You know who is going to thank you for serving lobster as the main dish this Thanksgiving?

Turkeys and Maine lobstermen.

With everything up against Maine’s lobstermen lately (as discussed in our recent blog on the mounting challenges facing the lobster industry) and the biggest price drop seen in years, this is the year to switch up your traditional Thanksgiving menu.

As the first Thanksgiving meal eaten by pilgrims in November, 1621, it’s wholly appropriate to serve lobster as the main dish or as one of the sides.  We have included a few recipes below.
If you live in Maine buy lobster directly from a lobsterman or from a reputable seafood store. Or if you live out of state, buy them online from a sustainable fishmonger like Luke’s Lobster or Maine Lobster Now.

Main Dish: Stuffed Lobster Tails
A more sophisticated (and lighter calorie) main dish uses stuffed lobster tails in place of the traditional bird with one tail per person. This video shows you the most humane way to dispatch a lobster and this tutorial shows you how to separate the tail from the body and butterfly the meat.
The Thanksgiving flavors come out when stuffed with herbed breadcrumbs and drizzled with white wine reduction, as described by Cooking Light’s Executive Food Editor Ann Pittman. Broil one to two minutes and drizzle with sauce.

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Side: Lobster Stuffing
Instead of traditional stuffing—let lobster take center stage! Combine center-cut bacon, one loaf sesame semolina bread cut into half-inch cubes, and seven ounces of fresh-picked lobster meat. With sautéed yellow onion and garlic lending a savory fragrance to this dish, a little lobster goes a long way in this comfort dish, serving eight people.

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Side: Lobster Mashed Potato
Talk about decadent! This will be the dish your guests dig into the most. Start with a 1½ pound boiled lobster—and save the stock. After shelling and chopping up the meat, put some of the shells in a new pot of boiling water with 1½ pounds of chopped Yukon Gold potatoes to enrich the flavor.  The additional step of lightly browning the cooked lobster meat in butter adds a rich layer to traditional mashed potatoes.

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Side: Green Bean and Lobster Casserole
Lobster is like the little black dress of the culinary world—it can be dressed up and accessorized with just about any food. In this case, with a plain old green bean casserole, it’s not just a side dish—it’s a statement.  This side calls for two cups of fresh, sliced green beans, ½ cup button mushrooms, and 1 pound cooked lobster meat. Layer in a can of cream of mushroom soup with the crunch of Ritz crackers and fried onions, and you’re good to go.

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This Thanksgiving, put lobster on the menu and you will be supporting Maine families when they need it most.
The Maine Lobster festival (August 2-6, 2023) will be free again next year. Follow our website for more details:  https://mainelobsterfestival.com/


Reprinted from the Maine Lobster Festival blog.

“Give ’er tha dinnah, guy” Usually chanted while someone is doing something stupid and show offy in a big, muddy truck.

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It’s blowin’ like a whore at a Legionairs convention…. (when a Noreaster comes in.)

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(On the way a Maine girl looks.) “Shes got a wicked nice body but looks like someone took a clam rake to her face.”

I burst out laughing at a few of these that were submitted in The Ghost Trap's first contest (ending Sept 30). The winner will be determined by public vote so if you want to see some colorful expressions (some I can't even print here) vote now.

What the contest is about.

One of the best parts about writing The Ghost Trap was gathering some of the funniest, wittiest backwoods Maine expressions to go into the book such as "that'll skittle yer dillet." If you've got a great Maine expression or saying and want to win a personalized signed copy of The Ghost Trap, post it here and you just might win!

Rules:

You must be 18 to enter the contest. While “colorful” language is inevitably part of this contest, anything that is considered overly vulgar, racist, misanthropic or bashes anyone’s gender, sexual preference, racial background or otherwise will be prohibited.

You must be a fan of The Ghost Trap on Facebook to win. Contest is only open to one entry per person. So make it count!