Last night the trendy Fermenting Cellar of the Distillery District played host to a gathering of the chowder-loving masses. Their purpose: to raise funds for Ocean Wise, a national sustainable seafood initiative started by the Vancouver Aquarium.
The event featured a lineup of 14 of Toronto’s top chefs all serving up their tantalizing renditions on fish chowder made with sustainable seafood contending for the title of 2013 Ocean Wise Chowder Chowdown Champion.
Chowders ranged from traditional (Royal York chef Joshua Dyer’s Classic Seafood Chowder recipe is 82 years old, and the longest running item on their esteemed menu), to quirky (chef Siobhan Dolan of The Sweet Potato served up a dairy and gluten-free Baja Fish Chowder combining a roasted shrimp and lemongrass stock poured atop a warm shrimp and avocado salsa, topped with crispy halibut skin). All were paired with beer.
Chef Charlotte Langley of Catch restaurant presented her “Taste of Home” chowder, creamy halibut stock with clams and muscles still in their shells, topped off with a fried biscuit. A homage to her grandmother's recipe.
Once bellies were (over) filled and cups were emptied, the panel of judges (including Food Network host Andrea Nicholson, and Brad Long of Evergreen Brick Works’ Cafe Belong) revealed the winner. Trattoria Mercatto chef Doug Neigel’s Zuppa Di Vongole chowder won over the judges with a recipe featuring Ontario parsnip brood, Ontario chili squash butter and crispy polenta-crusted littleneck clams, paired with Double Trouble Brewery’s Prison Break Pilsner.
