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FRANKFORT, Ky. — Chef Jay Denham of Louisville will represent Kentucky in the third annual Great American Seafood Cook Off Sunday, Aug. 6, in New Orleans.
Denham, who works for the upscale Park Place on Main restaurant and Browning’s Restaurant and Brewery in downtown Louisville, was chosen over three other Kentucky chefs to represent the Bluegrass State. Denham won an expense-paid trip, courtesy of the Kentucky Aquaculture Association, to the national competition, which will be held at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center. It will be televised on the Food Network.
“I want to congratulate Jay and wish him the best of luck representing the Commonwealth and our growing aquaculture industry,” Kentucky Agriculture Commissioner Richie Farmer said.
Members of the Kentucky Department of Agriculture and the aquaculture association reviewed the recipe entries and chose Denham’s winning entrée – pan-seared striped bass, trout gougeonettes and freshwater prawn fritters with tomato vinaigrette and crispy pork belly. It edged out Kentucky trout roulade, made by chef Joe Milanich of Acres of Land Winery and Restaurant in Richmond. “It was really a tough decision,” said Angela Caporelli, the KDA’s aquaculture marketing specialist.
Denham will try to dethrone the current American Seafood Cook Off champion, Brennan’s of Houston chef Randy Evans. His winning entrée last year was wild-caught Texas shrimp with biscuits and gravy.
For the state competition at Kentucky State University, Caporelli organized a focus group consisting of chefs, restaurateurs and seafood wholesalers/retailers. She said she gained “priceless” input assessing the marketing potential of hybrid striped bass, largemouth bass and paddlefish raised on Kentucky fish farms.
“The chefs gave us a lot of feedback about the species they’re looking for and the price they’re willing to pay,” she said. “The KDA and the aquaculture association look forward to working with everybody to promote some of the finest products in the world grown right here in Kentucky.”
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