It’s a Maine Thing - Hezzy’s Sidewalk Talk

Finnan Haddie

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There is a re-energized food movement afoot in Maine that is setting new standards for independently produced, quality edible offerings made available here in the state. Referred to as artisanal producers, many of these independent food entrepreneurs have been inspired by the Slow Foods movement that was originally organized in Europe in 1989 to counteract the disappearance of local food traditions. The fundamental philosophy of these small food producers is achieved by paying critical attention to detail to both ingredients of origin and production standards where they apply old-world methods in the manufacturing process, all without the use of preservatives nor additives Maine has a long-standing tradition with established entrepreneurs where they produce interesting, artisanal foods that range from award-winning wines to handcrafted cheese to popular lines of condiments and preserves.

Seafood also plays a role in this movement, but it is not always so evident because of the perishability issue as well as the dwindling fish stocks and politics within the seafood industry. However, we have discovered a fabulous artisanal seafood that is produced on the Maine coast that will blow your socks off. It is one of our all-time favorite artisanal foods from the sea, Finnan Haddie, aka smoked haddock.Many harbors and coastal towns have bragging rights to enterprising souls who are engaged in the seafood business. Road-side signs posted along the coast exult freshly picked crabmeat, smoked salmon, fresh scallops and of course, the quintessential lobster pound and co-op.

The beautiful coastal town of Stonington is home to one such enterprise, Stonington Sea Products. Their master-smoker, Richard Penfold, masterfully produces Finnan Haddie weekly. It is made in small batches from an authentic recipe that has been passed down for generations and hails from Scotland’s Shetland Isles. The sublime smoke and carmel-colored, shimmery glaze of this finished product are the trademarks of this outstanding food from the sea. The exceptional quality of Stonington’s Finnan haddie, originates from the top- grade, large haddock that is used in every batch. Unlike other producers of Finnan Haddie, Stonington Sea Products has excelled with this old-world method. They are masters of having access to fresh, healthy, pleasantly fat, whole haddock that comes from responsibly managed sources. The fillets are hand-cut at the Stonington facility and are then cured by hand-rubbing Kosher salt along the flesh of the haddock. After rinsing the fillets under a cascade of cold water they are cold-smoked in the kilns using a mixture of hickory and cherry woods. After just a bit of time lapses, Voila! Award-winning, mouth-watering smoked Finnan Haddie: ready to be prepared and made into a fabulous dish using the time-honored recipe below.

Back in the day, when there was an abundance of Finnan Haddie produced along the Maine coast. Everybody’s grandmother had a special recipe for this delicious dish. Ask any old-time Mainer and they will regale you in a story about their favorite recipe for this old-word dish. Much of that has changed as the stocks of haddock are no longer plentiful as they once were and almost nobody hangs out in the dooryard anymore with their own smoker preparing this marvelous food from the sea. However, the passion for this age-old traditional food still exists through the thoughtful culinary ways of Richard Penfold at Stonington Sea Products. The recipe below is an unforgettable dish that everyone should enjoy together. Serve it up with artisanally-made bread from Borealis Breads here in Maine, http://www.borealisbreads.com, and pair it with a lovely white wine from Maine’s Bartlett Winery, http://www.bartlettwine.com for a memorable dinner. This Finnan Haddie, which was recently recommended by the New York Times, http://www.newyorktimes.com, can be purchased directly from Stonington Sea Products. Let Cheryl or Richard know that you read about it our blog. http://www.stoningtonseaproducts.com , 207-367-2400.

Finnan Haddie

1 LB Stonington Sea Products Finnan Haddie
2 3/4 cups whole milk
1 oz. butter
1 1/2 tbl white flour
1/2 tsp turmeric.
1 tbl Colman’s English Mustard Powder
1 tsp ground black pepper.
1 very small pinch chili powder
2 medium leeks
Mashed potatoes
Method:
Cut the haddock filets into large chunks leaving the skin on. Cover with milk in a pan, preferably cast iron, bringing it to a gentle simmer. Remove pan from heat and let it sit until haddock is cooked. Pour the milk into a glass jug and cool avoiding any loose fish scales from falling in. Remove the haddock from the skin in large flakes. Notice the nice sticky quality. Avoid getting scales from the skin into the flakes.
Make a white sauce with the flour, butter and the haddock flavored milk, using only half of the milk. Add turmeric to give nice yellow color. Add at least two heaping teaspoons of Colman’s mustard powder. Add more if you want more of a bite. Add a small pinch of chili powder, enough to ‘pick up’ the flavor but not enough to add heat. Add black pepper.
Add the haddock flakes including any juice that has accumulated. Stir, increasing the heat. Add more turmeric if you like color. Remove from the burner. Blanch 2 fresh-diced leeks for 2 minutes. Add leeks to sauce. Thin with most of remaining milk to desired thickness. Heat to serve. Use remaining milk to thin each time you serve. Add more butter if you wish. Add more pepper to taste.
Serve with mashed potatoes on the side.
Photos courtesy of Stonington Sea Products.