Alabama Cooking Competition Highlights Local Fish and Game Dishes

When it comes to choosing fish for dinner, many people might lean towards grouper, a popular catch from the Gulf. However, at the recent 2025 Alabama Wildlife Federation (AWF) Wild Game Cookoff State final, one participant decided to switch things up by selecting a local freshwater fish—Largemouth bass.

At AWF’s Lanark headquarters, Robert Adair’s bass accompanied by grits won him top honors among 13 competing teams from across Alabama.

“It’s just from a regular bigworm pond,” Adair mentioned, who runs a food trailer called The Smoke Wagon near Montgomery. “I tried grouper, but I preferred the bass from these local ponds.”

He mentioned that his recipes can work well with both freshwater and saltwater fish, but, given the richness of Alabama’s waters, he opted for a local favorite accessible from the state’s numerous rivers, lakes, and farm ponds.

Crayfish Cream Sauce with Bass and Grits

• 6 bass fillets
• Seasonings for blackening
• 2 tablespoons of oil
• Coat the fish with the seasoning and cook on a hot iron skillet until flaky.
• For the crayfish cream sauce:
• 1 green pepper, chopped
• 1 onion, chopped
• ¼ cup oil
• Cajun seasonings to taste
• 2 cups heavy cream
• ½ cup white wine
• 1 pound crayfish tails
• Chopped green onions
• Minced parsley

Heat oil over medium-high, add the chopped peppers and onions, cooking until browned. Deglaze the pan with white wine, then simmer until reduced. Stir in heavy cream, add the crayfish tails, and simmer until desired thickness. Serve over the bass fillets, topped with green onions and parsley.

Fried Grits Cake

• ½ pound old-fashioned grits
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2½ cups water
• 2 cups milk
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 cup panko breadcrumbs (optional)
• 1 cup oil

Bring salt and water to a boil, then whisk in grits, reducing heat and stirring occasionally. Once done, cool the mixture in a container. Slice into 1-inch thick pieces, dip in a mixture of the milk and eggs, coat with flour, and if desired, re-dip in panko. Fry until golden brown. Serve as a base for the dish, topped with the blackened fish and crayfish sauce. A true winner.

Tommy Tidwell, the AWF Wild Game Cook-Off coordinator, noted that the finals didn’t have specific judging categories.

“It’s an overall competition, but our top three shared roots in their categories,” he explained.

Second place went to a team from Elkmont, who created a venison egg roll served with a cucumber noodle salad.

Crispy Venison Egg Roll with Cucumber Noodle Salad

• 1 pound ground venison
• 1 tablespoon sesame oil
• ½ onion, diced
• 1 tablespoon ginger, minced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 bag coleslaw mix
• ¼ bag matchstick carrots
• 4 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
• 1 tablespoon Sriracha (optional)
• 12 egg roll wrappers

Cook the venison, drain, and set aside. In a skillet, heat sesame oil and sauté onions until translucent, then add ginger and garlic. Incorporate the venison and vegetables, cooking until tender. Mix in seasonings and refrigerate briefly. Fill egg roll wrappers with the mixture, then fry until golden brown. Serve with your favorite sauce.

Cucumber Noodle Salad

• 6 oz glass noodles
• 6 tablespoons rice vinegar
• 4 teaspoons sugar
• 2 teaspoons soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 medium cucumber, chilled
• 1½ teaspoons sesame seeds

Prepare the noodles, rinse, and return to bowl. Combine the vinegar, sugar, soy sauce, and salt; pour over noodles. Cover and chill. Slice cucumber into sticks and mix in, topping with sesame seeds before serving.

The third-place winner from Tuscaloosa wowed the judges with Asian-style quail creations.

Smoked Cranberry Quail Roll

Jesse Crane, the chef behind this dish, shared his team’s creative approach without a strict recipe.

“We marinated the quail in cranberry juice for a day,” Crane noted. “Then we smoked it low and slow. We made sushi and cut radishes and sweet potatoes into strips to fry and incorporate.”

Using a sushi mat, they layered rice, smoked quail, radish, sweet potatoes, zucchini, and cream cheese, rolling it tightly. It was served with teriyaki and fried onions on top.

Best Presentation Award

This year’s award was shared between two teams from Selma, with Hancock’s Country BBQ taking the trophy after winning in the Demopolis region.

Emily Hancock Small showcased a harvest hand pie, highlighting turkey and venison in a decorative contest booth that included pieces honoring local conservation efforts.

The pie was a blend of turkey, ground venison, black beans, corn, and spices in a flour tortilla, fried to perfection and drizzled with avocado cream sauce.

Second place for best presentation went to TW’s Dream Team, who created unique venison quesadillas, cooking them slowly and pairing them with flavorful sauces.