Forklift chef Cooper Miller to compete for American Seafood title Aug. 6
Jul. 30—TUPELO — Chef Cooper Miller of Forklift restaurant will face off against 13 other chefs from around the country at the nation's ultimate seafood cooking competition, the 18th Annual Great American Seafood Cook-Off.
An Amory native, Miller graduated from Le Cordon Bleu in Paris, France. He spent the next decade training with some of the best chefs in the South before moving back to Mississippi in 2018 and taking over the reins at Forklift.
In May, Miller was crowned the King of Mississippi Seafood, earning his spot in the Great American Seafood Cook-Off by preparing a potato and chorizo crusted snapper with a summer corn puree, roasted jalapeño sauce and heirloom tomato pico de gallo.
Miller didn't take a team with him to the competition in May, but this time around he will.
"I'd like to be really comfortable and make sure we don't miss something small because I'm trying to do everything myself," he said. "I'm really bad about that."
The 2022 Great American Seafood Cook-Off will be held at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center in New Orleans on Aug. 6. The event is held in conjunction with the Louisiana Restaurant Association Showcase. Tickets are $10 at the door.
The 13 chefs Miller will be competing against hail from Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina and Texas.
During the competition, each chef will prepare a dish highlighting the use of domestic seafood while interacting with the live audience and celebrity hosts. Each dish will be presented to a panel of nationally renowned judges who will score based on presentation, creativity, composition, craftsmanship and flavor.
Chef Austin Sumrall of White Pillars Restaurant in Biloxi won the title in 2021 with his dish of Snapper Three-ways. He bested 12 of the best chefs from around the country.
