While she didn’t win the title, Homer Chef Mandy Dixon said competing in the Great American Seafood Cook-off in New Orleans was a great experience.

The cooking competition was Saturday.

“We had an amazing time in New Orleans for the Great American Seafood Cook-off. Even though we did not place in the top three, we felt our dish was cooked perfectly, plated nicely and represented Alaska seafood well. We had positive feedback from the judges, who said we had one of the best dishes there. We enjoyed meeting all of the other chefs and everyone involved with the Cook-off,” said Dixon, owner and chef of La Baleine Café on the Homer Spit.

Dixon’s dish was fresh ramen noodles and broth with vegetables, smoked salmon, salmon bacon, pan-seared sockeye salmon, spot shrimp, alder-smoked sablefish and a king crab beignet on the side with an herb salad. 

Florida chef Terry White won the cooking competition  with his country ham-crusted Gulf cobia with spiny lobster gyoza, caramelized baby bok choi and a Florida orange and saffron emulsion. Coming in second place was chef Larry Delgado of Texas with his Texas Two-Step. Louisiana chef Aaron Burgau took third with his sauteed grouper, grilled Gulf shrimp, sweet corn sabayon, charred okra and smoked Creole vinaigrette.