Are you ready to chowdown on chowder in support of Ocean Wise?
February is the month to fall in love with seafood. Starting February 1, 36 Ocean Wise partners across Canada will be serving up delicious seafood chowders with part of the proceeds supporting Ocean Wise’s not-for-profit sustainable seafood program.
The inaugural National Chowder Chowdown Festival runs February 1 to 28 with chowders available for dine-in, delivery or take out at restaurants across Canada – from Prince Rupert, BC to Summerville, Nova Scotia.
“For more than 15 years, the Ocean Wise Seafood program has inspired a nation of chefs and diners to be champions for our oceans,” said Chef Poyan Danesh, culinary director at Ocean Mama Seafood and competition chair and treasurer of the Chefs’ Table Society of BC. “The science behind sustainable fisheries is complex but thankfully chefs and consumers can rely on Ocean Wise to help us make positive choices. National Chowder Chowdown Festival is an opportunity for Canadians to support this critical program all while enjoying delicious seafood.
Ocean Wise Seafood is a not-for-profit program consisting of nine scientists and account managers across Canada who analyse the most current data on thousands of seafood options and work with restaurants, seafood suppliers and grocery stores to communicate recommendations and monthly updates on the changing science. Ocean Wise’s recommendations are not only based on assessment of the species itself, but also the fishery’s impact on the surrounding environment, other species, and how well it is managed.
The COVID pandemic meant Ocean Wise Seafood needed to re-think their annual fundraising events in Vancouver and Toronto which previously brought in more than $70,000 annually for the not-for-profit program.
“COVID-19 has impacted so many people and businesses, including the Ocean Wise Seafood program and our partners” said Sophika Kostyniuk, director of Fisheries and Seafood at Ocean Wise Conservation Association. “With the new National Chowder Chowdown Festival format we hope to be able to support our partners while also generating the much-needed funds to keep the Ocean Wise Seafood program going strong.”
Overfishing is one of the greatest threats to our world’s oceans with grave impacts on the food web and the livelihoods of millions of people worldwide. But by simply changing the seafoods we eat, we can stop overfishing and help the oceans recover.
2020 CHOWDER CHOWDOWN CHAMPION RECIPE
We are excited to be able to share the winning recipe from Chef Kellen Crumb of Maple Leaf Sport and Entertainment. Care to give it a go?
Photo credit: Lori Bolliger @loribolligerphotography.
Please note that these photos were taken at the February 2020 Chowder Chowdown in Toronto prior to the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.
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NEW ENGLAND-STYLE OYSTER CHOWDER
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Chef Kellen Crumb – Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment
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| HOW TO FINISH – | ||||||
| FEEDS – | 6 People | |||||
| COMPONENT | QUANTITY | SPECIFICATIONS | ||||
| Chowder Base | 1.25 L | |||||
| Bacon Foam (Cream) | 300 mL | |||||
| Scallion & Chive Gel | 6 pcs | |||||
| Smoked Potato Gnocchi | 4 tbsp | Fried | ||||
| East Coast Canadian Oysters, Raw | 12 | Ocean Wise recommended | ||||
| Chives | 40 g | Finely, Finely, Finely cut | ||||
| Oyster Cracker | 30 pcs | small cut | ||||
| METHOD – | ||||||
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In each bowl, place the Scallion & Chive Gel in the bottom. Add the gnocchi into the bowl and ladle in the chowder base over top. Add in 2 freshly shucked oysters into each bowl. Add in the Bacon Cream and stir to incorporate all of the flavors into one. Garnish with finely chopped chives and crushed oyster crackers and enjoy.
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| SUBRECIPES – | ||||||
| COMPONENT – | Chowder Base | |||||
| FEEDS – | 4-6 people | |||||
| INGREDIENTS | QUANTITY | SPECIFICATION | ||||
| Canadian East Coast Oysters | 40 | small cut & save the liqueur | ||||
| Onion, Spanish | 300 g | small dice | ||||
| Celery Root | 200 g | small dice | ||||
| Garlic | 1 head | minced | ||||
| Carrots | 300 g | small dice | ||||
| Flour, AP | 250 g | |||||
| Butter | 250 g | |||||
| Thyme | 10 sprigs | picked | ||||
| Parsley, stems | 4 | Finely chop stems | ||||
| Parsley, flat | 4 stems | finely chopped | ||||
| Salt & Pepper | to taste | |||||
| Water | 1 L | |||||
| White Wine, Gewurztraminer | 200 mL | |||||
| Cream, 35% | 500 mL | |||||
| Lemon, zest | 1 | zested | ||||
| Lemon, Juice | 1 | juiced | ||||
| METHOD – | ||||||
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In a large pot over medium heat, melt the butter and add the onions. Sweat without colour until cooked through. Add in the celery root, carrots and garilc and sweat without colour. Once cooked through, add in the flour and cook the roux while continually stirring to ensure you don’t burn the flour. Cook the roux for about 7 minutes to ensure the flavor of the flour is cooked out. Add in the water, oyster liqueur, wine and cream and turn the heat up to medium high continuing to stir to ensure flour doesn’t burn. Once the base has come to a boil, turn it back down to a simmer and add in the chopped oysters and parsley stems. Add in the thyme, lemon juice and zest to balance your flavoring. Adjust your seasoning with salt and pepper to finish.
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| COMPONENT – | Bacon Cream | |||||
| FEEDS – | 4-6 people | |||||
| INGREDIENTS | QUANTITY | SPECIFICATION | ||||
| Bacon, Double Smoked | 250 g | diced | ||||
| Cream, 35% | 1L | |||||
| Shallot | 200 g | rough chop | ||||
| Garlic | 4 cloves | rough chop | ||||
| Thyme | 6 sprigs | |||||
| Salt & Pepper | to taste | |||||
| METHOD – | ||||||
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In a medium sauce pot over medium heat, render out the fat from the double smoked bacon. Add the shallots in and saute until soft. Add the garlic and cook until soft. Pour in the cream and bring to a boil. Once the cream reaches a boil, turn it back down to a simmer, add the thyme and allow it to reduce slightly. Allow the flavors to cook together for about 45 minutes and then strain through a fine strainer. Reserve this for your foam later. (If not making foam, the cream can be reduced lower and added to the chowder broth once it has been completed.)
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| COMPONENT – | Smoked Potato Gnocchi | |||||
| FEEDS – | 4-6 people | |||||
| INGREDIENTS | QUANTITY | SPECIFICATION | ||||
| Potato, Yukon Gold | 2 | washed | ||||
| Canadian East Coast Oysters | 4 | blitzed smooth | ||||
| Flour, AP | 3/4 C | |||||
| Wood Chips, Cherry | 500 g | pre-soaked | ||||
| Salt | ||||||
| METHOD – | ||||||
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Bake potatoes at 375 Degrees until fork tender (45-60 mins). Slice potatoes in half and transfer open face down onto a wire rack. Transfer wire rack to smoker with cherry wood chips. Smoke the potatoes for 7-10 minutes or until they have absorbed enough smoke flavor BUT not too much. Once ready, remove from the smoker and Rice the potato innards. Create a pile on a clean surface. Fold in the pureed oysters and salt. Fold in the flour a little bit at a time until desired texture is reached. Roll out very thin (pinky width) and cut and cook a Tester. If correct and seasoned properly, roll and cut gnocchi (no bigger than your pinky fingernail). Blanch in boiling salted water quickly until gnocchi floats. Remove and allow to dry and cool. Transfer to a deep fryer and fry at 350F until crispy. Remove, season with salt, and reserve for later.
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| COMPONENT – | Chive & Scallion Gel | |||||
| FEEDS – | 4-6 people | |||||
| INGREDIENTS | QUANTITY | SPECIFICATION | ||||
| Chives | 1 bunches | fresh | ||||
| Scallion | .5 bunch | just the green tops | ||||
| Gelatin | 6 sheets | bloomed | ||||
| Xanthan Gum | pinch | .05% of total weight of liquid | ||||
| lemon juice | 15 mL | |||||
| Water | 500 mL | |||||
| Salt | to taste | |||||
| METHOD – | ||||||
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In a pot of boiling salted water, blanch the scallion tops and chives for 30 seconds. Remove from the boiling water and shock in a bowl of ice water to lock in the colour. Remove from the ice water and transfer to a vitamix. Add the water, xanthan gum lemon juice and salt and blitz until perfectly smooth. Taste for seasoning. Add in the gelatin and when sure it’s dissolved, pour out into a clean flat bottom vessel to allow it to gel together. Transfer to the fridge for 15 minutes. Once done, cut out circles that will fit the bottom of your serving vessel. Soup will be poured over top to melt and incorporate all the flavors together. Store in a fridge until ready to use.
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| COMPONENT – | Raw Oyster | |||||
| FEEDS – | 4-6 people | |||||
| INGREDIENTS | QUANTITY | SPECIFICATION | ||||
| Oysters, East Coast | 8-12 | Shucked to Order | ||||
| METHOD – | ||||||
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Shuck the oysters just before serving the soup. Add 2 oysters to each soup just before garnishing.
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| COMPONENT – | Oyster Crackers | |||||
| FEEDS – | 6 people | |||||
| INGREDIENTS | QUANTITY | SPECIFICATION | ||||
| Flour, AP | 1 C | |||||
| Salt, Kosher | 1 tsp | |||||
| Sugar, white | 1 tsp | |||||
| Baking Powder | 1 tsp | |||||
| Butter | 2 tbsp | cut into 1/4″ cubes | ||||
| Oyster Liqueur | 1/3 C | cold | ||||
| METHOD – | ||||||
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Preheat oven to 375F. Measure flour, salt, sugar, and baking powder into a medium bowl and whisk to combine. Add butter and work into flour until it resembles coarse meal. Add Liqueur and lightly knead dough until it comes together into a ball. Set dough on a lightly floured surface and cover with an overturned mixing bowl. Allow to rest for 15 minutes. Roll dough out on a well floured surface to a thickness of 1/8th”. Cut dough into 1/2-inch squares. Transfer to a parchment-lined baking sheet and space the shapes out so they don’t bake together. Bake until crackers are showing color around the bottom edges, about 15 minutes. Turn oven off and crack the door open about eight inches. Leave crackers inside to cool and continue to crisp, about 30 minutes. Remove from oven, season with salt, and allow to cool completely. Crackers can be stored in a sealed container for up to a week.
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….or you can just leave it to the experts and support a few of your local restaurants participating in the 2021 competition.
Full details and participating restaurants can be found at ocean.org/chowder.
We always love to see what you are eating. Don’t forget to post it to your social media, tag the restaurant you ordered from @thefoodiesgroup @oceanwiseseafood and hashtag #chowderchowdown2021 #fnbpeople.
Happy eating foodies!