Awards for retail, food service and smoked product entries in the 13th annual Alaska Symphony of Seafood, along with the winner of the people's choice competition, will be announced Feb. 4, at a gala soiree in Anchorage.
The 2006 event, sponsored by the Alaska Fisheries Development Foundation, offers first-place winners as well as each category-, and the people's choice winner-, free booth space in March at a major industry marketing event, the International Boston Seafood Show.
The Alaska Symphony of Seafood was organized by AFDF in 1993 to promote new product development for seafood harvested in Alaska waters.
The actual judging was to be done Jan. 19 at the Hyatt Regency Lake Las Vegas Resort, Spa and Casino in Las Vegas. The judges include Kodiak fisheries reporter Laine Welch, Michael Politz of Las Vegas Food Service Magazine, Heinz Lauer, executive chef of the Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts Las Vegas, Tim Aupperle, seafood buyer for Whole Foods Market, and Phil Rybacki of The Schwan Food Co.
Event organizers said that after the judging, chefs, manufacturers, buyers, sellers and the media would be invited to vote for their favorite entry, with the Las Vegas people's choice award to be announced the same evening.
There are two contenders in the food service competition, Horsts Seafoods Inc. has entered its Wild Alaska Salmon Mexican Style. Prowler Fisheries LLC and Tom Douglas Kitchen Inc. have six entries, including Smoked Sweet Chili, Sablefish Tenderloin, Natural Sablefish Tenderloin, Ancho Chili Garlic Sablefish Tenderloin, Wasabi Sablefish Tenderloin, Kasu Sablefish Tenderloin, and Ginger Hoisin Sablefish Tenderloin.
The five retail contenders include Alaska Seafood Co.'s Naturally Wild Smoked Salmon Caviar; Morey's Marinated Wild Alaska Sockeye Salmon, by Morey's Seafood International LLC; Sea Choice Seasoned Herb Crusted Salmon Burger, and Sea Choice Seasoned Salmon Burger, by Ocean Beauty Seafoods; OrcaBay Seafood's Wild Cod Riviera with Parmesan Pesto Sauce, and Trident Seafood Corp.'s Ultimate Fish Stick.
There are also five entries in smoked products competition. They include teriyaki-flavored Kodiak Solstix Salmon Jerky; Ray's Gourmet Smoked Yukon King Salmon by Boreal Fisheries Inc.; Caribbean Twist Wild Alaskan Smoked Salmon, by Morey's seafood International LLC; Echo Falls Wild Smoked Sockeye Salmon Cream Cheese Spread and Echo Falls Cajun Wild Sockeye Salmon Cream Cheese Spread, both from Ocean Beauty Seafoods; and Smoked Cajun King Salmon, from Yukon King Seafoods.
Margaret Bauman can be reached at margie.bauman@alaskajournal.com.
