Juneau chef showcasing Alaskan seafood to the rest of the country at cooking competition

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (KTUU) - It’s a chance to pit Alaska’s seafood against the rest of the nation, and Chef Amara Enciso, owner of Brava Food in Juneau, isn’t worried.

“We’re showcasing Alaskan seafood and it’s the best in the world,” Enciso said. “So there’s really not much more to it.”

Enciso and her sous chef are heading to New Orleans to represent Alaska at the Great American Seafood Cook-Off.

“We’re not going to try and mask any of the natural flavors, we’re, you know, the dish that we are preparing is enhancing,” Enciso said.

As for what Enciso intends to cook, that’s a closely guarded secret and she says cooking in Alaska has helped her prepare for any unexpected challenges.

“It’s definitely exposed me to being resilient and working with the ingredients that I have on hand. I mean, as most Alaskans know, we are very reliant on the barge and in the plane services here to get our produce,” Enciso said. “I’ve learned over the years to kind of work with the products that I have on the fly. I’ve been — I’ve learned to be very resourceful.”

Despite her confidence in her own cooking and in Alaska’s seafood, she knows the other 13 chefs have come to compete.

“I think it’s going to be competitive. The selection of chefs that are competing this year, come from incredible, incredible backgrounds,” Enciso said. “They have great accolades, so it’s going to be very competitive.”

But not all work.

“It’s going to be fun. We’ll be in New Orleans. So you know, they’re known to be a nice welcoming town, city,” she said.

And as for how Enciso thinks they’ll do?

“I do expect us to do Alaska proud,” Enciso said.

The competition begins at 8:15 a.m. Alaska Time Saturday.

If you want to watch another fun, Alaskan competition, check out the Alaska’s News Source special Dishing Up Alaska: An Alaskan Pantry.

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