|
Romancing the Clam
Press Release For Immediate Release Source: East Coast Shellfish Growers Association (203) 623 2819 |
 |
Headline: Romancing the Clam comes to Savannah
This important and entertaining celebrity chef seafood event was held on March 23, 2009 in Bryson Hall on Chippewa Square, Savannah, Georgia.
“Romancing the Clam” featured professional chefs from all across the country demonstrating their favorite regional clam recipes. And lucky guests at the evening tasting had the opportunity to try them all.
Nine chefs cooked clams grown by shellfish farmers in their respective states, including Massachusetts, New York, New Jersey, Virginia, South Carolina, Georgia, Florida and a west coast entry from Washington.
“Romancing the Clam”, the brainchild of the East Coast and Pacific Coast Shellfish Growers Associations, was held in conjunction with the 101st annual meeting of the National Shellfisheries Association. The individual chefs prepared their dishes in a filming session during the day, and the tasting for the public commenced at 7:00 PM.
All of the clams used were farm raised, guaranteeing their cleanliness and size consistency and they tasted just like wild ones. Farmed shellfish are rated as a “best food choice” by sustainability experts because they are great for the environment and serve an important role in preserving healthy coastal waters. Farmed clams are an inexpensive, nutritious, and delicious seafood that are good for the environment too!
A raw bar, hosted by the Cedar Key Aquaculture Association, featured hard clams on the half shell from six states along the east coast. The bar was set up in the square among the blooming azaleas under a tent adorned with little white lights with the imaginative touch of lit candles set in the ice among the calms.
Results of a sensory evaluation conducted by the University of Florida were revealed. Attendees received an evaluation form like the UF expert panel used and were able to compare their tastes with the experts'. This was not a competition, but rather an opportunity to make people aware that clams, much like oysters, may have different characteristics and flavors from one growing location to another. And to top it off, a variety of toppings, such as pesto, champagne vinegar, mignonette sauce, flying fish roe, and gorgonzola cheese, were available to provide a sensory extravaganza.
The chef line-up includes:
Chef Xinh Dwelley, Xinh’s Clam & Oyster House, Shelton, WA
Chef Peter Stefani, The Island Room Restaurant, Cedar Key, FL
Chef Cal Berry, Berry’s Catering & Floral, Augusta, GA
Chef Peter Kornack, T. W. Graham & Co., McClellanville, SC
Chef Jeff Cincotta, Charles River Country Club, Newton Centre, MA
Chef Joe Elliott, Providence Westin, Providence, RI
Chef William P. Edmondson III, Aqua Bay Creek Resort and Club, Cape Charles, VA
Chef/Owner Peter Hoffman, Savoy and Back Forty Restaurants, New York, NY
Chef Philip Cragg, Academy of Culinary Arts, Mays Landing, NJ
Clams were provided by:
Taylor Shellfish Farms, Inc., Shelton, WA
University of Florida, Shellfish Aquaculture Extension Program, Cedar Key, FL
Sapelo Seafarms, Townsend, GA
Savannah Clam Company, Savannah, GA
Livingston’s Bulls Bay Seafood, McClellanville,
Low Country Seafood, McClellanville, SC
Wellfleet Shellfish Co., South Wellfleet, MA
Cherrystone Aqua-Farms, Cheriton, VA
F.M. Flowers, Oyster Bay, Long Island, NY
Intracoastal Aquaculture, Tuckerton, NJ
Event sponsors included:
East Coast Shellfish Growers Association
Pacific Coast Shellfish Growers Association
University of Georgia Marine Extension Service
University of Georgia Sea Grant Marine Advisory Services
South Carolina Seafood Alliance
Ron Crumb, Cherrystone Aquafarms
University of Florida: Sensory Profiling
Florida Growers Association
ReClam the Bay, Inc.
NJ Aquaculture Association
Cal Berry
Rob Triangle Ice
Bob & Judy Williams
Anna Boyette
Rebecca Taylor
National Shellfish Association
Sandra Shumway
Walker Bros.
Pete Terry
John Manzi