COOKS GONE WILD

ome experience some exotic dishes as backyard chefs show off their culinary skills at Lanark. Alabama Wildlife Federation’s Tri-County Wild Game Cook-off will be held on April 23 at its headquarters, 3050 Lanark Rd. in Millbrook. AWF will host this wildly popular competition where teams from around the Southeast fry, bake and grill up their best cuisine in any of three categories: fowl, fish and game. Entry for cook teams is free, but they must pre-register online at alabamawildife.org to participate.

There will be a first-, second- and third-place winner in each category, along with an overall team winner and best presentation award. Judges are anonymous volunteers from throughout the county who sample the various dishes and score the fare based on a number of factors.

The overall winner of the evening will be invited to the state finals held at Lanark in Millbrook on Aug. 8, 2020, to compete for the title of AWF Wild Game Cook-off State Champion.

Last year’s state champs were from Morgan County and won with their wild boar duo, mushroom risotto and Jack Daniels honey glaze with micro-greens. At least two best overall winning cook teams from the TriCounty Cook-off have taken home the title of state champions in the past. There are 13 other AWF cook-off competitions around the state throughout the year, and each overall winner competes in the state finals.

But don’t fret; the public is welcome to come out and sample the food, too. Tickets are $50 for two guests to enter, which includes unlimited samplings and access to the festivities. The ticket price also includes one AWF membership and a subscription to Alabama Wildlife Magazine. Cook teams and children ages 15 and under will be admitted for free.

There also will be a silent auction that includes plenty of outdoor and hunting related items, trips and artwork from Alabama artists.

AWF has hosted this engaging community event for nearly 25 years. Attendance usually nears 2,000, and around 40 cook teams typically sign up to compete. This event is a way to support AWF’s mission, and it does so by exposing the public to local Alabama wildlife and the natural resources the state has to offer.

Visit alabamawildlife.org to register a team, buy tickets or locate another cook-off. Story by Amy Passaretti Photos by Marla Ruskin & Amy Passaretti C

Guests enjoy samples of all the entries

Teams often complement their food with equally wild drinks

Aesthetics play a role in judging dishes