In 1948, a group of folks involved in the broiler-fryer poultry industry on the Delaware-Maryland-Virginia peninsula— that’s DelMarVa, to locals—organized the first DelMarVa Chicken Festival. The festival includes a variety of activities such as a parade, craft exhibition, trade show, and carnival.  One highlight is ‘Chicken Capers,’ a fun series of competitive games.

In 1950, Mumford Sheet Metal Works in Selbyville, Del., designed and manufactured what was at that time the world’s largest frying pan. After 38 years of use, cooking well over 100 tons of chicken, the original pan was retired and was replaced with a newer version which made its first appearance at the 40th Chicken Festival. Like the original pan, the new one measures 10 feet in diameter, holds 160 gallons of oil, and can cook 800 chicken quarters at one time.

Now a tradition on the Peninsula, the festival continues to generate widespread publicity on chicken and its homeland, the Eastern Shore.

Though the festival is typically held in June, these two recipes are more suited for our recent Florida “cool wave”: the first is a chowder perfect for nippy fall evenings; the other, a warming entree that embodies the flavors of autumn.

DelMarVa Chicken Corn Chowder

2 cups diced cooked chicken
3 strips bacon, diced
1/2 cup diced celery
1/2 cup diced onion
1/2 cup diced carrot
3 tablespoons flour
4 cups chicken stock, heated
2 cups peeled, diced potatoes
2 cups cream-style corn
1 cup corn kernels (fresh or frozen)
1/2 teaspoon poultry seasoning
1 cup heavy cream
salt & pepper to taste

Preparation: 

In a large soup pot, place bacon and cook over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until crisp. Pour off excess fat. Add celery, onion, and carrot and cook, stirring frequently, until vegetables are tender. Stir in flour; cook 2 to 3 minutes. Slowly add stock, wisking and scraping sides of pan. Add chicken, potatoes, corn and poultry seasoning and cook about 10 minutes or until potatoes are tender.  Stir in cream; heat 3 to 4 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serves 6-8.


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Apple Curry Chicken

4 boneless , skinless chicken breast
1 1/2teaspoons curry powder, divided
1/4teaspoon salt
4 teaspoons vegetable oil, divided
1 Golden Delicious apple, peeled,
1/3 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup mango chutney, chopped
1/3cup water

With meat mallet or similar utensil, pound chicken to 1/4-inch thickness; sprinkle chicken with half of curry powder and salt. In nonstick frypan, place 2 teaspoons oil and heat to medium-high temperature. Add chicken and cook, turning, 8 to 10 minutes or until chicken is brown and fork tender. Remove chicken to platter; keep warm. To same frypan, add remaining 2 teaspoons oil and heat to medium-high temperature. Add apple and onion and cook, stirring, 2 to 3 minutes or until apple and onion are almost tender. Stir in chutney, water, and remaining curry; heat to boiling and boil 1 minute to thicken slightly. Spoon over chicken. Serve with hot cooked couscous or rice. Serves 4.