Great American Seafood Cookoff

Great American Seafood Cook-Off crown goes to Alabama chef

Saturday, August 06, 2011, 7:50 PM

By Laura McKnight, The Times-Picayune

Jim Smith's winning dish, 'Late Summer Alabama Bounty,' highlighted crabs and shrimp among various fresh vegetables and global flavors. These crabs were photographed at the Westwego Seafood Market in July 2010. Smith, executive chef of the Alabama Governor's Mansion, earned the crown with his dish "Late Summer Alabama Bounty," which highlighted Gulf of Mexico shrimp and crabs among various fresh vegetables and global flavors. "Gulf seafood is some of the best in the world," Smith said, adding that he is honored to represent all of American seafood as the reigning champion of this afternoon's cook-off. The eighth annual Cook-Off, held at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center, included renowned and up-and-coming chefs from across the country, representing states from Oregon to Kentucky to Maine. The chefs celebrate domestic, sustainable seafood by creating dishes with shrimp, fish and other creatures from their home states. "I have the best, freshest seafood available," Smith said. "The crabs were still alive and kicking when I put them in the pot." Chef Bud Gruninger of North Carolina earned second prize with a red drum dish, and Chef Scott Anderson of New Jersey garnered third place with a creation featuring New Jersey fluke. The event, part of the Louisiana Foodservice Expo, is sponsored by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and presented by the Louisiana Seafood Promotion and Marketing Board. One of today's judges, Chef Rick Moonen, a Las Vegas restaurateur and advocate for sustainable seafood, said Smith's dish managed to create intrigue while avoiding the common error of overwhelming the palate. "This dish was well-harmonized," Moonen said.