2 Orange Beach chefs chosen to compete in 9th Annual Alabama Seafood Cook-Off

Summer Poole
·2 min read

ORANGE BEACH, Ala. (WKRG) — Alabama Gulf Seafood selected two Orange Beach chefs to compete in the 9th Annual Alabama Seafood Cook-Off, according to the Alabama Seafood Marketing Commission.

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Villaggio Grille’s Chef Laurence Agnew and Coastal Orange Beach’s Chef Emilio Urban were the two Orange Beach chefs selected, according to a release from the ASMC.

Two other Alabama chefs, Chef Robbie Nicolaisen from The Hound in Auburn; and Chef Kyle Ogden from Odette in Florence, will also compete in the ASCO on May 6 at The Wharf.

Chefs across the state submitted a recipe with Alabama Gulf Seafood as the featured ingredient. Each recipe was made anonymous and an “expert panel” of judges reviewed and selected participants, the release said.

The competing chef recipe selections include:

  • Chef Laurence Agnew – “King Billy Whelkomes You:” Charcoal Alabama croaker “On the half shell,” Gulf whelk & Admiral Oyster stew with blue crab fat croutons, fennel, celery & purple deadnettle Italian salsa verde

  • Chef Robbie Nicolaisen – Charcoal’d triggerfish, blue crab & Conecuh sausage spoon-bread, dressed sea beans, burnt lemon & “she crab” beurre blanc

  • Chef Kyle Ogden – “Spring Tide:” Featuring pompano filet, crab and shrimp mousse, focaccia stuffing, arugula pesto, gai lan agrodolce and Fresno chili emulsion and more

  • Chef Emilio Urban – “Fruits of the Gulf:” Spiced Gulf shrimp, pickled cucumbers, hibiscus fumet foam, roasted yellow pepper beurre blanc, garnished with black bean crunch and Spanish mackerel floss, mackerel chicharron

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The event will last two days in order to “foster enhanced connection among longtime industry professionals, members of the ASMC and Alabama chefs,” the release said.

Events will begin on Sunday with a Gulf seafood-centered welcome dinner prepared by Executive Chef Brody Olive who previously won the statewide competition and the national competition.

On Monday, May 6, the day will begin with a tour of the Clause Peteet Mariculture Center, which is the production and restocking site for thousands of fisheries and place of study and research for select Gulf species, according to the release.

The competition will be held in the Marlin Circle at The Wharf starting at 6 p.m. Monday. The chef and their team will have one hour to prepare their dishes and then present them to a panel of industry judges including:

  • Chef Jim Smith – Owner and executive chef at Mobile’s The Hummingbird Way, board chairman of the ASMC and 2011 winner of the ASCO and national seafood cook-off

  • Chef Brody Oliver – Executive chef at Voyagers and 2023 winner of ASCO and the national cook-off

  • Arwen Rice – Executive chef at Red or White in Mobile

  • Bob Carlton – Veteran food writer at AL.com.

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The competition is open to the public and is free to attend. There will be live music and a cash bar.

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