Photo by Phyllis Poon
At the nineteenth annual Louisiana Seafood Cookoff, Acadiana native and owner of Pamplona Tapas Bar and Restaurant in Lafayette went head to head against twelve other Louisiana chefs to be named the 2026 King of Louisiana Seafood. Chef Allen won over the hearts and palates of some of the state’s most prestigious chefs and food connoisseurs with a herb-crusted crab flounder served with corn panna cotta, vibrant ochre crab fat foam, brown espelette butter and black pepper tuile, and topped with an edible flower garnish. On July 25, Allen will represent the state at the twenty-second annual Great American Seafood Cook Off in New Orleans, competing against chefs representing more than a dozen states from sea to shining sea, and will serve as the Louisiana Ambassador for seafood for the year to come, promoting Louisiana seafood across the nation. If Chef Allen prevails, he would be the first Louisiana chef to bring the title home since Chef Nathan Richard of New Orleans’ D.T.B. did so in 2019.
To access the recipes presented by each participating chef and more, visit LouisianaSeafood.com
