After an unexpected year off in 2020, the Alabama Seafood Cook-Off (ASCO) is back for the 6^th annual culinary competition. And we’re looking for a few good chefs to help us make this year’s event the best one yet.

The 2021 Alabama Seafood Cook-Off will take place June 21 at The Lodge at Gulf State Park in Gulf Shores, where four chosen chefs will cook up seafood dishes with local product in hopes of taking home the crown.

If you’re an Alabama chef and you’d like to be considered for this year’s ASCO, the registration form is now live. Forms and recipes must be submitted no later than May 12. We will be announcing our four finalists no later than May 20.

As in previous years, each dish will be judged based on five different categories, each worth up to 20 points out of a total of 100 points:

• Presentation, General Impression, and Serving Methods
• Creativity and Practicality
• Composition and Harmony of Ingredients
• Correct Preparation and Craftsmanship
• Flavor, Taste, and Texture

These five categories are the same criteria used in the Great American Seafood Cook-Off (GASCO) in New Orleans, LA, which our winning chef will be participating in. It’s been a full decade since Alabama’s last GASCO winner—Chef Jim Smith in 2011—so this year’s ASCO winner will have their work cut out for them.

Additionally, this year’s ASCO judges will all be previous GASCO competitors in order to prepare our contestants for the GASCO as much as we can.

This year’s Alabama Seafood Cook-Off will be open to the public, so make your plans to join us at the swankiest hotel in Gulf Shores in June. And if you’re a chef interested in competing, make sure you fill out our registration form by May 12!