New York City’s culinary influencers were clued in on the story of Maine lobster by the Maine Lobster Marketing Collaborative (MLMC) on 1 August, when the group – in collaboration with chef, restaurateur, cookbook author and television personality Marc Forgione – hosted an industry night celebration for some of the city’s leading chefs and media.
Attendees of the event, called "Maine After Midnight," were informed about the versatility of lobster, Maine's sustainable harvesting practices and the industry's impact on the state of Maine and its economy.
"I have cooked with Maine lobster for years, and it has always been one of my favorite, most versatile ingredients," Forgione said. "Hosting Maine After Midnight gave me the opportunity to really flex my creative muscles with Maine lobster, developing dishes like Maine lobster jello shots and grilled Maine lobster tails to showcase the meat's array of flavor profiles and usages."
Forgione, who is known for his flagship locations Restaurant Marc Forgione and American Cut, just recently opened a new venue, The Lobster Press, which features Maine lobster on its menu.
Barton Seaver, chef, cookbook author and sustainable seafood expert, also attended the event and praised the Maine lobster industry.
"Maine lobster provides everything chefs need – a beautifully diverse and flavorful ingredient with a strong sustainable story – to be proud to serve and educate their customers about the quality and heritage of their products," Seaver said.
According to MLMC, only part of why the Maine lobster fishery is so successful is due to the number of boats on the water. The lobstermen and women implementing sustainable techniques also contribute to the overall quality of the product, said MLMC executive director Matt Jacobson.
"Last year, the Maine Lobster industry landed over 120 million pounds for the fourth year in a row," Jacobson said. "The secret to the success of our fishery is not that we have more traps or more lobstermen on the water, it's the fact that our 5,600 independent lobstermen have implemented a number of sustainability metrics that have kept our stock healthy. This commitment to sustainably has rewarded us with an abundance of our resource, and we want to share that with consumers nationwide."
In addition to New York, the MLMC has hosted “Maine After Midnight” for chefs in Atlanta and Washington, D.C.
