In a first-of-its-kind event, some of the Chesapeake Bay’s most celebrated chefs will compete for the title of best blue catfish dish. Yes, the Bay’s oversized, unwelcome interloper will be the key ingredient at the inaugural Chesapeake Catfish Cookoff. It’s being held at the Annapolis Maritime Museum’s scenic pavilion on Back Creek on May 3, from 12-4 p.m.
The chefs stepping up to the plate include Maryland Chef of the Year Zack Mills from True Chesapeake in Baltimore, James Beard winner Jeremiah Langhorne of the Michelin-star restaurant The Dabney in Northwest Washington, D.C., Kyle Bailey of D.C.’s Salt Line restaurants, Scott Harrison from Eastport’s Boatyard Bar & Grill, and Matthew Lego of Leo in Annapolis.
The judges who will taste the creative catfish recipes include Bay photographer and Chesapeake Bay Magazine contributor Jay Fleming, chef John Shields (renowned for his sustainable Chesapeake Bay dishes), and Maryland Secretary of Agriculture Kevin Atticks, whose department has been working to advance the commercial market for local blue catfish.
Guests will get to taste the bites too, of course, along with fresh oysters and “hearty Southern sides” (think mac ‘n cheese and cole slaw).
In addition to serving up delicious morsels, the event also includes demonstrations and education about the invasive blue cat, and why it’s so important for Chesapeake Bay enthusiasts to embrace eating these fish. There will be a demonstration of setting a trotline to catch blue cat, a talk by a veteran Chesapeake Bay waterman, and a cooking demonstration by Shields.
Annapolis Maritime Museum says the message of the Chesapeake Catfish Cookoff is this: “What threatens our ecosystem may just be our next great local delicacy—and AMM is bringing the community together to prove it.”
The first-time cookoff was the brainstorm of Museum President/CEO Alice Estrada and Fleming, a museum board member who is passionate about the invasive blue catfish issue. Fleming has his Maryland commercial license to trotline for invasive catfish, and has been taking groups of chefs out to pitch blue cat as a great fish to serve in upscale restaurants.
We showed you Fleming and friends in action last spring, hauling in monster blue cats:
Fleming explains, “Catfish are a great fish but there is a common misconception that they are a muddy bottom feeder—this is definitely not the case for blue cats. All of the chefs that are participating are serving blue cats in their restaurants.”
Chef Matt Lego serves blue catfish year-round at Leo, and says it’s a versatile fish. “It’s got such a great mild flavor,” he says, “that it takes well to basically any direction of seasoning. It’s firm enough to grill, but also delicate enough to poach in a flavorful poaching liquid.” He, too, is fighting the association of blue catfish with channel catfish. “There is nothing muddy or dirty about these fish,” he says.
The cookoff is being held in peak blue catfish “season”. Fleming tells us that February to May is when supply is highest and a lot of watermen are targeting them. Fishing charter captains are also turning to blue catfish as a spring species to target. Since striped bass conservation measures have grown increasingly tighter and there’s no more spring trophy rockfish season, blue catfish are an alternate species to fish for.
The culinary event will be located at Annapolis Maritime Museum’s Park Campus, at 7300 Edgewood Road in Annapolis. Live music and signature cocktails will set the mood. As an added bonus, there will be free boat rides on the creek, reminding guests of the connection between the effort to curb blue catfish and enjoying our beautiful Bay waterways.
“The list of incredible restaurants competing in this highlights just how delicious catfish is,” Lego says. “I hope that the dishes folks see at this event spark curiosity to seek out more catfish dishes in the future, or even trying to cook it themselves when they see it in the grocery store.”
Tickets are available here for $55 (and they’re expected to sell out quickly). All proceeds support Annapolis Maritime Museum’s mission to preserve and share the Bay’s maritime heritage. “The market for blue catfish is still developing in this region and we need to keep the ball rolling,” Fleming says. “The average consumer can make a difference by making a choice that is sustainable: eating invasive species.”
