When the church bells rang at noon in Edgartown on Saturday, hungry chowder lovers were already lined up under the Great Chowder Contest tent at the Kelley House, ready to taste a dozen of the best chowders on-Island. This year’s chowder contest was held for the first time at Kelley House’s Wave Bar, instead of the Mini-Park on Main Street.
Contestants included Henry’s at the Harbor View Hotel, the Newes from America Pub, Martha’s Vineyard Chowder Co., Rosewater Takeaway Market, the Wharf Pub, Lucky Hank’s, Offshore Ale, Beacon of Hope Church, Martha’s Vineyard Insurance Co., MVRHS Culinary Arts Department, and the Martha’s Vineyard Rotary Club.
While the crowd filtered in, I had a chance to chat with a few of the contestants and ask them what made their chowder stand out from the others. Almost all of them started with the same spiel: “Oh, our chowder is made with love!” After I told them everyone else’s was made with love too, they disclosed the culinary secrets behind their chowder:
Martha’s Vineyard Rotary Club topped their chowder with a blend of cooked bacon and shredded pork belly, which gave the chowder a great, salty meatiness. They cooked it overnight, focusing on keeping a good balance between the cream, potatoes, and clams. As I chatted with them, one of their team members said lots of butter made their chowder the best.
Offshore Ale Co., my personal favorite, made a simple chowder with pancetta and a surprising addition of fresh basil. Although unusual in a classic chowder recipe, the basil definitely brightened up the flavors. Looking for a beverage to pair with clam chowder? Offshore suggests their Menemsha Pale Ale, which holds up to the strong chowder flavors.
Martha’s Vineyard Insurance Co. also adds something special to its chowder: Sherry. With the basic ingredients (pork fat, celery, onions, clams, potatoes, and cream), the company strives to make the best chowder possible in honor of Barbara Silva. Mrs. Silva worked with them for over 20 years, and as a recipient of the Red Stocking Fund in her early life, she always vowed to help them when she could, and her work made that possible.
Henry’s at the Harbor View Hotel Chef Caleb Lara made a smoked haddock cream with roasted parsnips and Nueske’s bacon. Though gluten-free, the chowder had great texture thanks to the infused smoked haddock cream.
The Newes from America Pub created their ever-so-popular Southeast Coast Portuguese seafood chowder, packed with spicy chorizo and seafood. It turned out to be the only non-cream chowder of the mix.
Beacon of Hope Church created an interesting chowder with the same ocean water the fresh clams came in, so they didn’t have to even add salt to the recipe.
Rosewater had a quahog chowder, one that reminded Chef Tina Miller of her upbringing on the Island. Broth-based and finished only with cream, this chowder also used leeks instead of the traditional onions, giving it a very aromatic taste.
In the end, congratulations went to the winner of the best clam chowder: Martha’s Vineyard Chowder Co., and the winner of the best seafood chowder: The Newes from America Pub.