Some find it ironic that Rochester, the only town in the competition without a coastline, once again took the first and second place awards in the Public Safety category for best chowder during the Mattapoisett Firefighters Association’s 3rd Annual Chowder Cook-Off. Although this year the Rochester Fire Department stole first place from last year’s winner Andrew Daniel, Rochester’s facilities director, the rather playful competition between the two departments remains friendly.
Local chowder lovers swarmed the Mattapoisett Knights of Columbus grounds on Saturday, September 16, to enjoy samples of some of the area’s most carefully crafted chowders that are made by eager local public safety employees vying for the coveted judges’ first place and “People’s Choice” awards, which come with a plaque and, most importantly, the undisputable right to brag.
Rochester Fire is known for its rich, creamy clam chowder recipe concocted by Albert Weigal and topped with a single fried clam belly. Or was that crowning fried clam actually Andrew Daniel’s idea?
Daniel said three years ago when the competition started, he and the Rochester fire crew were thinking about teaming up together and Daniel himself came up with the idea of making the chowder more memorable by topping it off with a freshly fried clam. The idea worked, and as Daniel and Rochester Fire went their own ways with their own chowders, both last year topped off their chowders with fried clams – leading to Daniel taking first and Rochester Fire, second.
This year, though, as he does each year, Daniel changed things up with another recipe – this year offering his newer “Crustacean N’ Corn Chowder,” with crab, shrimp, and lobster with roasted corn, fire roasted red peppers, “and a sweet cream sherry finish.” And this time, instead of topping his chowder with fried clams, he used small fried shrimps.
“I do something different every year,” said Daniel who in addition to winning first place last year, won second place the first year.
Daniel had the feeling that Rochester Fire could take back first place this year, which he accurately predicted, saying, “The Fire Department is gonna win. They’re more popular. And rightfully so! I’m just the town carpenter and they’re gonna be the ones saving you!”
Marion Harbormaster Isaac Perry and his wife Karen were fervently serving up their newer clam chowder recipe they decided to alter after not placing last year.
“The entire year!” answered Karen when asked how long the couple had been working on a new recipe. Although it was all her, she implied, saying as she squinted at her husband, “Food service is not in his blood.” The secret to her rich, smooth, savory chowder was the infused Irish butter – which landed them the third place award.
The Wareham Harbormaster decided to join in the fun this year with his first clam chowder entry. And although he didn’t place, his creamy clam chowder was hot, fresh, loaded with potatoes softened to perfection, and of course, the most important part, according to Harbormaster Gary Buckminster, the quahogs he and Assistant Harbormaster Jamie McIntire dug themselves that morning from Onset Harbor.
“They don’t even have quahogs in Rochester,” said Buckminster, eyeballing the competition from across the way. Buckminster described his chowder recipe as basic, simple, and without all the added flavorings. “And we don’t have to fluff our stuff up with fried clams on top!” (Oh, snap). “We love Rochester,” said Buckminster with redemption.
A couple of booths over, Fairhaven Harbormaster Tim Cox and his friend Sharon DeCosta didn’t change a thing about DeCosta’s grandmother’s chowder recipe that she swears by. Paul Andrews with the Mattapoisett Police stands by his recipe as well, not changing anything from last year, keeping with the “basic” broth that lets the fresh clams speak for themselves.
Marion Fire Assistant Chief Allen Denham served a more thickly-based chowder, saying last year’s thinner, more brothy chowder wasn’t as popular with the crowd. Next booth over, Brian Daniel with the Fairhaven Fire Department said he also went thicker and creamier this year. “Three years ago I made it like the way I like it at home.” But if you want that prize, he conceded, the people want chowder they can chew.
Although technically the public safety contestants are “amateurs,” we have to hand it to them – many of them were as good, if not better, than the chowders of the professional establishment competition.
Rochester Fire also received the coveted “People’s Choice” award.
“Well,” said Daniel, “I’m just going to have to up our game for next year.”
In the professional establishment category, Lindsey’s of Wareham won first place for its seafood bisque, Rasputin’s of Fairhaven took second, and The Stowaway in Mattapoisett took third with its “bacon cheeseburger” chowder. The Lebanese Kitchen of Mattapoisett, which took first place in the cook-off last year, won the People’s Choice award a second year in a row.
Proceeds from the chowder cook-off go towards lifesaving equipment not otherwise included in the budget.
By Jean Perry
