Although first round play was postponed Thursday due to weather and course conditions, there was still plenty of activity at the Viking Classic with Ladies' Day, the BankPlus Cafe & Expo, cooking demonstrations in the Viking Culinary Tent, and more.Festivities in the culinary tent began with a Viking Cooking School demonstration at 11 a.m. themed "Mastering French Cuisine" inspired by the hit movie Julie & Julia. Activities continued at 1 p.m. as Chef Chris Wilson of Emeril's in New Orleans and Chef Lee Richardson of the Capital Hotel in Little Rock squared off in a pro-am style culinary competition. Three members of the audience were selected to be guest judges for the contest, in which each chef teamed with an amateur to compose his best version of shrimp and grits. Below is a description of the two dishes from guest judge Marshall Welch:
When you live in the South, there are a few things that you just can’t turn down - a friendly handshake, a kind smile, and a plate of warm food. As a southern gentleman, I would be beside myself not to accept a plate of shrimp and grits…or, in this case, two. Such was the case as I was chosen to be a judge in the afternoon chef’s cook-off. The two chefs, Chris Wilson and Lee Richardson, challenged each other to the dish once only know in South Carolina as a breakfast food for fishermen. Both culinary artists have roots in two of Emeril Lagasse’s many Louisana based restaurants, Lee at Nola and Chris in Emeril’s. With a few whirls of the wisks, some learning of the brand new induction cook-tops, and a few well placed comments to rib each other, I found myself staring at two completely different versions of a meal I myself have cooked many a time.
Chris presented his first: a complex journey of classic grits with white cheddar, a butter and citrus sauce (lots of butter) along with shrimp glazed with a from-scratch bbq sauce tossed with cremini mushrooms and bacon. This dish was an amazing mix of so many flavors creating a rich creamy taste pattern that is nothing like I’ve had before. The citrus butter sauce combined with the tang of the bbq glazed shrimp complemented each other very nicely and the cheese and grits added a creaminess that solidified the dish and satisfied the palette.
Lee’s approach was much different. He used rice instead of grits, ground in a beautiful Viking spice mill, and chose to sauté his vegetables in a shrimp stock utilizing the shells of the peeled shrimp and some Cajun spices for even more flavor. The result was a lighter dish with a more New Orleans-esque feel to it that really hit home for me. Growing up, I spent school holidays in Louisiana cooking and eating with family friends, adding a few more flavors to my personal comfort foods menu- Lee’s dish and its New Orleans flavor would fit just nicely on that menu.
So which dish was the best? Well, the competition officially ended in a draw. Both were incredible and deserve their due praise, but if you really must know the outcome, you can try making them yourself. The recipes for both dishes will be posted on the Viking Classic website. Good luck and remember when making these dishes to "laissez les bon temps roulez!"
For a complete photo gallery from Thursday events, visit our Facebook page.
More Food and Festivities Ahead for Friday
In addition to the scheduled tee off for round one, Friday will feature demonstrations by "Rock 'n Roll" Chef Nathan Lippy at 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. in the Viking Culinary Tent.
Friday is also Military Day at the Viking Classic, as admission is free for for all active, reserve, and veteran personnel as well as spouses and children who hold a U.S. Military ID.
First round tee off is currently scheduled for 7:20 a.m. on Friday. For tournament and leaderboard updates, visit: http://www.pgatour.com/r/leaderboard/
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