canada have made possible a threemillion-pound live inventory of the region’s best lobsters. As a result, international buyers can get a year-round supply of the top-quality Canadian crustaceans. Lobster is Canada’s most valuable seafood export, contributing as much as $1 billion in export sales each year.
Larger lobsters generally are sold in the fresh, live market where they command top prices, while smaller ones are cooked and either frozen whole or shelled for meat. Most of the lobsters caught in the waters of Nova Scotia, Newfoundland and Quebec go to the live market, which means consumers can select and buy them from tanks in grocery stores, fish markets or directly from fishermen at the wharf.
Clearwater Seafoods, a Nova Scotia company, has become almost synonymous with lobster. In 1976, it started out as a small, local distributor, with two co-owners running the business out of a pickup truck. They quickly developed a strategy and infrastructure for storing lobsters and distributing to markets worldwide. From their company headquarters in Bedford they started shipping planeloads of live lobster to destinations in Europe and the United States. The company has joined forces with the government to ensure the responsible management of lobster stocks. It is also dedicated to putting new and improved technology in place.
In Arichat, Cape Breton, one million lobsters can be found resting in “private apartments,” where temperatures are maintained just above the freezing mark. This hi-tech Clearwater facility is designed to store lobsters for long periods of time. Tricked into thinking it’s always winter, they don’t moult when summer arrives and continue to grow and mature in the safety of their compartment. Sixty people work in the plant, sometimes around the clock. At times, the volume of lobsters arriving in a single day can reach 100,000.
Sold live, cooked, frozen and canned to consumers in more than 55 countries around the world, lobster is one of the exports most closely associated with Canada. Almost every part of a lobster can be used in some culinary way, except for the digestive tract, the antennae and mouth parts. The empty shells can be used in bisques or for lobster au gratin; the green tomalley that fills the cooked body cavity is excellent in spreads, sauces, dips and butters; and the roe-the red unfertilized eggs-is also very tasty.
Served hot, lobster meat adds richness to casseroles, stir-fries, stuffings, sauces, bisques, omelettes, souffles, quiches and many other dishes. Cold, it’s wonderful in salads, hors d’oeuvres and the famous East Coast lobster roll. The recipes in this book range from Lobster and Potato Salad to Huron County Lobster Chowder, to Barbecued Lobster with Red Pepper and Lime Butter.
Lobster meat is an excellent source of protein, more healthful than hamburger and nearly fatfree-as long as it’s not dipped in drawn butter. It contains many minerals and vitamins, as well as omega-3 fatty acids, which help reduce the risk of heart attack.
Traditional lobster suppers are perhaps most popular throughout Prince Edward Island, although they also are held in many other Atlantic Canadian communities. At these suppers, which are generally held from early June to mid-October, a succulent whole, cooked lobster is served in its shell, often with a sided ish of seafood chowder, a freshly baked roll, salad and a dessert, such as blueberry pie. Diners indulge in the ritual art of extracting cooked lobster from the shell. This takes some practice and is messy enough to require a bib and several napkins. After a few attempts, one gets the hang of using a lobster cracker and a pick to pry and pul! out the meat. And after the first taste, most aficionados never let a summer go by without one communal lobster supper.
This resource also includes recipes for other favourite Canadian shellfish, including the various species of crab. On the East Coast, the most popular is the Atlantic snow crab (Chionoecetes opifio), which is occasionally called spider crab or queen crab. Only the males are harvested because females never exceed the legal minimum size. As with the lobster fishery, the government carefully regulates the number of licenses and fishing seasons. Atlantic snow crab and rock crab (Cancer irrovatus) are harvested in the Gulf of St. Lawrence and off Cape Breton Island and Newfoundland, forming a lucrative fishing and processing industry.
Most common to the Pacific West Coast is the Dungeness crab (Cancer magister) and the King crab (Paralithodes camtschatica), the patriarch of the crab family, which is sometimes called the Alaska king crab. Dungeness crabs are found from Alaska to California, and this fishery has an important economic impact on Vancouver Island and its surrounding areas. Crabs are marketed whole, live or cooked. Alternatively, crab meat is sold in cans or frozen packages.
Mussels, clams and scallops are small edible shellfish found in most fish markets. Aquaculture of mussels has been a high-growth industry in the Atlantic region, particularly in Prince Edward Island. Today the province produces more than 80 per cent of the mussel landings in Canada, contributes about $50 million to the provincial economy and employs about 1,500 Islanders.
These bivalves grow on long lines suspended in the water and are harvested in winter and spring when the flesh is in its best form. They’re sold live, and the shells can be lightly tapped before cooking to make sure that the mussel closes tightly, indicating that it is alive. It is recommended never to cook and eat any that are not alive, and to discard any that gape open or have broken shells.
Clams, like mussels, are sold live in the shell, or uncooked and shucked in plastic containers. Processed clams are also readily available in cans. The Nova Scotia soft-shell clam (Mya aremaria) and the hard-shell quahog (Mercenaria mercenaria) are the most prized. On the West Coast, the manila clam (Tapes piiippinarum) and the littleneck clam (Protoaca staminea) are most frequently harvested in the wild or farmed.
One of the most succulent shellfish species is the sea scallop (Piacopecten mageiianicus), which is found along the eastern North Atlantic, from the northern Gulf of St. Lawrence to northern Newfoundland and Cape Hatteras, North Carolina. The ivory to pinkish-white meat is the adductor muscle that holds the shell together. Since scallops survive for only a short time out of the water, they must be shucked after harvesting and sold fresh or frozen. The term “scallop” shouldn’t be confused with the American bay scallop (Argopecten irradians), which also is found in Atlantic waters, but is much smaller.
Pacific Coast scallops include spiny scallops (Ch/amys hastate) and pink scallops (Ch/amys rubida). Found mainly on the west coast of Vancouver Island and in the Strait of Georgia, these smaller species range in colour from ivory to pinkish-white or pale golden brown. Their texture is similar to sea scallops and their flavour is both sweet and briny. Most scallops are harvested in the wild; however, scientists on both coasts are studying how to farm them through aquaculture.
There are many shrimp species on the market today, and they come in several different sizes and from numerous sources. They are harvested wild and also raised in shrimp farms. Shrimp, also known as prawns, are available fresh, frozen, cooked and raw, as well as shelled, unshelled and canned. They range in size from a tiny salad shrimp to jumbo shrimp and take very little time to cook.
The recipes in this revised edition of Lobster, which have been provided by talented chefs from across Canada, are for a wide range of rich and mouthwatering crab, lobster, clam, mussel, shrimp and scallop dishes. Thanks to innovations in delivering fresh shellfish, freezing and canning, they can be prepared throughout the year. While lobster remains the biggest crowd pleaser, all of the dishes featured in this book celebrate the gourmet rewards of the sea.