2 Baldwin County chefs selected to compete in 8th Annual Alabama Seafood Cook-Off

By MELANIE LECROY
Lifestyle Editor
melanie@gulfcoastmedia.com
Posted 6/2/23

ORANGE BEACH – The annual Alabama Seafood Cook-Off is quickly approaching, and Alabama Gulf Seafood announced today the four Alabama chef teams selected to compete June 12 at Zeke’s …

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2 Baldwin County chefs selected to compete in 8th Annual Alabama Seafood Cook-Off

Posted

ORANGE BEACH – The annual Alabama Seafood Cook-Off is quickly approaching, and Alabama Gulf Seafood announced today the four Alabama chef teams selected to compete June 12 at Zeke’s Restaurant in Orange Beach.

Two of the four chefs will be competing on their home turf: Lawrence Agnew, Jesse’s Restaurant group executive chef, and Brody Olive, executive chef at Perdido Beach Resort. Joining the local competitors are Sam Adams of Small Batch in Birmingham and Nicholas Song of The Depot in Auburn.

The four Alabama chefs will compete for the title of Alabama Seafood Cook-off Champion, $2,500 cash and the privilege of representing the state of Alabama at the 20th-Annual Great American Seafood Cook-Off, which will take place in New Orleans, Louisiana, in late summer.

“This year we not only saw the highest number of entries submitted to us in ASCO history but also the best and most solid options statewide. We were blown away by chefs’ creativity in presenting Alabama Gulf seafood through new and interesting recipe creations,” said Chef Jim Smith, owner and executive chef at Mobile’s The Hummingbird Way, board chairperson of the Alabama Seafood Marketing Commission and 2011 winner of both the Alabama Seafood Cook-Off and Great American Seafood Cook-Off. “We cannot wait to see our four finalists’ creations brought to life in June.”

To be considered, chefs from across the state submit a recipe including Alabama Gulf seafood as the featured ingredient. A panel of judges reviewed each chef’s recipe and selected participants based on location; one was selected from the north, central and Gulf regions in addition to a wild card. Other factors considered were creativity, composition and harmony of ingredients.

The competing chef recipe selections include:

Brody Olive – “Fishing on the Rocks, The Jetties at Perdido Pass, gaff-top catfish over scrub oak coal, flash-fried mole crabs and Gulf shrimp horseradish cream, pickled purslane and smoked paprika coral tuile.

Lawrence Agnew – Charcoal grilled dry aged swordfish chop, magnolia glazed Bayou Cora “nixtamalized” hominy and local summer vegetables, blue crab stuffed heirloom tomato, bourride butter.

Nicholas Son – Alabama jumbo lump crab cake, heirloom tomato miso dashi, Meyer lemon quick pickled cucumber and Alabama royal red shrimp salad, local corn, chili and cotija “esquites” aioli.

Sam Adams – “Mediterranean Summer Meets Birmingham,” seared Gulf red snapper over Gulf crab salad, with boiled peanut hummus, cornmeal fried squash, fried capers, saffron beurre l’orange and herb salad.

For the past two years, the Alabama Seafood Cook-Off has held its annual competition at The Lodge at Gulf State Park. This year, the competition has found a new beach location in Zeke’s Landing & Marina and will fire up Monday, June 12, at 6 p.m.

Chef teams will have one hour to prepare their dishes and then present them to a panel of experienced industry judges comprised of chefs Jim Smith, Jeffrey Compton; Chris Nelson, president of Bon Secour Fisheries Inc.; and Susan Benton, food writer and founder of GulfCoastRestaurants.com and 30AEats.com.

The competition is open to the public, and there is no cost for entry. Guests will enjoy live music, free oyster tastings from Murder Point Oysters and a live cooking competition as the sun sets.

For more information on the Alabama Seafood Cook-Off, visit eatalabamaseafood.com.