by Sara Ann Harris Louisiana Seafood Board (NAPSA)—Executive Chef John Besh invites you to dine on Pan Roasted Tripletail topped with a Crab-Corn Saut and Caviar. It’s the exquisite coastal fish dish that qualified Chef Besh as America’s Seafood King at a recent national cookoff. Reporters asked the king why his dishes taste so good. The European-trained chef, father of four, said, “Well, I know where that crab camefrom. I know who caught that fish, who grew that corn.” The native Louisianian now runs Restaurant August in New Orleans. “As a whole, I believe what makes a great cuisine is not flying things in from around the world, but using our own natural resources.” And that wasthe criterion for the Great American Seafood Cook Off: celebrate domestic seafood. At the contest, Besh was among culinary royalty. Governors of almost every coastal state appointed their most distinguished chefs to the event. Blue bloods of the kitchen flew into New Orleans from Alabama, Alaska, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Maine, Maryland, Mississippi, New Jersey, North Carolina, Oregon, South Carolina and Texas. And each of their remarkable entries featured American seafood, exclusively. “We want people to really think about their seafood,” Besh said, “about where it comes from. Events like this raise their awareness.” So treat your loved ones to the best homegrown, wild, American seafood. Everyone deserves to eat like a king. ~ a) Pan Roasted Tripletail topped with a Crab-Corn Saut and Caviar Roasted Fish 1 cup Parmesan cheese 1 cup flour 6 4-oz. tripletail fillets, skin on, scored sea salt to taste 1 tsp. fresh squeezed lemon juice 2 Thsp. extra virgin olive oil Mix Parmesan cheese and flour in small bowl. Season fillets with salt and touch of lemon juice. Dredge fish in cheese mix. In heavy saut pan, over medium flame, heat olive oil. Place fish, skin down, in pan. Allow to cook for four minutes or about 70 percent. Turn fish over and cook flesh side two minutes. Remove fish from pan and place on paper towels in warm place. Crab-Corn Saut 6 ears fresh baby corn, blanchedand sliced into rounds 144 Ibs. Louisiana jumbo lump crabmeat 2 Tbsp. unsalted butter 1 tsp. lemon juice 1 dash Tabasco sea salt to taste In small saut pan over medium high heat, saut corn rounds with crab and butter until hot. Season with lemon juice, Tabasco andsalt. Remove from heat and reserve for a moment. Garnish tsp. minced chives tsp. chive blossoms sprigs fresh-picked dill sprigs fresh-picked chervil 6 tsp. Louisiana caviar 1 1 6 6 Place fish in shallow bowl. Spoon crab-corn saut over the fish. With two demitasse spoons, form the caviar into quenelle shapes and place on top. Lightly garnish with chives, chive blossoms, dill and chervil. Serves6. For the full effect, include Silver Queen Corn Pudding and Silver Queen Foam as described at the cook off Web site below. For recipes from all of the country’s best coastal seafood chefs, log on to www.GreatAmeri canSeafoodCookoff.com.
