EATYALL Chef Camp has united chefs with fishermen, shrimpers, oyster farmers, local officials, and seafood experts over their shared love of the fragrant, flavorful seafood of Alabama. And what better way to wrap up this Chef Camp series than holding court with seafood royalty, so to speak?
Today’s episode, the fourth and final installment from EATYALL Chef Camp, features two of Alabama’s best: chefs Jim Smith and Scott Simpson. After winning the Alabama Seafood Cook-off, both represented the state in The Great American Seafood Cook-Off, with Scott competing in 2021 and Jim winning it all in 2011. Hear their musings about seafood and Chef Camp, and read on for a recipe you’ll want to try for the holidays - or any day!
Seafood Rewards Beyond The Awards
The Road To Seafood Cook-Off Glory. Both chefs fell in love with seafood early on, and their stories inform not just their life’s work, but also the award-winning dishes they have served. Take a peek into their career paths before and after their cook-off competitions - from serving state governors to finding joy in training a new batch of passionate chefs.
The People And Pride Behind Alabama Seafood. Jim and Scott share their takeaways from EATYALL Chef Camp, sharing their utmost respect for the Alabaman men and women who have harvested seafood for generations, and explaining why it matters where your ingredients come from.
A Dish Served By Many Hands. As Chef Camp wraps, Jim and Scott tell Andy about the value of meeting other seafood professionals - seeing the excitement on their faces when preparing a dish from the seafood they provided. As Scott says, you’re thinking of the person behind the product; learn why that is the right mindset for restaurants and their patrons.
The future is very bright for Alabama’s seafood industry from what Jim and Scott saw and tasted at EATYALL Chef Camp. Although this episode wraps up the seafood series, here’s a parting gift for you: Jim’s recipe for oyster dressing provided below! Bring a little homegrown Alabama flavor to your holidays, and check back with EATYALL for the next great sustainable food story.
Chef Jim Smith’s Oyster Dressing Recipe
Cornbread
4 eggs
2 cups buttermilk
1 cup whole milk
¼ cup melted butter, at room temperature
3½ cups fresh cornmeal, sifted
½ cup all-purpose flour, sifted
4 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons salt
Dressing
Vegetable oil
½ pound (2 cups) Conecuh sausage, diced fine
Cajun mirepoix, diced fine (1 medium onion, 1 medium green bell pepper and 2 ribs of celery)
8 cups crumbled cornbread (The cornbread recipe above yields 12 cups.)
2 tablespoons melted fat, melted (bacon, duck, butter or shortening)
2 eggs, lightly beaten
2¼ cups chicken stock
2 tablespoons picked fresh thyme, stems removed
2 tablespoons chopped flat leaf parsley
24 shelled oysters, liquor reserved
¼ cup reserved oyster liquor
Salt and black pepper to taste
Today’s Guests
Chef Jim Smith - www.thehummingbirdway.com
Currently the Founder and Executive Chef of The Hummingbird Way oyster bar in Mobile, Alabama, Jim Smith also serves as the Executive Chef of the state of Alabama, and Chairman of the Alabama Seafood Marketing Commission. In addition to winning the Great American Seafood Competition in 2011, Jim appeared in seasons 14 and 16 of Top Chef, and takes pride in making The Hummingbird Way a positive place for young chefs to work and grow.
Chef Scott Simpson - www.allaboardauburn.com
Fresh off his appearance representing Alabama in the Great American Seafood Competition 2021, Scott Simpson is the Co-Owner and Executive Chef of The Depot, an award-winning seafood brasserie in Auburn, Alabama. Having curated an exciting, ever-changing, competitive menu, Scott is equally driven to recognize the potential in young chefs - and mentoring them to reach it.
Show Sponsors:
Alabama Gulf Seafood
https://eatalabamaseafood.com
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/alseafood
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/AlabamaSeafood
Gulf Shores and Orange Beach Tourism
https://www.gulfshores.com
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/VisitALBeaches
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/GulfShoresOrangeBeachTourism
Connect With Our Guests:
Chef Jim Smith
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/chef_jim_smith/
The Hummingbird Way
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/thehummingbirdway/
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/The-Hummingbird-Way-114676413244492/
Chef Scott Simpson
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/blackbeltkitchen
The Depot
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/theauburndepot
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/AuburnDepot
Connect With EATYALL:
https://eatyall.com
Instagram - https://instagram.com/letseatyall
Facebook - https://facebook.com/letseatyall
Twitter - https://twitter.com/letseatyall
LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/letseatyall
YouTube - https://youtube.com/letseatyall
Show Credits:
Hosts are Andy & Marianna Chapman
Graphic Design by Tyler Castleman
Production provided by Bryan Murphy
Copywriting by Sean Sousa
The EATYALL Podcast is hosted by Andy Chapman, CEO and founder of EATYALL. EATYALL serves the food and farm community with effective chef outreach services.
27 - Kenny Mattingly from Kenny's Farmhouse Cheese in Austin, KY
26 - Chef Amy Sins on Finding Success Outside of the Traditional Restaurant Model
25 - Chef Levon Wallace on How to Create Transformative Relationships with Farmers
24 - Sid Miller & Wesley Ward in New Delhi, India
23 - Arjun Datta, COO at the International Institute of Culinary Arts in New Delhi, India
22 - Chef Dwayne Ingraham: Get Cast on a Food TV Show - and WIN!
Bonus Episode: The Recipe For Restaurant Success in Orange Beach
Reinventing The Orange Beach Food Scene with Bill Briand and Brody Olive
Simplifying Success: 3 Accomplished Chefs On What Success Has Looked like for Them
A Ballet With Knives: Chefs Luke Hawke, Justin Thompson, and Will Lacey at Eat Y'all Chef Camp
Chefs Damaris Phillips and Paco Garcia on Beef, Bourbon, and Building a Meaningful Career in the Culinary Industry
Cracking the Collaboration Code with six pastry chefs during Eat Y'all Chef Camp in Asheville, NC
An Inside Look At Eat Y'all Chef Camp at Simmons Catfish with Matt Wyatt in Yazoo City, MS (Part 2 of 2)
How a Commitment to Quality Transformed a Failing Farm into a Catfish Kingdom with Farmer Harry Simmons from Simmons Catfish in Yazoo City, MS (Part 1 of 2)
What to Expect from 5th Annual Sweetest Chefs pastry chef showcase event with special guest Angel Lanier-White, our Eat Y'all Event Coordinator
Behind the Scenes at Eat Y'all Chef Camp at Two Brooks Rice farm with Chefs Milton Joachim from Charred in Ocean Springs, MS, Ryan Cassell from Fenian's in Jackson, MS, and John Cartwright from Rivert
Rice Farming to Benefit Consumer Health & the Environment with Farmer Mike Wagner from Two Brooks Farm in Sumner, MS
College Town Restaurant Operations with Chef Robbie Nicolaisen from The Hound in Auburn, AL, and Chef Jay Ducote from Gov't Taco in Baton Rouge, LA
The Role of Better Ingredients on Restaurant Menus with Josh Patton from Odette in Florence, AL and Dominique Patton from Gulf Coast Produce in Gulfport, MS
How to Raise Grassfed Beef for Rich Flavor with Bobby Holden from Grady Ranch in Whigham, GA
Create your
podcast in
minutes
It is Free
50 Tastes Of Gray
Gastropod
The Recipe with Kenji and Deb
Anne of Avonlea
Anne of Green Gables
Walk-In Talk Podcast
Be My Guest with Ina Garten