Oxford Chef Corbin to Compete in Statewide Seafood Competition

The sixth annual Mississippi Seafood Cook-off will have one of Oxonian chefs, Corbin Evans, owner and chef of Oxford Canteen, competing this Friday in Biloxi.

Corbin Evans, courtesy from Twitter @chefcorbinevans

The Department of Marine Resources’ Mississippi Seafood Marketing Program (MSP) is hosting this statewide competition from 4 to 7:30 p.m. at the Slavonian Lodge in Biloxi. Proceeds will go to Cafe CLIMB, a hands-on learning space for students to learn culinary arts and hospitality while offering breakfast, lunch and catering along with a full-service Starbucks bar, where students receive barista training.

This cafe is part of CLIMB Community Development Corporation, a nonprofit community organization in Gulfport whose mission is to promote strong communities by supporting individual access to opportunities that inspire self-reliance. Those who make a minimum $15 donation to Cafe CLIMB will receive a ticket to attend.

“I was asked by the Mississippi Seafood Council to participate last year, but the timing wasn’t right with Oxford Canteen just opening a few months earlier,” Evans said. “So when they asked again this time around, I jumped at the opportunity to cook with other Mississippian chefs in a Seafood Showdown.”

Evans will face these following chefs in the competition:

• Chief Ty Thames – Restaurant Tyler, Starkville
• Chef Patrick Heim – Taste! Catering, Biloxi
• Chef Matthew Kajdan – Parlor Market, Jackson
• Chef Clayton Barney – Cotton Blues, Hattiesburg
• Chef Anthony Rametta – Cora’s at White House Hotel, Biloxi
• Chef Justin Ferguson – Purple Parrot Cafe, Hattiesburg
• Chef Eric Spencer – Island View Casino, Gulfport
• Chef Danie Rodriguez – LUNCH and City Life Cafe, Biloxi
• Chef Ryan Bell – Hal & Mals, Jackson
• Chef Cameron Razavi – Magnolia House, Biloxi

In the competition, Evans will cook a Mississippi Gulf seafood fried rice with Andouille sausage, edamame and pumpkin seeds. He will use Blue Crab and Gulf shrimp with a “few unexpected touches which I think a panel of judges will find intriguing and hopefully delicious.”

He enjoyed brainstorming the recipe ideas and hopes to feature the recipe on the menu for one of Thursday night PopUp dinners at Canteen, regardless of whether the recipe won or lost the competition.

“I am excited about the competition and meeting other local chefs,” said Evans. “I am also looking forward to witnessing the Blessing of the Fleet of Biloxi and getting to eat some great local seafood over the weekend. (I’ve) been doing some research and it appears that a number of Vietnamese shrimpers and fishermen have settled in the area so I can’t wait to find some delicious Pho and Banh Mi.”

He has cooked seafood for as long as he could remember.

“Professionally, one of my first chef positions was at a restaurant in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, where we cooked a Seafood Only Blackboard Menu based on fish we would procure at the local seafood market,” said Evans. “It was a great experience learning the different fish and shellfish and then coming up with a variety of dishes for the menu. We would sometimes have as many as 15 different species on the menu.”

He has additional seafood experience from cooking in New Orleans both as an intern from the Culinary Institute for America and as a chef for nearly 10 years.

“The seafood dishes of that area are truly some of the best I have ever eaten or prepared,” said Evans.

Evans certainly seems prepared to compete. If anyone is coming down to Biloxi this weekend should pop by to cheer him on!

Callie Daniels is a staff writer and reporter for HottyToddy.com. She can be reached at callie.daniels@hottytoddy.com.