NEW ORLEANS (Aug. 5) – Chef Lionel Uddipa representing the state of Alaska and SALT Restaurant in Juneau, has been crowned the King of American Seafood at the 14th annual Great American Seafood Cook-Off, held in New Orleans.

To earn the crown, Chef Uddipa and his sous chef Jacob Pickard prepared Sea Asparagus Risotto with Alaskan King Crab, knocking out 12 of the nation’s best chefs by showing his creativity and craftsmanship in highlighting the superior quality of domestic seafood.

Louisiana Lt. Gov. Billy Nungesser and the Louisiana Seafood Promotion and Marketing Board presented the crown. “This year’s competition was one of the toughest yet, and I want to congratulate all of today’s competitors for presenting exceptional dishes, and to Chef Uddipa for truly showcasing why domestic seafood is one of the most flavorful and healthy ways to enjoy a meal,” said Lt. Gov. Billy Nungesser. “I hope you wear this crown with great pride and accomplishment Chef Uddipa – it’s well deserved.”

During the grueling culinary face-off, each chef prepared a dish that best promoted the use of domestic seafood while interacting with a live audience, celebrity hosts and the “chef refs”. Each dish was scrutinized by a notable national panel of judges, who scored based on presentation, creativity, composition, craftsmanship and flavor.

Chef Kyle McClelland, representing Massachusetts, was named runner up of today’s culinary competition with his dish of Modern New England Clambake with Gloucester Lobster and Corn Puree. Closely behind was Chef Marc Quinones, representing New Mexico, with his Spiced Duck Fat Fried Oysters with Hatch Green Chile and Chorizo BBQ Spread.

For more competition highlights and to view competitors’ recipes, visit http://www.greatamericanseafoodcookoff.com/

(Photo by Ann Maloney, NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune)