A Thibodaux volunteer firefighter and accomplished chef has another crown to add to his collection.
Nathan Richard was crowned as the 2019 King of American Seafood after winning the Great American Seafood Cook-Off on Saturday in New Orleans.
Richard, a veteran firefighter and executive chef of DTB (Down the Bayou) restaurant in New Orleans, earned the title of "King of Louisiana Seafood" during a statewide cooking competition earlier this year with his crawfish and goat cheese king cake with cream cheese pepper jelly, crab fat, sugar and Cajun caviar.
It was that same dish that beat out 16 of the nation's best seafood chefs Saturday. Richard's culinary creation won over a panel of nationally acclaimed judges by showcasing the seafood that comes from Louisiana's shorelines and waterways.
Lt. Gov. Billy Nungesser, along with the Louisiana Seafood Promotion and Marketing Board, crowned Richard after he won the competition, which marked the fourth time in 16 years a Louisiana chef has taken home the title.
"I couldn't believe it with the level of competition we had here today," Richard said. "At this level, you never know what people are going to bring to the table. We brought our 'A' game for sure. I couldn't be more proud to represent Louisiana as the 2019 King of Louisiana Seafood and now the 2019 King of American Seafood. I look forward to being able to promote and showcase the incredible seafood we have right off our coast in the Gulf of Mexico."
Nungesser said the national competition helped showcase some of the food the Gulf has to offer.
"We enjoy hosting the best chefs in the country to battle for the coveted title of King or Queen of American Seafood," Nungesser said. "Our congratulations to Louisiana's own King of Seafood Chef Nathan Richard from for beating out a tough lineup of competitors to take home the crown 2019 King of American Seafood. Beyond naming the best seafood chef in America, we also get to show off the exceptional quality of Gulf seafood and encourage the competitors to continue or start featuring our products in their restaurants. It truly is a wonderful opportunity to further showcase to the nation all the things in Louisiana that will feed your soul."
Richard, who's served with the Thibodaux Volunteer Fire Department for 19 years, said he thought outside the box to create a king cake that captures the essence of Louisiana cuisine.
"It's a savory king cake," the 37-year-old said in previous interview. "As a chef you have to keep pushing that envelope, and that's what I did. We've been serving this dish for about two years at the restaurant. It's popular around Mardi Gras time. It's our play on the king cake. It's not your your mom n'em's king cake."
Colorado chef Jorel Pierce came in second place with his mountain trout, and Peter Duenas, of Guam, placed third in the competition with his prawn has-topped Napoleon wrasse.
New Orleans has hosted the Great American Seafood Cook-Off since 2004. The competition promotes sustainable and domestic fisheries.
--Staff Writer Dan Copp can be reached at 446-7639 or at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @DanVCopp.
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