On a Scallop Boat
During my recent visit to Aragosta on Goose Cove, Maine, I had the opportunity to go out on a scalloping boat with Pen Bay Farmed Scallops to learn how the farm scallops in a sustainable way in the cold waters of Penobscot Bay. They took us to their scallop farm and brought up some of their two-year-old scallops for us to not only see, but eat as sashimi, too! It was such an awesome experience, and also the first time I saw a live starfish, despite years of searching for them along the coastal waters of New England and Florida. Here’s a look at this incredible afternoon spent with father & son duo Marsden & Bobby.
Above: Leaving Stonington, Maine, behind
Above: Seals sunning themselves on an island
Above: Our Ride for the Afternoon
Above: Scallop Bags filled with two-year-old scallops and covered in sea squirts and starfish, markers of a healthy aquatic ecosystem and ideal growing conditions for scallops.
Above: This peekytoe crab (aka Atlantic Rock Crab) clung to the scallop bags, but eventually fell off and scuttled around the boat for a bit before Marsden set him back into the sea. They also carefully plucked the starfish free, too. How cute are they?
Above: Bobby explains how scallops live and grow into the food we eventually eat. Scalloping is one of the most sustainable forms of Aquaculture, because nature does nearly all of the work. Those black dots are the eyes– scallops have around 200 eyes!
Above: We headed to where Bobby and Marsden protect the three-year-and-up scallops, ready for harvesting. After a good scrub and a thorough series of rinsing, they were ready to be expertly shucked by Bobby. Paired with a little Japanese wasabi oil (my new favorite condiment!), these gorgeous scallops ended up being the best scallop sashimi I’ve ever had.
It was such a treat to join Chef Devin Finigan and the Pen Bay Farmed Scallops team out on the water in celebration of her newly released cookbook, A Kitchen on Goose Cove. Aragosta, Chef’s restaurant on Goose Cove, uses only Pen Bay Scallops, one of many ways guests and diners can explore Downeast Maine’s terroir.
Fun Fact: The orange (left) and brown bits (right) of the scallops shown above (the roe and stomach, respectively) are considered delicacies in Japan and other parts of the world where they’re used in soup stock, turned into butter, or eaten raw. What’s more sustainable than using every part of your dinner?
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