MARTIN FISH COMPANY…ocean ‘bountiful’!
To our delight the sign says, ‘OPEN’; even on this somewhat gloomy mid December afternoon here in Ocean City Maryland. We already know that no matter what manner of seafood we select from the iced displays within the Martin Fish Company it will be fresh! First we see the clams…many varieties, 
all sizes. My mind turns to dinner; perhaps hearty chowder would be nice – or maybe steamed, served alongside a spicy dip of cocktail sauce…or with some melted butter. Then we spy the fresh oysters…again, could be roasted or in a creamy stew; surely a winters treat. Have I mentioned the shrimp – again, all sizes! Further along the aisle are the fresh fish fillets – rockfish, monk, cod, the list is endless – all fresh caught! Walking on I find myself staring eye to eye with a shiny – perhaps 10 lb. whole rockfish laying beside an even larger fresh bluefish! Oh the choices! And then nestled on a sheet of burlap over ice are the lobsters…small today but nevertheless – live and promising! Walking back up the aisle we come upon the crabmeat – sold in a one-pound containers. It says wild caught in MARYLAND – the only kind I’ll consider using in my recipes. The good 
stuff! Although pricey (what isn’t?) it’s so worth it – not worn out from a long trip from Asian waters. And here too are the containers of already shucked oysters…ready for that stew or perhaps to be incorporated into the dressing for the Christmas turkey; again, too many choices! This little walk today included a peek into the freezer cases on the other side of the shop…where they store the already, store-made chowders and soups, including the ubiquitous Maryland Cream of Crab. On shelves above these cases are sold the various accompaniments necessary for real seafood preparation including spice mixtures, breading and such!
During our visit, a woman came in and ordered a large rockfish to be picked up a week hence! I overheard her telling the attendant that she was going ‘non-traditional’ and planned to serve this 
beloved local treat, stuffed with a crabmeat mixture, to her out of town guests for Christmas dinner!
Martin Fish Company is open every day during the summer…then goes to reduced hours Wednesday through Saturday in fall and spring; closed during the month of January and reopen, fully stocked, the Thursday preceding ‘Superbowl’. They are located on the southeast side of the commercial harbor in West Ocean City on Harbor Road off Golf Course Road and are only steps from the boats that make up our local fishing fleet. For further information or to pre-order, telephone 410.213.2195. You won’t be sorry!
To enlarge any photo, just ‘click’!
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