Scrumptious Seafood: 2011 Ocean Wise Chowder Chowdown Champion

Paul Cecconi, executive chef of Local Lounge • Grille (Photo: www.thelocalgroup.ca)

 A few weeks ago, I promised to post the winning recipe for this year’s Vancouver Aquarium Ocean Wise Chowder Chowdown. Here it is!

Paul Cecconi, executive chef at Local Lounge • Grille, in Summerland, was crowned 2011 champion for this recipe:

Smoked Ocean Wise Out Landish Oyster Chowder with Parsnips, Squash and Brown Butter Breadcrumbs:

Ingredients:

  • 1 onion, diced
  • 1 rib celery, diced
  • 1 carrot, diced
  • 1 leek, diced
  • 1 med potato, diced
  • 2 med parsnip, diced
  • 8 cloves garlic, sliced
  • 2 cups butternut squash, diced
  • ½ cup pancetta, diced
  • 1 tbsp fresh thyme, minced
  • 1 tbsp smoked paprika
  • ½ cup flour
  • 1 cup white wine
  • 3 ltr fish stock
  • 1 ltr whipping cream
  • 1 ltr shucked Ocean Wise Out Landish oysters, chopped/house smoked
  • Sea salt/cracked black pepper to taste
  • ½ loaf white bread, crust removed
  • ½ cup butter

For the chowder:
• sauté bacon in soup pot till almost crispy, then add onions, carrot, celery, leek, garlic and smoked paprika and sweat for 5 minutes
• add potato, parsnips and squash and cook a further 5 minutes
• add flour and cook out 5 minutes then add wine, stock and cream and let simmer for 15 minutes
• add in fresh thyme, bay leaves and outlandish oysters and simmer a further 25 minutes
• season to taste

For the brown butter breadcrumbs:
• blend the bread in a food processor till med crumble
• brown the butter in a pan then toss in the crumbs and mix through
• on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper toast the crumbs in a 300 degree oven till crispy

Source: Vancouver Sun

Posted by websitedev
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