August 10, 2006
Florida Takes Top Honors At The Great American Seafood Cook-Off, Bronson Announces
Judges select “Fresh from Florida” entry as first-place winner in national competition
A recipe featuring some of Florida’s all-time favorites -- snapper, shrimp, tropical fruit and citrus -- won out over submissions by 20 other premier chefs from around the country to capture top honors at the Great American Seafood Cook-Off held August 6 in New Orleans.
Florida Governor Jeb Bush, Chef Joshua Butler, Chef Justin Timineri, and Florida Agriculture Commissioner Charles H. Bronson, celebrate Florida's top honors.
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FDACS Executive Chef Justin Timineri
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The winning entry
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Justin Timineri, executive chef for the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, prepared the winning entree during the competition with assistance from Joshua Butler, chef to the Governor of Florida.
Florida Agriculture Commissioner Charles H. Bronson said winning this prestigious national competition is a reflection on the freshness and quality of Florida ingredients, as well as the creativity of the department’s executive chef.
“Delicious fresh Florida seafood is a superb start to any dish,” Bronson said. “Add in our chef’s innovative culinary approach, and you’ve got a winning combination. We’re extremely pleased that the judges selected Florida’s entry over such tough competition from around the country.”
All the participating chefs were given two hours from preparation to the presentation of the final dish. Chef Justin Timineri's “Crispy Pan Seared Florida Snapper with Passion Fruit Cream and Florida Citrus Salad with Florida Gulf Shrimp and Spicy Green Mango Jam” was chosen by a panel of six judges as the best new domestic seafood dish that reflected the chef’s home state.
The panel of judges included two James Beard Award-winning chefs, Susan Spicer of Bayona Restaurant in New Orleans, and Shawn McClain of Spring Restaurant in Chicago. Rounding out the panel were: Donna Florio, senior food writer, Southern Living Magazine; Julia Rutland, senior editor, Coastal Living Magazine; Bill Hogarth, director, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration; and John Connelly, president, National Fisheries Institute.
Chef Justin Timineri was sponsored by the Gulf and South Atlantic Fisheries Foundation and the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services through its Bureau of Seafood and Aquaculture Marketing.
“Winning this cook-off is extremely exciting,” said Chef Timineri. “It was a team effort and I could not have done it without Josh.”
As executive chef, Timineri develops new ways to prepare meals using Florida ingredients. As part of the “Fresh from Florida” marketing campaign, Timineri conducts cooking demonstrations and other promotions to help increase consumer awareness of the variety and wholesomeness of Florida agricultural products.
In addition to Florida, the following states were represented at the Great American Seafood Cook-Off: Alabama, Alaska, California, Colorado, Delaware, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Texas and Washington.
The event, held at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center, was sponsored by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Fisheries, the Louisiana Seafood and Promotion and Marketing Board, Louisiana Restaurant Association, Budweiser, Tobasco, Shell, Southwest Cargo, Wild American Shrimp, TexaShrimp, Alaska Fisheries Development Foundation, Inc., Gulf & South Atlantic Fisheries Foundation, Inc., Seafood Business, National Marine Fisheries Institute, Maryland Seafood, and Loubat Food Service Equipment.
Previous winners are Chef Randy Evans of Brennan’s of Houston, who captured top honors in 2005 with his “Wild Caught Texas Shrimp with Biscuits and Gravy,” and Chef John Besh of Louisiana in 2004 with his “Pan Roasted Louisiana Blackfish with Corn, Crab and Caviar.”
Bio of Justin Timineri
Executive Chef
Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services
Justin Timineri has been cooking for as long as he can remember. Raised by a family of cooks, Justin loved being in the kitchen helping whenever he could. As he grew older, Justin realized cooking was more than just an interest or hobby -- it was something he wanted to do for the rest of his life. As soon as he was old enough to work, he started as a dishwasher at a local restaurant in Tallahassee, Florida, to get his foot in the door of the industry. From that point on, Justin continued to enjoy his passion and discover new opportunities in the restaurant and hospitality industry.
Over the years he has held a variety of jobs. He worked as a Sous Chef at Albert’s Provence in Tallahassee. From there he traveled around the country for four years as the event chef for NASCAR, PGA and the Kentucky Derby. Then the opportunity arose for him to become Executive Chef at Mozaik, a trendy upscale restaurant in Tallahassee. All his experiences have led him to his current position as Executive Chef for the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.
As Executive Chef for Department’s Division of Marketing and Development, Justin’s responsibilities include promoting all of Florida’s agricultural products, creating new recipes, attending trade events, performing cooking demonstrations and educating children on the value of health and nutrition in food.
Justin’s philosophy on food is a simple one: “Cooking should always be fun, simple, and flavorful.” He always keeps nutrition in mind and enjoys cooking with fresh foods that are harvested locally and regionally. With a range of talents from casual to fine dining, modern American to classic European, Justin can create a meal for anyone.
Crispy Pan Seared Florida Snapper with Passion Fruit Cream and Florida Citrus Salad with Florida Gulf Shrimp and Green Mango Jam
Crispy Pan Seared Florida Snapper
6 5-ounce filets fresh Florida snapper, skin on
1/2 cup cornstarch
1/2 cup canola oil
sea salt to taste
black pepper, fresh ground to taste
With a sharp knife score the skin of filets in a crosshatch pattern. Pat filets with paper towel until completely dry. Refrigerate until time to cook. Preheat large sauté pan on medium-high heat. Lightly dust the skin side of filets with corn starch and season with sea salt and fresh ground pepper to taste. Add oil to coat the bottom of the heated pan. Carefully lay the filets in the pan skin side down. Cook for 3 to 5 minutes on both sides until skin is crispy and filets are done. Cooking time will vary depending on thickness of filets. Keeping filets skin side up, transfer to platter. Keep warm.
Serves 6
Nutritional Value Per Serving
Calories 424, Calories From Fat 191, Total Fat 22g, Saturated Fat 2g, Trans Fatty Acid 0, Cholesterol 81mg, Total Carbohydrates 8g, Protein 45g, Omega 3 Fatty Acid 2.42g
Florida Passion Fruit Coconut Milk Sauce
2 ripe Florida passion fruit, scooped out with a spoon
1/2 cup mirin rice wine
1 tablespoon fresh ginger, peeled and chopped
1/2 teaspoon tumeric
1/4 cup dry white wine
2 cups whipping cream
3/4 cup unsweetened coconut milk
1/2 teaspoon Thai red curry paste
sea salt to taste
fresh ground pepper to taste
Place mirin rice wine, passion fruit, ginger and tumeric in heavy medium-sized saucepan. Boil approximately 6 minutes until reduced to 1/4 cup. Add white wine and boil approximately 6 minutes until reduced to 1/4 cup. Add cream and coconut milk and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium and simmer sauce approximately 12 minutes until slightly thickened, stirring occasionally. Stir in curry paste. Season the sauce to taste with sea salt and fresh ground pepper. Strain through a fine mesh sieve. Set aside.
Serves 6
Nutritional Value Per Serving
Calories 388, Calories From Fat 319, Total Fat 35g, Saturated Fat 24g, Trans Fatty Acid 0.88g, Cholesterol 109mg, Total Carbohydrates 11g, Protein 3g, Omega 3 Fatty Acid 0.43g
Florida Citrus and Shaved Fennel Salad
1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
black pepper, fresh ground to taste
sea salt to taste
1/4 cup virgin olive
3 Florida oranges
2 Florida grapefruit
2 bulbs of fennel, stalks removed
1/2 cup jicama, julienne
Whisk together vinegar, salt, and pepper in a large bowl. Add oil in a slow stream, whisking, until emulsified. Set aside. Peel oranges and grapefruit with a paring knife removing all white pith. Cut into sections, working over a bowl to reserve juice. Squeeze any remaining juice from membranes into a small bowl. Whisk 3 tablespoons of citrus juice into vinaigrette. Drain citrus segments, then add segments to vinaigrette. Quarter fennel bulbs lengthwise. With a mandoline slicer, cut fennel into paper-thin slices (about 1/16 inch thick). Add to citrus segments along with jicama and toss gently to combine. Set aside.
Serves 6
Nutritional Value Per Serving
Calories 168, Calories From Fat 88, Total Fat 10g, Saturated Fat 1g, Trans Fatty Acid 0, Cholesterol 0mg, Total Carbohydrates 21g, Protein 2g, Omega 3 Fatty Acid 0.08g
Florida Spicy Green Mango Jam
3 green Florida mangoes (unripe)
1/2 cup rice wine vinegar
1/3 cup sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons salt or to taste
1 1-inch piece fresh ginger root, peeled
1 fresh jalapeño chili, seeded and deveined
5 garlic cloves
1 teaspoon cumin, ground
1 teaspoon coriander seeds, ground
1/2 teaspoon turmeric, ground
1 3-inch cinnamon stick
2 whole cloves of star anise
2 tablespoons corn oil
2 tablespoons orange marmalade
Peel mangoes and cut into 1/2-inch cubes. Toss mangoes in a small bowl with vinegar, sugar, and salt. Set aside.
To make seasoning paste, cut ginger root into 4 pieces. Add ginger root, jalapeño, garlic, cumin, coriander and turmeric one at a time to a food processor with motor running and purée to a paste.
Heat a 4-quart heavy pot over moderately-low heat until hot. Cook seasoning paste, cinnamon stick, and star anise in oil for 10 minutes, or until very fragrant, stirring frequently. Stir in the mango mixture and marmalade. Simmer covered over low heat until mangoes are tender, about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove cinnamon stick and star anise and cool jam completely. Set aside.
Nutritional Value Per Serving
Calories 154, Calories From Fat 45, Total Fat 5g, Saturated Fat 0.68g, Trans Fatty Acid 0.07g, Cholesterol 0mg, Total Carbohydrates 29g, Protein 1g, Omega 3 Fatty Acid 0.04g
Sautéed Florida Gulf Shrimp with Green Mango Jam
2 pounds Fresh Florida Gulf Shrimp, peeled and deveined, tail on
1/4 cup canola oil
sea salt to taste
black pepper, fresh ground, to taste
Preheat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add oil to hot pan and carefully add shrimp. Sauté shrimp until pink and just done. Add salt and pepper to taste. Place cooked shrimp on plate and serve with Florida green Mango Jam.
Serves 6
Nutritional Value Per Serving
Calories 243, Calories From Fat 106, Total Fat 12g, Saturated Fat 1g, Trans Fatty Acid 0, Cholesterol 230mg, Total Carbohydrates 1g, Protein 31g, Omega 3 Fatty Acid 1.61g
To Serve: Spoon 3 tablespoons of Passion Fruit Coconut Sauce onto each serving plate, top with 1/2 cup Citrus Fennel Salad. Place one seared snapper filet on fennel salad, spoon on 2 tablespoons Green Mango Jam and top with two sautéed gulf shrimp.
Note: The Passion Fruit Coconut Milk Sauce, Citrus Fennel Salad and the Green Mango Jam may be made ahead of time.
For more information:
Terence McElroy
(850) 488-3022
mcelrot@doacs.state.fl.us
