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Tory McPhail , executive chef at Commander’s Palace, had no idea he would compete in a cook-off Saturday until four days beforehand, but he walked away as the newly crowned king of Louisiana seafood.

McPhail, who also competed last year, will represent Louisiana in the Great American Seafood Cook-Off at the Morial Convention Center July 18 and 19, and will compete with chefs from other states.

McPhail said his public relations manager mentioned the contest, the Louisiana Seafood Cook-Off, as an aside. It wasn’t until the day before the cook-off, in the Superdome, that the chef created and submitted the winning recipe for Louisiana Seafood Grill.

The cook-off, held to call attention to the Louisiana seafood industry, was part of the New Orleans Wine and Food Experience.

The last-minute preparation did not shake McPhail’s confidence.

“I’m an innately competitive person, so to stand out in that sort of crowd is awesome,” McPhail said.

McPhail’s winning recipe-  grilled black drum, wild-caught shrimp and crabmeat with fresh Creole tomatoes and grilled corn with basil oil – won out over dishes created by chefs Chris Lusk and Tom Wolfe of New Orleans; Jack Jennings and Nathan Gresham of Baton Rouge; Matthew Beaudin of Lake Charles; John Salmon of Bossier City; and Minh Le of Houma.

McPhail not only made prize-winning food, but also managed to keep wine-sipping onlookers entertained.

“I love watching the Food Network, but actually being able to see  it taking place
— it is amazing,”  said one attendee, Johnette Drago from Baton Rogue.

McPhail credits his abilities to slice tomatoes at rapid speed and toss flaming corn in a skillet without batting an eye or wincing to one thing - practice.

“Working at our restaurant is kind of like practicing every day,” McPhail said.  Located in the Garden District, Commander’s Palace is known for its award-wining food and is where chef Emeril Lagasse spent the beginning of his career.

McPhail said he and his sous chef had a tight game plan, which they executed in the hour they were given to prepare, cook and present their dish to the table of six judges.

“For us it’s like a family reunion,” McPhail said. Many of the chefs know one another and were able to recognize the deep talent pool.

The 2008 Seafood King, Brian Landry, said “The spirit of it is a bunch of chefs getting together to promote local fisheries.” Last year Landry’s sautéed cobia, similar to swordfish, with Louisiana blue crab butter won him the title. He said his cobia was caught specifically for his use the day before the competition.

“I can’t cook those dishes without the people who are out there catching the fish or harvesting the oysters,” Landry said. “It’s a very symbiotic relationship.”

But with these trying economic times, another relationship dynamic has been introduced to the formula: the one between the chefs and the people who eat their food.

“You can really tell the chefs who are tuned in to what is happening with our economy,” said Tommy Simmons, contest judge and food editor at the Advocate in Baton Rogue.

McPhail said he chose to do a seafood grill with accessible products because grilling season is near and he wanted cooks to be able to replicate the dish at home with ease and without breaking the bank. But the fact that the dish was “value-oriented” did not subtract from the impression it left at the judges’ table.

“It was real Louisiana seafood – it screamed Louisiana,” said Judge Charley Goodson, owner of Charley G’s in Lafayette, La.

Goodson said he likes to spend time with each dish to pay respect to the chef.

The eight dishes presented to the judges represented cuisine from around the world: paella and gazpacho from Spain, foams used in France and hand rolls from Japan, among other worldly components. As each dish was presented, the judges spent a few moments letting the aromas waft from their food as they examined various elements on their plates.

Simmons said the caliber of cooking talent at the cook-off was impressive.

In addition to Goodson and Simmons, other judges were Lorin Gaudin, food editor at www.neworleans.com; Kendall Gensler, editor of Culinary Concierge; Anne Parr, assistant professor at the John Folse Culinary Institute at Nicholls State University; and David Slater, chef at Emeril’s Restaurant in New Orleans.