Junior Chefs Rockfish Cooking Contest Winners Announced

Six junior chefs from Maryland competed for top honors in the 4th annual Junior Chefs Rockfish Cooking Contest.  The event, which was sponsored by the Maryland Department of Agriculture’s Seafood Marketing Program and the Sea Grant programs of the universities of Maryland and Delaware, took place on Jan. 29 as part of the 2011 East Coast Commercial Fisherman’s and Aquaculture Trade Exposition in Ocean City.

The contest was part of the Maryland Rockfish Celebration, which is also taking place in Maryland restaurants and retail markets through the end of February.

The following are the results from each division:

Kids Division – Ages 7-12

1st Place: Amelia DiPietro, 10, Timonium, Md.
Amelia’s Devil Made Me Do It Stuffed Rockfish Fillets

2nd Place:  Adriana Maurer, 10, Galestown, Md.
Fancy Rockfish

3rd Place: Jack DiPietro, 12, Timonium, Md.
Jack’s Rockin Rockfish Cakes

Junior Division – Ages 13-17

1st Place: Julie Ansorge, 16, Olney, Md.
Rockfish Ravioli with Pesto Sauce

2nd Place: Brian Miles, Jr., 16, Burtonsville, Md.
Mexicali Rockfish

3rd Place: Mason Mauerr, 16, Galestown, Md.
“Off the Hook” Rockfish

All participants received a plaque and cash prizes of $200 for first place, $100 for second place, and $50 for third place. The winning recipe for each category follow:

Amelia’s Devil Made Me Do It Stuffed Rockfish Filets
Amelia DiPietro, 10, Timonium, Md.

2 pounds rockfish fillet
dash paprika
1 roasted red pepper
1/2 cup dry white wine to taste
1 cup cold water
4 tablespoons melted butter
1/2 lemon
1 package frozen corn
4 tablespoons butter
1 diced red pepper
1 diced green pepper
salt and pepper to taste

Stuffing/Wet Mixture:
1 pound fresh lump crab meat
salt and pepper to taste
1/4 cup chopped chives
1 cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons salad mustard
1 teaspoon Tabasco sauce
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

TO MAKE THE STUFFING: Mix all wet ingredients together to make a wet mixture. In a separate bowl, add crab meat, chopped fresh chives, salt and pepper and toss lightly. Add wet mixture and gently mix together.

TO STUFF ROCKFISH: Place one rockfish fillet on pan, top with deviled crab meat mixture. Take another rockfish fillet and slice lengthwise in the middle as to make a place for the stuffing to show through. Top rockfish with roasted pepper slices and sprinkle with paprika in a frying pan. Add dry white wine, cold water and melted butter and lemon slices. Add rockfish, cover, and cook until done.

Rockfish Ravioli with Pesto Sauce
Julie Ansorge, 16, Olney, Md.

2 pounds rockfish fillets
homemade pasta (below)
homemade pesto (below)
1 cup ricotta cheese
1/4 cup parmesan cheese
salt/pepper
1 egg
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 clove garlic
1/4 cup orange bell pepper
parsley
basil leaf for garnish

Pasta Ingredients:
4 large eggs
1/4 cup water
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt

Pesto Sauce Ingredients:
2 cups fresh basil leaves
1/2 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons pine nuts
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
3 tablespoons softened butter

PASTA PREPARATION: Place eggs, water, flour and salt in mixer bowl. With flatbeater, mix for 30 seconds on speed 2. Exchange beater with dough hook and knead for two minutes on speed two. Remove dough from bowl and hand knead one to two minutes.

Process into sheets with rollers. (Contestant’s dish had ravioli approximately 3 to 4 inches across.)

Pan fry rockfish in olive oil and garlic. Set aside to make pesto.

PESTO PREPARATION: Put basil, olive oil, pine nuts and garlic in food processor and mix at high speed. Add cheese and butter and process just enough to incorporate into the basil mix. Before spooning over the dish, mix in 1 tablespoon of the hot pasta water if necessary for thinning.

RAVIOLI ASSEMBLY: Combine ricotta, egg and parmesan. Add orange bell pepper and parsley to ricotta mixture. Cut rockfish into 1-inch pieces and add to ricotta mixture.

Place about 2 tablespoons of mixture onto a sheet of pasta dough. Place another sheet of pasta on top and seal ravioli. Boil ravioli for 4-5 minutes. Place four ravioli on a plate. Pour or drizzle pesto sauce on top. Garnish with basil leaf.

source: Maryland Department of Agriculture press release