NJ TOP SEAFOOD CHEF READIES BEST OF JERSEY DISH FOR NATIONAL SEAFOOD COMPETITION
Secretary Fisher Serves as Taste Tester During Practice Run
For Immediate Release: July 27, 2015
Contact: Lynne Richmond听听听听听听听听听听听听
(609) 633-2954听听听
lynne.richmond@ag.state.nj.us听
(TRENTON) 鈥� New Jersey Secretary of Agriculture Douglas H. Fisher today taste-tested 听Barnegat Light Scallops, Creamless Creamed Corn and Jersey Chantarelles, which the state鈥檚 top seafood chef Bryan Gregg will prepare as New Jersey鈥檚 entry in the Great American Seafood Cook Off in New Orleans, LA on August 8.
Gregg of Escape in Montclair today practiced preparing their entr茅e that won them first place in the Department of Agriculture鈥檚 Jersey Seafood Challenge in Barnegat Light on June 25.听 The practice session was held at New Jersey Restaurant and Hospitality Association (NJRHA) Headquarters in Trenton for Secretary Fisher and a group of restaurant industry experts, who gave Gregg tips designed to help him at the Great American Seafood Cook Off.
鈥淣ew Jersey has a vibrant commercial fishing industry and scallops are among its most valuable catch,鈥� said Secretary Fisher.听 鈥淲e are confident that Chef Gregg鈥檚 dish will highlight the amazing flavor and high quality of Jersey scallops, representing the Garden State proudly at the national competition.鈥�
Chef Gregg discusses his dish with Secretary Fisher and other tasters
鈥淚t's always nice to get a chance to show people what we can do, especially on a grand stage,鈥� said Chef Gregg.听 鈥淭he best way to describe what we are going to do with our seafood is minimal. 听We are going to keep our flavors clean and recognizable and听let our produce and, ultimately our seafood, speak for itself.鈥�
Gregg competed against seven other premier seafood chefs from around the state in the Jersey Seafood Challenge at Viking Village, a main sponsor of the competition. 听His New Jersey Scallop BLT was inspired by classic New Jersey diner food.听 One judge at the competition called the dish 鈥渁we-inspiring鈥� in an Asbury Park Press interview.
Chef Gregg is a graduate of the Pennsylvania Institute of Culinary Arts.听 He worked at some of the most highly regarded restaurants in New York and New Jersey, such as Ho-Ho-Kus Inn and Michael Anthony鈥檚, before bringing the farm-to-table experience to Essex County, NJ, with Escape in Montclair. 听He recently was the featured chef at the James Beard House in Manhattan.
The Jersey Seafood Challenge was sponsored by: Viking Village, New Jersey Restaurant Association, Garden State Seafood Association, New Jersey Chapters of the American Culinary Federation, and Lund鈥檚 Fisheries.
At the Great American Seafood Cook-off, Chef Gregg will compete against chefs from Alabama, Alaska, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Maine, Mississippi, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Carolina and Texas. The champion will be named America鈥檚 Best Seafood Chef.听The cook-off is part of the Louisiana Foodservice Expo.听
New Jersey fishermen land more than 100 varieties of finfish and shellfish.听New Jersey鈥檚 commercial fisherman caught 120 million pounds of seafood in 2013 valued at $133 million. The most valuable fisheries in 2013 were sea scallops ($65.3 million), ocean quahog ($12 million), surf clams ($10.9 million), and blue crabs ($8.1 million), according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).
For more information about New Jersey seafood, visit the Jersey Seafood website at .听听
