Maine Shrimp Are Coming to Norwalk!

The season for sweet, Maine shrimp is here but not much, if any, makes it to Fairfield County. That’s about to change. 

Yesterday’s New York Times had an article about Maine shrimp that said the season is so bountiful this year that “the State Department of Marine Resources has extended it to May 1.” How crazy are foodies about these shrimp? According to the same article Community Supported Fisheries programs where consumers sign up to receive “frozen hand-peeled shrimp in five one-pound bags once a month for five months” are popular but the closest drop sites are in Brooklyn. The article’s end note states that the shrimp are sold “fresh in the shell in Manhattan for $9 a pound at Wild Edibles at Grand Central Market.” 

Don’t go to Manhattan or ask your spouse or friend to do you a favor and pick some up at Grand Central, because you can get them at 1/3 the price of their Manhattan brethren this Saturday from 10-2 at the new Norwalk Indoor Winter Farmers’ Market at 61-65 Wall Street. It’s easy to drive right by this market since there’s no street signage, so slow down. It’s just down the block from The Stand and you enter from behind the building, just across from Garden Cinemas. It’s being gutted for renovation so bundle up and bring a cooler for the shrimp and bags for the other local foods sold there.

Find Tom and Tracy Pennimon of Pemaquid Lobster & Seafood and ask for some fresh whole Maine shrimp with the shell and head on. Cook these delicacies briefly in highly salted water (no other seasonings please!) and then crowd around the table for a local, seasonal feast. Tracy told me they usually sell out on Fridays during their first stop in Naugatuck, but I asked her to hold back 40 pounds for the market. If you want to place a special order for Saturday, please call Tracy at 203-350-7054. Each week’s availability is subject to the Wednesday catch. Please call 207-677-3202 to place special orders for future weeks.

Analiese Paik is the Founder and Editor of the Fairfield Green Food Guide, an online resource for consumers looking for fresh, local and sustainable food. Analiese is a regular guest on News Ch. 8’s Good Morning Connecticut and a frequent contributor to CT Bites, CT GreenScene, Fairfield GreenTeam and SuzySaid.