Sweet Grown Alabama Recipes

This Spiced Gulf Shrimp recipe was prepared by Chef Emilio Urban and Sous Chef Chelsea Holbrook of Coastal Orange Beach Restaurant in Orange Beach during the 2026 Sweet Grown Alabama Seafood Cook-Off. 

Ingredients:

• Sweet Grown Alabama Gulf shrimp
• Spiced chili oil
• Butter
• Sweet Grown Alabama cucumbers
• Sweet Grown Alabama radish
• Seasoned rice vinegar
• Fresh ginger
• Coriander
• Salt
• Lemon juice
• Agave
• Hibiscus flowers
• Fumet
• Lemon
• Xanthan gum
• White wine
• Shallots
• Sweet Grown Alabama yellow pepper
• Heavy cream
• White pepper
• Black beans
• Garlic
• Pepper
• Chili powder
• Sweet Grown Alabama Spanish Mackerel
• Water

Instructions:

1. Sear Gulf shrimp in spiced chili oil until cooked through. Finish with butter.
2. Quick-pickle the cucumbers and radishes in seasoned rice vinegar with fresh ginger, coriander, salt, lemon juice and agave.
3. Steep hibiscus flowers in fumet with lemon. Strain through a chinois to remove solids. Blend in xanthan gum with an immersion blender until smooth and slightly thickened. Cool completely, then transfer to an iSi container.
4. Prepare a white wine reduction by simmering white wine and shallots until reduced.
5. Char the yellow pepper, then puree until smooth. Add heavy cream to the wine reduction and simmer until slightly thickened. Stir in the yellow pepper puree and finish with butter, salt and white pepper.
6. Cook the soaked black beans until tender. Fry the cooked black beans with shallots, garlic and ginger until crisp. Transfer to a paper towel-lined sheet pan to drain. Season with salt, pepper, chili powder, seasoned rice vinegar and Spanish mackerel floss.
7. Prepare the Spanish mackerel floss by cutting the fish into pieces and cooking it in water until the liquid evaporates, leaving only the fish and its natural oils. Add the spices and continue cooking, stirring frequently, until the mixture dries into a coarse, fluffy powder.