Southern boys simply own the Great American Seafood Cook-Off, held in New Orleans each August. In the contest’s eight years, all of the winners have represented states south of the Mason-Dixon Line: two from Louisiana, two from Florida, and one each from Texas, Georgia, Mississippi and now Alabama. Chef Jim Smith is the latest Southerner to take the crown, edging out 13 competitors. He did so on the strength of his winning dish, Late Summer Alabama Bounty, which featured sous vide shrimp and marinated crab with garam masala, scented yellow squash purée, farmer’s market lady peas, bacon-peach relish and Spanish basil oil.
Smith, 33, hails from Troy, Ala., not far from Montgomery, and is the executive chef of the Alabama governor’s mansion, serving lunch and dinner to Gov. Robert Bentley and his family. But his job is to be more than a personal chef. As the official ambassador for Alabama food, Smith takes any opportunity to promote local producers and he is always ready for events the governor needs food for, whether it’s cupcakes for a birthday, hors d’oeuvres for 200 people or dinner for visiting dignitaries.
Click here to read the Q&A with Smith, which appeared in the October issue of SeaFood Business magazine.
