Norton Sound king crab, a niche market for seafood aficionados, was presented by Anchorage chef Rob Kinneen as mini crab oscars, crab noodle salad and crab gazpacho.
While not a competitor in the seafood competition itself, Norton Sound Economic Development Corp., a community development quota entity at Nome, contributed the Norton Sound king crab for the event sponsored by the Alaska Fisheries Development Foundation.
The Norton Sound crab itself is smaller than the Bering Sea red king crab, but the meat is delicate and a little sweeter to the taste, said Kinneen.
The bite-size mini crab oscars combined Norton Sound king crab, reindeer sausage, asparagus and Bearnaise aioli, a traditional Provencal sauce.
Kinneen (www.fresh49.com) also prepared a king crab gazpacho and a crab noodle salad for sampling.
Kineen, who is of Tlingit heritage, has a reputation for loyalty to Alaska product, incorporating Alaska greens into his recipes for events all over the state.
Dave Thorne, (www.deliciousdave.com) who works as a private chef, and offers culinary classes in the home, prepared a trio of pink salmon treats using pink salmon purchased by the host Alaska Seafood Development Foundation for the event. His offerings included pink salmon and yellow curry corn cake with cucumber caviar, zucchini stuffed with feta cheese, harissa (a fleshy red pepper), baby spinach and pink salmon; and candied pink salmon with vermicelli noodle and a star anise broth.