Shanty Fish Loaf

A long time ago, a summertime friend at South Harpswell gave us this recipe for a fish loaf. 'Guaranteed to make anyone a fish eater,' she stated. She is absolutely right, too. Served with a butter sauce or a frozen shrimp soup sauce it makes a very special dinner. 


                                                                          Marjorie Standish

A special meal it may be... any thoughts before I share mine? 

It was an easy recipe to pull together, not many ingredients involved in this one. However, in my opinion it may not be one of the finer loaves to come out the book of Marjorie Standish. Before starting to cook my way through this cookbook I had never heard of any loaf except a meat loaf. Now I'm quite familiar with Egg Loaves, Halibut Loaf, Salmon Loaf, and now Shanty Fish Loaf. 

The end result of the aforementioned salmon loaf and halibut loaf was very similar to that of a meat loaf.  At least it looked like a meat loaf and it rose and cut into slices. The shanty fish loaf on the other hand did not rise like the others and I'm not sure will cut into slices. 

Shanty fish loaf does have a familiar fish in it, haddock. Along with onion celery, bread crumbs, salt and pepper. After it's baked, Marjorie tells you to top it with a sauce of your choice. She does recommend frozen shrimp soup, this is what I chose. 

Honestly, this one confuses me, as it is supposed to be a "special dinner" but  it doesn't look all that appealing to me. Though I suppose I should remember that "back in the day" special probably meant something completely different than it does today and special is different to everyone. 

Would you make this for a special meal? Would it turn you into a fish eater?

Blue Elephant Cafe

12 Pepperell Square 

Saco, Maine 04072

207-281-3070

www.blueelephantcatering.com

https://twitter.com/#!/BlueElephant3

https://www.facebook.com/blueelephantevents

Broiled Haddock

Haddock is another fish that we work with a lot at the Blue Elephant. It is also a very popular fish in Maine. We used to eat it a lot at my house when I was growing up, but I have never seen or heard of it prepared in this way. It may just be the easiest way to prepare and cook haddock that I have discovered yet.

Here it goes:

1. Roll the haddock in prepared Italian dressing
2. Roll the haddock in cornflake crumbs
3. Place the fish on a broiler pan and top with butter. Bake for 10 minutes and serve warm.

That's all folks. It's so easy and it looks delicious. We are serving this dish with a side salad of fresh romaine lettuce and Italian dressing. Of course haddock goes well with many side dishes so if you were to make this recipe for your family... go crazy, choose whatever side dishes sound good to you. Have you ever made haddock this way before? If so, write to me tell me how you like it. Or if you try this particular recipe write me and tell me your thoughts.

Blue Elephant Cafe

12 Pepperell Square

Saco, Maine 04072

207-281-3070

www.blueelephantcatering.com

https://www.facebook.com/blueelephantevents

https://twitter.com/#!/BlueElephant3

Scalloped Oysters

To all you oyster lovers out there I have found (or perhaps rediscovered) a new recipe for you to try. Scalloped oysters... oysters cooked lightly in their own liquor, rolled in buttery cracker crumbs and then cooked with a milky, buttery combo.

When this dish comes out of the oven it's golden brown and bubbling. It looks creamy and delicious and we still have a few servings left so come on by tomorrow and grab a serving for lunch. Let me know what you think! 

Blue Elephant Cafe

12 Pepperell Square

Saco, Maine 04072

www.blueelephantcatering.com

https://twitter.com/#!/BlueElephant3

https://www.facebook.com/blueelephantevents

Broiled Salmon Steaks

     In one of my earlier posts I mentioned that I only had a few fish recipes left from the 'Fish and Shellfish' section so I decide to finish it up as soon as I could. Not only that but as I near the end of this project it's exciting when I finish a recipe and can say that I've completed another section. 

     Yesterday morning when I got up and was flipping through I realized I didn't have many recipes at all left in the fish section and if I could get it all together then I could finish it that day. I made a list and went to the grocery store. An hour later I had made four fish recipes. First up Broiled Salmon Steaks with a Parsley Butter. 

I have worked with salmon a lot but this is one of the prettiest recipes that I've made yet. And so simple too. I cleaned the salmon, seasoned with salt and pepper then placed it under the broiler until it started to brown. I did flip the fish once while it was cooking, which Marjorie says to do. It only took ten minutes in the oven. It was so quick to bake. 

Next the parsley butter. Herbed butter is actually very trendy right now. I've been reading about it a lot in my cooking magazines and online too. It's very easy to make, simply cream butter, add parsley and seasonings. Here's the part where you can have fun. Simply leave the butter in a dish and refrigerate, pipe it into fun shapes with a piping bag and tips. Or you can do what I did which was place in wax paper and roll into a log. This is then frozen for a bit. It then can be sliced into quarter sized pieces with a warm knife.

To serve the salmon we warmed it slightly and topped with a slice of parsley butter. With the warm salmon the butter melts slightly and creates a beautiful look and a delicious dish. Complete the dish with a side salad and perhaps some mashed potatoes or rice.



Usually Marjorie's meals are so simple and plain but this one had a certain elegance to it. You never know this one might just find its way onto our catering list!

Blue Elephant Cafe

12 Pepperell Square 

Saco, Maine 04072

207-281-3070

www.blueelephantcatering.com

https://www.facebook.com/blueelephantevents

https://twitter.com/#!/BlueElephant3

Lobster Casserole

"Watching the popularity of a recipe grow is interesting pasttime. I remember when my Farmington roommate used this recipe for Maine lobster casserole for the very first time. She served it to the directors of the Central Maine Power Company for a luncheon at the annual meeting a long, long time ago. Since then the popularity of the casserole has grown and grown. After all, when you have a group of men telling about the goodness of a casserole, you can be certain it is. "

                                                                                                                             Marjorie Standish

Don't you just love her little anecdotes?! They are so cute and fun to read. Maybe you even have a history with this recipe? Growing up we always cooked and ate lobster one way. In the shell. It has been fun for me to experiment with different recipes, especially classic Maine recipes. Are there any favorites out there? Or are you a traditionalist and prefer lobster steamed in the shell with butter? 

If you wanted to try something new and different this casserole was not a difficult one to make in the least and I can see why it would have been a popular recipe. It simply contains cooked lobster meat, bread, seasonings and milk. It comes out of the oven bubbling and golden brown. We still have some left and are serving it here at the cafe so come in and give it a try. 

Blue Elephant Cafe 

12 Pepperell Square

Saco, Maine 04072

207-281-3070

www.blueelephantcatering.com

https://www.facebook.com/blueelephantevents

https://twitter.com/#!/BlueElephant3

Scallop Saute Montauk

You know sometimes when you get a recipe and you're reading through it or making it and there are like one or two steps and it comes together so quickly that you're like, "Wait! I'm done already? How'd that happen?" 

Well that's what this recipe is like. Simply coat the scallops in a flour mixture and sear until golden brown in some butter. Next make a lemon butter sauce. It literally takes minutes to make and tastes absolutely divine. 

We are serving this dish with a side of fresh greens and balsamic vinaigrette and we have a few portions left. Come on in and give them a try! 

Blue Elephant Cafe

12 Pepperell Square 

Saco, Maine 04072

207-281-3070

www.blueelephantcatering.com

https://www.facebook.com/blueelephantevents

https://twitter.com/#!/BlueElephant3

Escalloped Crabmeat and Oysters

One step closer to finishing the "Fish and Shellfish" section of Cooking Down East. I can't say I've ever seen anything like this recipe though it is pretty basic. 

A cream sauce is made and layered with fresh oysters, crab meat and buttered crumbs. Finish with buttered crumbs and bake in the oven. 

When it comes out of the oven its hot and bubbling. In fact now that I'm writing this and thinking about it I realize that it kind of reminds me of chicken a la king only prepared with seafood. That rich creamy white sauce mixed together with the fish. Usually chicken a la king is served over toast or rice and we will be doing the same, a nice slice of white toast will round out this yummy dish. 

This is one you definitely want to try! Come on in to the Blue Elephant, try it out and let us know what you think! 

Blue Elephant Cafe

12 Pepperell Square

Saco, Maine 04072

207-281-3070

www.blueelephantcatering.com

https://www.facebook.com/blueelephantevents

https://twitter.com/#!/BlueElephant3

DownEast Scallops

I wasn't expecting much from this recipe, honestly the ingredients list sounded like a mess, I just didn't think it would be a popular item. Items such as dry mustard, onion, peppers, American cheese, tomato soup and olives make up this recipe. You might be able to see my hesitation about the recipe if you are unfamiliar with it as I was. 

Boy was I wrong! It sold like hot cakes as soon as I put it up on the menu. It's funny, you just never know what might be popular. Which is why this project is so great. Because I'm trying to make every recipe in the book I'm opening the door up to a whole new world of recipes that I might not have ever tried otherwise.

Based on my experience with this cookbook and other recipes similar to this one I would say this dish would have been a popular one back in the day. And perhaps may be familiar to some of our customers? No one mentioned remembering anything to me but they did absolutely love every bite. So If you're in the market for a good scallop dish give this one a try! 

Blue Elephant Cafe

12 Pepperell Square 

Saco, Maine 04072

207-281-3070

www.blueelephantcatering.com

https://www.facebook.com/blueelephantevents

https://twitter.com/#!/BlueElephant3

Scallop Casserole

The definition of a casserole is, "any food, usually a mixture, cooked in such a dish." This recipe, Scallop Casserole is definitely a casserole! A combination of scallops, haddock and shrimp stew, topped with buttered crumbs and baked in a casserole dish ever so slightly in the oven. 

It comes out creamy and golden brown. It's so easy and takes a mere ten minutes to pull together and only half an our in the oven. Come on in to the Blue Elephant Cafe today and give this dish a try. We are serving it with a side salad and your choice of dressing. There's a limited amount so hurry in! 

Blue Elephant Cafe

12 Pepperell Square 

Saco, Maine 04072

207-281-3070

www.blueelephantcatering.com

https://www.facebook.com/blueelephantevents

https://twitter.com/#!/BlueElephant3

Salt Cod Dinner

This recipe took a little more planning than some of the others have. One thing that has been wonderful about this cookbook is the ease of preparation and cook time. You can pick a recipe and more than likely you'll have everything on hand in your kitchen and if you don't then you'll only have to pick up a couple items at the grocery store.

However, I do like it when she throws these types of recipes into the mix. She talks about preparing and serving a traditional Maine dinner. A complete meal.

"Probably no old-style Maine dinner brings more favorable comments than a salt codfish dinner. The salt codfish placed on a platter with pork scraps, surrounded with boiled potatoes of uniform size and small buttered or sliced beets, the fish topped with a plain or egg sauce, not only looks good but is good." 
                                                                                                                                  ~Marjorie Standish

My dad was just telling me the story of how his grandfather, my great grandfather, used to catch cod, salt it and hang it out to dry on the clothes-line. Then go up to it and peal off the skin as it dried. It was a sort of delicacy.

For this particular salt cod dinner I bought the cod already salted. The directions were to soak it overnight to freshen it up. But once the fish was soaked,  it was ready to go. I boiled the potatoes as a side, and lightly simmered the fish. The sauce was made from trying out salt pork and making a roux with the fat, adding milk and pepper.




The Serving suggestion in this particular recipe was to the fish on a platter surrounded by potatoes. The fish is topped with sauce and finely chopped fried salt pork. It looked delicious. If you're looking for a new fish dish to try out, give this one a shot. And write to me and let me know what you think!

Blue Elephant Cafe

12 Pepperell Square

Saco, Maine 04072

207-281-3070

www.blueelephantcatering.com

https://www.facebook.com/blueelephantevents

https://twitter.com/#!/BlueElephant3

Baked Haddock

I'm getting to the point where it's difficult to choose what recipe to make because I've done so many and there are so few left! I think I've decided to turn my focus to the fish section for a couple of reasons: I only have a few recipes left to complete, and they are always delicious and very popular.

Where to start though? I keep passing the Baked Haddock recipe so I decided to start there. I hadn't really read this recipe thoroughly, and I was expecting it to be a traditional Maine Baked Haddock recipe with the Ritz cracker crumbs or even just breadcrumbs and lemon juice. However, it was far from it!

The fish was seasoned in a pan with salt, pepper, paprika and lemon juice. Then Marjorie had me make a roux with butter and flour. Add to that dry mustard and milk. This is poured over the seasoned fish. The whole dish is seasoned with buttered crumbs and parsley.

It only takes 15 minutes in the oven and the end result is a delicious baked fish. Today we will pair it with a side salad and your choice of dressing for 6.00. Come on in and give it a try. I promise you won't be disappointed!! 

Blue Elephant Cafe

12 Pepperell Square

Saco, Maine 04072

207-281-3070

www.blueelephantcatering.com

https://www.facebook.com/blueelephantevents

https://twitter.com/#!/BlueElephant3

Rolled Haddock Fillets

I steered clear of this type of recipe, because I wasn't sure how it would play out here at the cafe. As it turned out, it was an excellent dish. I cooked the fish 3/4 of the way. Then all it needed was to be reheated, and it was ready to be served.

The fish was served with a creamy egg sauce which is a very traditional way to serve white fish here in Maine. I remember my grandmother making it, and my dad talking about it, all the time while we were growing up. 

It also turned out that on this day some family members of mine came in to the cafe to visit! My uncle and three cousins were visiting from London. One of my cousin's took a gamble and tried the Haddock Fillet and fell in love with it!

I love when other people pick a recipe for me to make. It spices things up and keeps the project interesting. So, just before my family left I asked my ten year old cousin to pick out a recipe for me to make next. He chose Baked Stuffed Shrimp. So, Carlo, the next entry is for you! Be sure to check out the next entry to see photos and read all about delicious baked stuffed shrimp!

Blue Elephant Cafe 

12 Pepperell Square

Saco, Maine 04072

207-281-3070

www.blueelephantcatering.com

https://www.facebook.com/blueelephantevents

http://twitter.com/#!/BlueElephant3