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New EnglandCape Cod Turkey
The version described here is made with salt cod, which would have been common in most of New England more than a short distance from the coast. Salt Cod, even after it's been freshened, has a denser, meatier texture than fresh cod.
Baked Potato
We were so surprised that the next night I baked a couple more, and then the following night I bought and baked an Idaho russet potato alongside another Green Mountain potato for a real comparison. There was no contest. The Maine potato had a far superior flavor. They both baked up nice and fluffy with nicely crispy skins, but the Idaho potato tasted like nothing. Now I am glad that I bought 20 pounds!
Cod Cheeks or Halibut Cheeks
I'm told that it used to be that a fisherman who caught a halibut would sell the fish but keep the cheeks for his own dinner. I don't know if it's still done that way sometimes, but I got these from a fisherman who didn't eat them. They are tender and delicious, and they can be prepared pretty much any way you would use sea scallops. I like them dredged in cornmeal and fried in butter or baconfat. Some people add a dipping sauce of some kind, but I like them hot from the skillet with nothing else.
Cape Cod Fish Pie I whipped this up when I was confronted with the leftovers of an excellent-but-too-large haddock. It's a simple dish, homey and satisfying. I started with the fish flaked into a basic White Sauce seasoned with dried dill and chervil, but then I thickened the sauce up with an egg yolk (see Mayonnaise for why that's a good idea) and then proceeded to top it with mashed potatoes and baked it. (See Notes for a confession.)
Steamers (Classic)
Steamers are steamed soft-shell clams, traditionally served with some dipping liquid (to remove any residual sand) and melted butter, and a refreshing summery beer.
Blueberry Slump This easy crowd-pleaser is known variously across New England as Blueberry Buckle, Blueberry Cobbler, Blueberry Slump, and Blueberry Grunt. The basic idea is simple: a bed of berries topped with sweet biscuit dough and baked until the berries burst into a delicious sauce for the tender biscuits. This is great hot with ice cream, or cool with whipped cream. Make it with wild Maine Blueberries if you can, especially while they are in season in August. Blueberry slump is very easy to make; this one was made at work in the Actifio Food Truck by my friends Debbie Goswami and Chandrika Venkatraman.
Boiled Fish
This is an old Colonial recipe, from the days before hifalutin' words for technique like "poach" and "simmer" had entered the lexicon of everyday cooks. The best tool is a fish poacher: an oblong stainless pot that covers two burners and is long enough to fit about a 2.5 pound fillet. The pot has an insert that you set the fillet on, so you can easily lift it out when it's finished.
Egg Sauce Egg Sauce is not the same thing as an egg-yolk-thickened sauce. Egg Sauce is an old Yankee favorite made by adding a couple of chopped hard-cooked eggs to a simple white sauce. This homey simple sauce can be whipped up in just a few minutes if you have a hard-boiled egg in the fridge. A hard-boiled egg in its shell will keep for a week in the refrigerator, so this recipe works as a go-to recipe on a busy night. Egg Sauce is traditionally served with "boiled" salmon or a big piece of cod (in which case the preparation is known as Cape Cod Turkey). It is shown here starring in our Yankee Fish Dinner for June.
Naked Haddock
I might have a bit of tartar sauce, and I like a Martini with Naked Haddock better than any wine. Now that brings up something to think about. We are programmed by our culture to think about pairing wines and foods, and to think what's the right wine for a certain food. But sometimes the besst libation isn't a wine at all! So try a floral gin with haddock. You may find some old preconceptions crumbling.
Yankee Fish Cakes This New England favorite is a classic accompaniment to Baked Beans. It's easy to make, and the uncooked mixture stores well for a few days, so you can easily make multiple meals from one recipe. I searched through many recipes to find one that would have satisfied my mother-in-law, who was old Yankee on both sides back to the 17th century. This recipe is simple, so it relies on ingredients and technique. I used white boiling potatoes (not Russets), and frozen salt cod from my local fishmarket (not the kind that comes in a box).
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There's no turkey in this dish! Cape Cod Turkey is a classic 18th-19th Century New England fish dish made with fresh or salt cod and dressed with white sauce and hard-boiled egg. It's a close relative of the smokey 
A simple, homey favorite that opened our eyes when made with the right potato! We had recently made a long weekend trip to Maine's Aroostook County, where I had bought a 20-pound bag of local 
Here's an old Yankee favorite! 
This is about the easiest of easy recipes! 
Don't boil the fish!
We love fresh haddock, simply baked with no crumbs or other distractions from its own exquisite flavor. Very fresh haddock is obviously essential to this dish!
