Lafayette chef Kris Allen was named the new King of Louisiana Seafood at this year’s Louisiana Seafood Cook-Off earlier this week. To win the crown, Allen used modern techniques to highlight a classic crab-stuffed flounder. Allen says seafood has always been part of his life.
Chef Kris Allen’s award-winning dish: CRAB-STUFFED FLOUNDER (photo courtesy of Louisiana Seafood and Marketing Board)
“My dad was a shrimper, so at a very young age I remember being on his boat. My grandmother was a great cook; I learned a lot from her and then headed into life with those experiences, and it’s always been ingrained into what I do,” Allen explained.
Allen is the executive chef at Pamplona Tapas Bar and Restaurant in Lafayette. His career began at New Orleans restaurant Stella!, and he says Louisiana seafood is the best to cook with.
“The availability of it, for one; we’ve got the huge, beautiful Gulf right there. The taste, to me, is a little sweeter. Our seafood, the freshness of it, is second to none,” Allen said.
Allen will go on to represent the State in the Great American Seafood Cook-Off in New Orleans July 25. A Louisiana chef has not won the competition since 2019. Allen says he can’t wait to promote Louisiana seafood on the national stage.
“It’s not really a job if you’re passionate about it, right? I’m excited about that. I’m very excited about to get out there and preach the wellness of our Louisiana seafood,” Allen noted.