There’s a seductive taste to seafood chowder in the Maritimes. Made with succulently sweet seafood freshly plucked from the sea, it's rich, creamy, fragrant and altogether irresistible.
BY LANE MacINTOSH
"They're probably still talking about it," says Nancy Lohnes, owner and head cook of Magnolia's Grill in Lunenburg, Nova Scotia.
She's referring to a group of American tourists who visited her funky little café near the town's famous waterfront a few summers back. And what they're probably still talking about is the dramatic delivery ― by local fisherman Peter Tanner ― of a barely-out-of-the-water halibut.
"Mr. Tanner roared through the front door like a fast-moving tide," Lohnes says with a big laugh. "He was wearing his rain gear and rubber boots, and you could smell the salt and seaweed as he brushed past the tourists carrying this big plastic bag with a halibut's tail sticking out.
"I had just finished serving them their seafood chowder, so I was close enough to see their faces when Peter and the fish surged past. Their eyes almost popped out of their heads. 'When we say fresh seafood,' I said to them, 'we mean fresh seafood.'"
For many Maritimers, and for many visitors, the sampling of local chowders in communities along the Atlantic coast is a ritual akin to the sampling of Scotland's single-malt whiskies. And that's the way it should be, say "chowderheads" ― the true chowder enthusiasts who follow their taste buds in a quest for the best blend of fresh seafood, cream, potatoes, onions, butter and herbs.
Although chowderheads often have differing views on the ideal texture or colour, and on the ingredients that go into the perfect chowder, they all agree with Lohnes that the seafood has to be fresh, and the fresher the better.
Driving through any Maritime fishing village, what tourist with a love of seafood wouldn't be lured by the siren song of a creamy chowder chock full of scallops, shrimp, lobster, salmon, clams and haddock? Sweet is the song, and our ears yearn to go on listening, while our mouths yearn to go on eating.
For Austin Clement, a chef instructor at The Culinary Institute of Canada in Charlottetown, making seafood chowder is a spiritual journey that fills him with a passion for perfection. He teaches his students that well-made chowder reflects the beauty and harmony of the Maritime landscape and is something that needs to be taken seriously. He ought to know. He's the 2002 Provincial and International Chowder Champion.
"I always get my seafood from people who know seafood and treat it with respect," he says. "I even get many of my other ingredients ― potatoes, onions and herbs ― from local farmers. For me, the best cuisine is food you make for yourself and the ones you love, using only the best that the land, sea and sky have to offer."
Chowder making is an art form for Clement, and he believes it should be kept simple. "The finest chowders are basic, traditional chowders," he declares, "made the way they’ve been made for hundreds of years, with plenty of fresh seafood, lots of heavy cream, butter, salt and pepper, onions, celery and herbs. I add a touch of tarragon and basil."
He advises visitors to sniff out the chowders each locale has to offer by asking around. In every seaside village, town and city, there are people who know where to find the best chowder. "We have some of the finest quality seafood on the planet right here in the Maritimes, and we have many chowder makers who know how to use it properly," he says. "This is a wonderful advantage for cuisine in this part of Canada."
It's another busy morning at The Pilot House in Charlottetown, where Guy LeClair is chopping onions, potatoes and celery for one of his renowned chowders. Like Clement, LeClair is an award-winning chowder maker, and like Clement he believes the best chowders are simple and traditional.
"There’s a danger of making chowder too fancy," he observes. "Originally, it was intended to be a full meal, not an entrée, and that's how I like to serve it." On the stove behind him, fresh
seafood is poaching in a large, heavy pan. Soon, the aroma filling the kitchen will drift into the dining area, as it does each day, tempting visitors and residents alike with the poetry of perfection.
Far to the west, on the edge of the Bay of Fundy in Saint John, N.B., a similar aroma is wafting through the kitchen at the Inn on The Cove as innkeepers Ross and Willa Mavis prepare the day's menu. Ross Mavis says making chowder is one of the pleasures of living so close to the sea.
"The name chowder comes from the French word chaudiére, a heavy pot French fishermen used to cook soups and stews," he explains. "Each locality along the Atlantic coast has its favourite recipe based on the kinds of fish and vegetables available.
"You should be able to taste the seafood in good chowder immediately, without hunting around for it. I can usually size up an establishment's level of quality by tasting its chowder. Unfortunately, some cooks think chowder has to be so thick you can stand a fork in it, so they load it down with flour or cornstarch, and it winds up tasting like wallpaper paste.
"Chowder doesn't have to be thick. It has to be rich and flavourful to be good. You can tell right away, from that first taste, if the chef has given it the necessary care and attention and knows what he or she is doing."
"And of course," he concludes emphatically, "the seafood must be fresh!"
Down on the Lunenburg wharf, Tanner smiles at a large Atlantic halibut. It weighs at least 18 kilos and has been out of the water for only a few hours. He knows that Lohnes would want it. He grabs a big green plastic bag and shoves the fish in headfirst. Several streets up from the waterfront, some tourists are peering into the front window of Magnolia's Grill and wonder aloud if the seafood is fresh. Out in the kitchen, Lohnes slips a spoonful of butter into the big chowder pot simmering on the stove and stirs it gently.
Another day at Magnolia's Grill. Another day in the Maritimes.
source: Canadian Tourism Commision
This reproduction is not represented as an official version of the materials reproduced, nor has it been made in affiliation with or with the endorsement of the Canadian Tourism Commission.
Click here for more dining experiences in Canada
Click here for more information on Nova Scotia
BY LANE MacINTOSH
"They're probably still talking about it," says Nancy Lohnes, owner and head cook of Magnolia's Grill in Lunenburg, Nova Scotia.
She's referring to a group of American tourists who visited her funky little café near the town's famous waterfront a few summers back. And what they're probably still talking about is the dramatic delivery ― by local fisherman Peter Tanner ― of a barely-out-of-the-water halibut.
"Mr. Tanner roared through the front door like a fast-moving tide," Lohnes says with a big laugh. "He was wearing his rain gear and rubber boots, and you could smell the salt and seaweed as he brushed past the tourists carrying this big plastic bag with a halibut's tail sticking out.
"I had just finished serving them their seafood chowder, so I was close enough to see their faces when Peter and the fish surged past. Their eyes almost popped out of their heads. 'When we say fresh seafood,' I said to them, 'we mean fresh seafood.'"
For many Maritimers, and for many visitors, the sampling of local chowders in communities along the Atlantic coast is a ritual akin to the sampling of Scotland's single-malt whiskies. And that's the way it should be, say "chowderheads" ― the true chowder enthusiasts who follow their taste buds in a quest for the best blend of fresh seafood, cream, potatoes, onions, butter and herbs.
Although chowderheads often have differing views on the ideal texture or colour, and on the ingredients that go into the perfect chowder, they all agree with Lohnes that the seafood has to be fresh, and the fresher the better.
Driving through any Maritime fishing village, what tourist with a love of seafood wouldn't be lured by the siren song of a creamy chowder chock full of scallops, shrimp, lobster, salmon, clams and haddock? Sweet is the song, and our ears yearn to go on listening, while our mouths yearn to go on eating.
For Austin Clement, a chef instructor at The Culinary Institute of Canada in Charlottetown, making seafood chowder is a spiritual journey that fills him with a passion for perfection. He teaches his students that well-made chowder reflects the beauty and harmony of the Maritime landscape and is something that needs to be taken seriously. He ought to know. He's the 2002 Provincial and International Chowder Champion.
"I always get my seafood from people who know seafood and treat it with respect," he says. "I even get many of my other ingredients ― potatoes, onions and herbs ― from local farmers. For me, the best cuisine is food you make for yourself and the ones you love, using only the best that the land, sea and sky have to offer."
Chowder making is an art form for Clement, and he believes it should be kept simple. "The finest chowders are basic, traditional chowders," he declares, "made the way they’ve been made for hundreds of years, with plenty of fresh seafood, lots of heavy cream, butter, salt and pepper, onions, celery and herbs. I add a touch of tarragon and basil."
He advises visitors to sniff out the chowders each locale has to offer by asking around. In every seaside village, town and city, there are people who know where to find the best chowder. "We have some of the finest quality seafood on the planet right here in the Maritimes, and we have many chowder makers who know how to use it properly," he says. "This is a wonderful advantage for cuisine in this part of Canada."
It's another busy morning at The Pilot House in Charlottetown, where Guy LeClair is chopping onions, potatoes and celery for one of his renowned chowders. Like Clement, LeClair is an award-winning chowder maker, and like Clement he believes the best chowders are simple and traditional.
"There’s a danger of making chowder too fancy," he observes. "Originally, it was intended to be a full meal, not an entrée, and that's how I like to serve it." On the stove behind him, fresh
seafood is poaching in a large, heavy pan. Soon, the aroma filling the kitchen will drift into the dining area, as it does each day, tempting visitors and residents alike with the poetry of perfection.
Far to the west, on the edge of the Bay of Fundy in Saint John, N.B., a similar aroma is wafting through the kitchen at the Inn on The Cove as innkeepers Ross and Willa Mavis prepare the day's menu. Ross Mavis says making chowder is one of the pleasures of living so close to the sea.
"The name chowder comes from the French word chaudiére, a heavy pot French fishermen used to cook soups and stews," he explains. "Each locality along the Atlantic coast has its favourite recipe based on the kinds of fish and vegetables available.
"You should be able to taste the seafood in good chowder immediately, without hunting around for it. I can usually size up an establishment's level of quality by tasting its chowder. Unfortunately, some cooks think chowder has to be so thick you can stand a fork in it, so they load it down with flour or cornstarch, and it winds up tasting like wallpaper paste.
"Chowder doesn't have to be thick. It has to be rich and flavourful to be good. You can tell right away, from that first taste, if the chef has given it the necessary care and attention and knows what he or she is doing."
"And of course," he concludes emphatically, "the seafood must be fresh!"
Down on the Lunenburg wharf, Tanner smiles at a large Atlantic halibut. It weighs at least 18 kilos and has been out of the water for only a few hours. He knows that Lohnes would want it. He grabs a big green plastic bag and shoves the fish in headfirst. Several streets up from the waterfront, some tourists are peering into the front window of Magnolia's Grill and wonder aloud if the seafood is fresh. Out in the kitchen, Lohnes slips a spoonful of butter into the big chowder pot simmering on the stove and stirs it gently.
Another day at Magnolia's Grill. Another day in the Maritimes.
source: Canadian Tourism Commision
This reproduction is not represented as an official version of the materials reproduced, nor has it been made in affiliation with or with the endorsement of the Canadian Tourism Commission.
Click here for more dining experiences in Canada
Click here for more information on Nova Scotia
Comments