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Another Friday Already

Fri, 27 Jul 2012 20:20:16 +0100

Dear FFDers, It's noticeable on front street, usually with a constant flow of cars , that folks have gone to their different venues of vacations. Cause it just ain't happening in Exeter. It is not a destination for activites, but what does stay constant is the quality of offerings at your local "fish store." It is important for me to have the quality and selection for the stay-behinds, for they, in order to not feel let out, bring in folks from outside and they will feed their guests well. That's what we rely on in the summer when there are fewer people , hoping they increase their pounds when trying to impress the visitors with their generosity and affection. No matter when or how much , we appreciated it greatly when YOU make the effort to swing in.
If you're in town Here's a few items to wow 'em:
     the freshest in MAINE LOBSTERS
                            NORTH ATLANTIC SWORDFISH... startin to get tasty
                            WILD KING SALMON.....kinda peak season
                            LOCAL CODFISH... cool enough for the oven
                            costa rican LANE SNAPPER
                            NATIVE BLUES
                            SEA SCALLOPS ..from the cape
                            yellowfinTUNA....affordable @ 11.95/lb
   Beautiful PEACHES....CHERRIES......MANGOES.....CANTALOPES.....

fRESH CRABCAKES..BAKED STUFFED CLAMS...marinated MUSSELS, smoked TROUT PATE..... on and on...buried in Karimah's stuff too.
      You know we love to peel...and with Alex back , he's itching to clean a few lbs of shrimp or lobstermeat....so please call ahead for those 2 items as we like it to be as fresh as possible..
   Look forward to seeing you and your friends ...so many thanks for your time....Fred

Soup Central

Wed, 25 Jan 2012 21:23:48 +0100

Dear FFders, Let me quickly mention some really fine freshness found today in the Haddock, Cod, Hake, Flounder, Grey Sole,( not much else swims in the N Atl. this time of year) yup we got those and plenty others like Bluefish and wild and Farmed salmon some Halibut and plenty of Beautiful Gulf of Mexico red Grouper. There is a reason that all the Grouper I bring back has such a faithful following:   It tastes really good!!! It has versatility and substance to its texture and is great with fruity salsas, blackened or broiled with just lime and cracked pepper. We have an occasional Asian inquiring about grouper heads for their soups. the flavor of the stock and the meat yield from the collar and cheeks is abundant and very rich tasting.   which brings me to the theme of the this blurb.
   while twiddling thumbs waiting for the afternoon crowd we've used this grouper stock in two soups that are simply gold medal winners. ( just don't ask see the medals , just ask your neighbor who will attest readily to their enjoyment.)
   1) Traditional Fish Chowder: oodles of assorted fishes( perfectly aged ) combined with red new potatoes and onions quickly sauteed in a splattering of salt pork .   This latter ingredient I will almost always ask a customer if they intend to use it in their chowder since I believe in its priority. The settlers dropped it in practically everything and i can see why. either way the one we make is quite gelatinous until heated attesting to its high fish fat ratio which leads to the silky texture and combined with some secret seasonings the raves are incessant.
   2) Seafood Gumbo. This tomato based conglomeration begins with Trader Joes "Roasted red pepper and Tomato soup and when combined with the Grouper stock and Quahog Juice saved from shucking for the Baked stuffed clams the taste is almost enough by itself..   However we add again the perfectly aged fishes, mussels , a splattering of calamari , you may find a shrimp or two . For color and the southern aspect of the gumbo there is morsels of andouille sausage and minced collard greens. Since no one has ever made anything quite like this and no recipe exists there is no medal for this either , but believe me if entered into any contest there would be no contest. Humbly put : you should give it a shot.
3) Spicy crab and corn Chowder:   can't take any credit for this one except to say we had the right feeling about it. Tried it for the Holidays when people would be looking for something abit more festive and ever since we've gotten the requests.   This is perfect for the super bowl crowd and its made by the Kettle Cuisine folks that do everything from scratch and they are pros and we let them handle these complicated ones.
   So we'll try and stay on top of a few of these during the next few weeks of cold, wet, raw, dank weather that calls for something that warms the insides and stays with you to boot. Enjoy! and thanks for your time,, Fred

not much missing on this end of town

Sun, 11 Dec 2011 00:40:18 +0100

Dear FFDers, Wait til you see what we've brought back into our humble front st. locale. I decided to lean heavy on the north atlantic fare.:
   Super quality, can't misser's: Large Haddock,   cod scrod ( small), George's bake Flounder, Large Sea scallops.
Other ocean wonders: Large Bluefish, Swordfish, Wild King salmon and farmed atl.salmon.
fresh water beauties:   rainbow trout from Idaho, incomparable taste.
I 've had the boys dicing and chopping for abit now and here's what they've placed in the prepared section.   Seafood stuffing with scallops,   Calamari salad, Crab cakes, Red Clam Sauce, Smoked Trout Pate.
   If haven;t had a bowl of this fish chowder you really don't know what it's supposed to taste like.   We've boiled down some Snapper and haddock racks to make the richest stock if you feel like doing your own soups , risottos, etc. .   We leave the clam chow to the pros and after a taste you can see why.
Pleae remember that we love to peel shrimp and pick lobster meat for your little gatherings during Christmas. If you'd like to place an order for your Holiday festivites just call 772-5011.
   We've also have a really nice produce selection this wekend, from lettuce to the garnet yams, to comice pears and mangoes that will need a day or two or just may ripen before Christmas. Oh yeah, some of the nicest spaghetti squash you'll come across. Okay folks I better go supervise the kitchen and actually produce some of these things I've mentioned...Look forward to seeing you and thanks so much for your time...Fred

properly labeled

Wed, 26 Oct 2011 19:46:58 +0100

Dear FFDers, More than once a smart -alec will tell me it was a good thing my last name wasn''t Weekly. The same number of folks are endeared to the catchy title of this humble establishment. there are Daily's out there , there are Dailey's out there , and Daly's too, but did any of them venture into the fish business after having his fiancee with her roommate, after multiple glasses, brainstorm up Fresh Fish Daley?? The play on the phrase "fresh fish daily" is all it is. There is no intent to decieve anyone into thinking such. To make that trip into beantown each day is something unconscionable this day and age. twice a week seems to be the right amount. My hayday was 3 times (mon, wed, and fri) and it was a bear, but manageable while in my 30's and 40's. I'm down to a few who remember me starting out in a truck on portsmouth ave hoping that somebody would think it worth a stop to obtain Gloucester freshness. Before i put the sign out I asked an uncle what he thought the best advice to be for a guy opening his own business... " Just be honest." the response..sound instruction.
   the past couple days I've had the Boston Globe article of fish mislabeling brought to my attention. Fairly lengthy article (like this e-mail) about the undercover findings of all kinds of fish either intentionally or not misrepresented. It was mostly restaurants trying to offer less expensive varieties as exotic fare. Anyway, to make it short , though I've fibbed from time to time to a customer who has asked "when did that come in?" ( this business will make a liar out of anyone involved in the buying and selling) rest very assured that if it is haddock in the tray the sign will say haddock. I profit in no way of mislabeling a specie. No funny business with the wild or farmed , fresh or pre-froz..   what goes in the case is what it says it. As the boys in the hood would say: "straight up...real talk." and keeping with the "keeping it real " theme here's is what DID arrive today via the FFD refrigerated van.:
    Simply perfect: haddock, Cod,   Sole, Flounder, Grouper, Sea Scallops, tuna Toro, ..never better
    Didn't arrive today but still mouth watering :   Sword , Big-eye tuna, salmon atl, blue and halibut.   that's extensive variety, top quality AND Nick's in trouble if the right sign isn't on the right tray.
Got the usual crab and salmon cakes and salads, stuffings and new organic red leaf and some sweet Cantelopes... new oysters from onset, MA. Way too many things to mention...thanks for hanging in. some folks were concerned about what it is they eat ...all I can tell them is that from FFD, as Bill Belichek would say,: "it is what it is!!" thanks for your time ....Fred

Selection, Quality

Fri, 14 Oct 2011 21:00:59 +0100

Dear FFDers, This wouldn't a good day to put the blinders on and just slide on by the store. Beaucoup de bon poisson.!! Or as we say on front: Plenty of good fish. This a great chowder night, perfect baking night, and the sword is so good it would be worth heading out to the patio and risking a few drops on the "friday night coif" to gain a few wows from your family or friends.
   Check out these others as well:
1) Halibut ...el primo
2) Cod, Haddock, flounder, ...good size, super fresh, offshore
   3) Blue fish..RI style, what blue is supposed to be
   4) Salmon: a) farmed atl, b) prefroz wild king, c) fresh wild coho....3 winners
5) Sea scallops always dry ,,never soaked, very versatile
6)   Gulf shrimp...   mediums and    collasols (under 8 to a pound)
7)   Fresh crabmeat while it lasts...very tight product lately
8) Wild maine mussels...more taste than the PEI's but a little more work too.."beardy"

     PREPARED SEAFOOD DIVISION:
1)   fresh albacore tuna salad
2) FRESH SALMON CAKES....GAINING IN POPULARITY
3) Baked stuffed clams
4)   chowders:    Fish and Clam
5) Calamari salad
   6)   smoked trout pate
   7) marinated mussels....great pre-game nibbler
8 )   a great garlic and sherry stuffing for the white fishes, scallops and those Jumbo shimp mentioned above
Plenty of produce to keep you from the supermarket....asapagus, zuccini, peaches and those yummy Garnet yams ...quite possibly the best thing in the store .   Organic spring mix lettuce.
   Gotta roll and I'm sure you do too. Thanks for your time.....fred

quite the lineup

Sat, 24 Sep 2011 00:36:33 +0100

Dear FFDers, Classic case of "if we don't have it, you don't want it " kind of friday. Gonna pour this weekend, with no chance of any "honey-do" outdoor projects.   It's looking like a "might as well eat good" type of day tomorrow. so bring some buddies over and show them how when given the time in the kitchen you don't mess around. here's some of the things to consider:
   SHELLFISH:
   1) MUSSELS, STEAMERS , MINCED CLAMS,   QUAHOGS, OYSTERS.....on the half shell , steamed, or sauces...to me these are the representatives of what seafood flavors are
   NORTH ATLANTIC GROUND FISHES:
   1 ) haddock,   Cod, Flounder.. will try and put together a stuffing of some sort for the afternoon crowd
  MANDATORY NON-WHITES ( far be it from us to discriminate..
   1) Bluefish,   Mahi,    wild and farmed atl. salmons, sword fish (family feeder special $9.95), and Artic Char
   PRICEY ALMOST WORTH ITS:
   1) Halibut, sea scallops,   Panama Black Grouper

  PRODUCE: ORGANIC DEPT...LOCAL  GARLIC, BUTTERNUT SQUASH, and not local bananas...and red leaf lettuce
   beautiful sugar snaps , asparagus and COMICE pears...yes, we're proud
   Yes, other stuff like lobsters and clams, minced clams and soda pop
   Remember we love to peel shrimp and lobstermeat so just give us a call .

Sorry about the crabmeat ..not available for a stretch now...this means no crabcakes either.   I can say however that this is about the only bummer happening at FFD today...   come on down we'll fix you up.....thanks for your time,    Fred

Back to routine??

Fri, 09 Sep 2011 19:57:57 +0100

Dear FFDers, Is there such a thing as a routine in this day and age of go-go-go.?Growing up as a early teen and enjoying as carefree a routine as existed, "go-go" meant the dancers on Hulabaloo,, a show well worth the risk of parental wrath.Today however, only a few constants reappear like school and, for me,a life starting to revolve around a new season of sports. But all it takes is your car to have a blow a gasket, or your child    breaks an arm on the jungle gym and "routine" exits your vocabulary in a real hurry. The fish world has done their spwan thing and been eating most of the summer and are finding their way to market with fuller girth and for us consumers it's a good thing.No different than beef, fat means moisture and taste, when plopping a nice peace of sword , tuna , blue, mackerel on the grill. Even the white ones like haddock and cod are noticeable thicker per lb and a discerning palate can attest to the increased moisture there as well. This would be a great weekend to take advantage of some of these goodies:
     Artic Char, Sword, Blue wild King salmon,   grillable sea scallops, cod , Hake , and haddock.   sorry about the halibut and snapper....got stuck with a couple lbs of each and I get discouraged with heavy hits like that. Did I mention Lobsters lately..sooo fine. starting 2 $4.95 for chix (firmed up ) and steamers.   I bought purged clams this am and they are so clean and grit free.
   Just made the Tuna salad, should have crab cakes this aft of early am., Plenty of PEI mussels ( quite possibly the best thing in the ocean)
new cantelopes and a sure sign of fall: those popular Japanese yams (white fleshed) to begin the root vegetable season.
   so as hard as it is to establish a routine of everyday life, Mother Nature doing her best, through FFD, to keep up her end of the deal by providing the finest in seafood and nutritious vegetables.   Shopping here twice a month would be a routine with big benefits for us both.   Thanks for your time,    Fred
    ps...   a quickie about my eggs sold here: Free range , organically fed and raised by a father son team in Danville. the son's name is Bryan, and happens to be an autistic 14 year old. His dad says that when he returns from his route on Friday Bryan is very excited about the cold cash , and in a near agitated state with hands out when dad pulls in the drive. It's kind of a neat image that hits the heart a bit. so if you need eggs sometime, grab a dozen and know, that this time, great taste goes to a great cause.