1:41 p.m., Feb. 25, 2011----Hungry visitors looked on as young chefs sliced, diced, and sautéed a wide range of ingredients for the Junior Rockfish Cooking Contest, held last month at the Ocean City (Md.) Convention Center.

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The fourth annual contest, a part of the East Coast Commercial Fishermen's and Aquaculture Trade Expo, featured girls and boys competing in two age categories: 7-12 years old and 13-17 years old.

Winning in the younger category was Amelia DiPietro of Timonium, Md. Her Devil Made Me Do It Stuffed Rockfish Fillets included a topping of roasted red peppers and a delicious filling with chives, mayonnaise, mustard, and Tabasco and Worcestershire sauces.

Julie Ansorge of Olney, Md., took top prize for the older age group. Her Rockfish Ravioli with Pesto Sauce combined homemade pasta with mouth-watering ricotta and Parmesan cheeses, among other ingredients. Topping each ravioli was a savory pesto sauce made by the chef herself.

Contestants came prepared with all the ingredients, pans, and utensils necessary to make their original recipes, which were inspired by the culinary traditions of everything from Italian to Tex-Mex. Each contestant was provided with two pounds of rockfish, and start times were staggered to allow judges ample time to savor the dishes.

Winners were awarded cash prizes and plaques, and all contestants received chef aprons, pins, cookbooks and certificates.

Judges included a food writer, an outdoors writer, and a representative from the Calvert Marine Museum, located in Solomons, Md. Each dish was scored on originality, taste, attractiveness, and predominance of rockfish. Onlookers also had an opportunity to taste each entry as it came out of the oven or off the grill.

The contest was sponsored by the Delaware Sea Grant College Program, Maryland Sea Grant College Program, and Maryland Seafood Marketing Program.

Scroll down to view the first place winners in each category.

WINNING RECIPE 7-12 AGE GROUP

By Amelia DiPietro, Timonium, Md.

Amelia's Devil Made Me Do It Stuffed Rockfish Fillets

Ingredients:
2 lbs. rockfish fillets
Dash paprika
1 roasted red pepper
1/2 cup dry white wine to taste
1 cup cold water
4 tablespoons melted butter
1/2 lemon
1 package frozen corn
4 tablespoons butter
1 diced red pepper
1 diced green pepper
Salt and pepper to taste

Stuffing/wet mixture:
1 lb. fresh crab meat (lump)
Salt and pepper to taste
1/4 cup chopped chives
1 cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons salad mustard
1 teaspoon Tabasco sauce
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

Preparation:

To make the stuffing:

1. Mix all ingredients together to make a wet mixture.
2. In a separate bowl, add crab meat, chopped fresh chives, salt and pepper, and toss lightly. Add wet mixture and gently mix together.

To stuff the rockfish:

Place one rockfish fillet on pan top with deviled crab meat mixture. Take another rockfish fillet and slice length-wise in the middle as to make place for the stuffing to show through. Top rockfish with roasted pepper slices and sprinkle with paprika in a frying pan. Add dry white wine, cold water and melted butter and lemon slices. Add rockfish, cover, and cook until done.

Serve with Corn O'Brian and lemon wedges.

WINNING RECIPE 13-17 AGE GROUP

By Julie Ansorge, Olney, Md.

Rockfish Ravioli with Pesto Sauce

Ingredients:
2 lbs. rockfish fillets
Homemade pasta
Homemade pesto
1 cup ricotta cheese
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
Salt/pepper
1 egg
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 clove garlic
1/4 cup orange bell pepper
Parsley
Basil leaf for garnish

Pasta Ingredients:
4 large eggs
1/4 cup water
3-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt

Pesto Sauce Ingredients:
2 cups fresh basil leaves
1/2 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons pine nuts
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
3 tablespoons softened butter

Pasta Preparation:
Place eggs, water, flour, and salt in mixer bowl. With flat beater, mix for 30 seconds on speed 2. Exchange beater with dough hook and knead for 2 minutes on speed 2. Remove dough from bowl and hand knead 1-2 minutes. Process into sheets with rollers.

Pan fry rockfish in olive oil and garlic.

Make pesto.

Pesto Preparation:
Put basil, olive oil, pine nuts, and garlic in food processor and mix at high speed. Add cheese and butter and process just enough to incorporate into the basil mix. Before spooning over the dish, mix in 1 tablespoon of the hot pasta water if necessary for thinning.

Combine ricotta, egg, and Parmesan. Add orange pepper and parsley to ricotta mixture. Cut rockfish into 1-inch pieces. Add rockfish to ricotta mixture.

Place about 2 tablespoons of mixture onto a sheet of pasta dough. Place another sheet of pasta on top and seal ravioli. Boil ravioli for 4-5 minutes.

Place four ravioli on a plate. Pour pesto sauce on top. Garnish with a basil leaf.

Article by Elizabeth Boyle
Photo by Lisa Tossey