Chef John Varanese's winning recipe

 

Chef John Varanese of Varanese Restaurant in Louisville earned the grand prize of the 2009 Great Kentucky Seafood Cook Off and will represent Kentucky at the Great American Seafood Cook Off in July in New Orleans.

 

 

Kentucky-grown paddlefish stuffed with Kentucky freshwater prawn, served over roated pablano

 

Serves 4

 

4 6-ounce. paddlefish filets

½ pound Kentucky shrimp, chopped

¼ c. onion, diced

¼ c. celery, diced

¼ c. chicken stock

2 ounces white queso, shredded

2 c. French baquette, diced

              salt and pepper to taste

Garnish

Cilantro sprigs

Fried tortilla strips

 

In a skillet add 2 ounces oil and heat, add the onion and celery, and cook until translucent. Then add the shrimp and cook until cooked through. Add the bread and enough chicken stock until moist. Mix in the cheese and season to taste. Let cool. Place about 2 ounces of stuffing on each paddlefish filet. Roll the fish into a log shape and truss with butcher’s twine. Dredge with seasoned flour and sauté in skillet until browned on all sides. Place in 400-degree oven for about 10 minutes or until the center is warm. Cut  the string and slice. Serve over risotto and top with cilantro and chipotle sour cream.  Garnish with fried tortilla strips

 

Tomato risotto topped with cilantro and chipotle sour cream

 

2 c. Aborio rice

3 c. water

1 c. tomato sauce

½ c. onion, diced

1 Pablano pepper, roasted, seeded and diced

1 tomato, diced

              Cumin, chili powder salt and pepper to taste

 

Bring the liquid to a simmer. In a large pan, heat 2 ounces. of oil, sauté the onion, then add rice and  slightly brown. Add 1/3 of liquid, pepper and tomato, and simmer until liquid is dissolved. Repeat two more times until the liquid is dissolved.  Season with cumin, chili powder, salt and pepper.

 

Cilantro sour cream

½ c. sour cream

1 lime, squeezed

1tbspn. cilantro, chopped

 

Blend ingredients together. Salt and pepper to taste.

 

Chipotle sour cream

½ c. sour cream

½  lime, squeezed

½ tsp. chipotle, minced

 

Blend ingredients together. Salt and pepper to taste.

 

Chef John Varanese, second from right, of Varanese Restaurant in Louisville accepts the grand prize in the Great Kentucky Seafood Cook Off from Dan Moreland of the Kentucky Aquaculture Association, second from left; Dr. Jim Tidwell of Kentucky State University, and Angela Caporelli, the Kentucky Department of Agriculture's aquaculture marketing specialist, June 8 in Louisville. Chef Varanese will represent Kentucky in the Great American Seafood Cook Off in July in New Orleans.