A Sitka chef representing Alaska in a national seafood competition will be transporting the key ingredient \u2014 a white king salmon \u2014 in a violin case.<\/p>\n
\u201cI have a violin case that will fit the salmon perfectly,\u201d said Colette Nelson, owner and executive chef of Ludwig\u2019s Bistro.<\/p>\n
She\u2019s headed to New Orleans next week for the Great American Seafood Cook-Off. The whole salmon went directly into the deep freezer after it was caught earlier this month.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m going to hold that fish with me. I\u2019m not going to let somebody put it under the plane because that\u2019s our gold,\u201d Nelson said.<\/p>\n
On Aug. 6, Nelson will compete against 10 other chefs from Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Mississippi, Oregon, South Carolina, Texas and Utah. The cook-off, run by the Louisiana Seafood Promotion and Marketing Board, focuses on domestic, sustainable seafood and local ingredients.<\/p>\n
After getting a call that she was chosen by Gov. Bill Walker to represent Alaska at the cook-off, she instantly knew she wanted to cook salmon.<\/p>\n
Nelson contacted a troller she used to commercial fish with when she was in college, Lou Barr out of Auke Bay.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe\u2019s always been a great supporter of mine. I said, \u2018I need you to catch me a white king salmon for the competition during the opener,\u2019\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
And he did. He caught the fish south of Sitka on July 4.<\/p>\n
Nelson wouldn\u2019t give a full description of her competing dish \u2014 she\u2019d like to maintain some sense of surprise \u2014 but she revealed a few hints.<\/p>\n
She\u2019s going with a Spanish theme, which her business is known for. Ludvig\u2019s Bistro is a seafood restaurant that specializes in Mediterranean flavors.<\/p>\n
\u201cFor me this experience is not only about representing Alaska, but it\u2019s about what Alaska has given to me,\u201d Nelson explained. \u201cI came here to fish in college so that I could study abroad in Spain. I did that and had a great time fishing. I fished for three seasons, then went to Spain and fell in love with the cuisine and with Mediterranean food as a whole. So to go to this competition 25 years later after being in both the seafood industry and the restaurant business \u2014 it feels complete to go there with Spanish ideas.\u201d<\/p>\n
That includes incorporating saffron, Marcona almonds and roasted red bell peppers, she said.<\/p>\n
Nelson has a reputation to uphold at the annual competition; Alaska won it last year. Juneau chef Beau Schooler was crowned Best Seafood Chef with a dish that featured sockeye salmon, which \u2014 while it is also a salmon \u2014 is a different fish, Nelson said.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhite king salmon is just so flavorful and tender and juicy,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n