Chef Kevin Gibbons of the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth triumphed in a cook-off against Chef Michael Comire of the University of Rhode Island with his take on the humble monkfish.

The August 23 cook-off included a unique twist: the chefs didn’t know what the featured fish would be before it was unveiled in front of the gathered crowd.

The competition took place just across Custom House Square from the New Bedford Farmers Market, where the chefs were given 15 minutes and $25 to shop for ingredients. They had each been allowed to bring three ingredients: Comire brought white wine, arrowroot, and polenta.

When asked what he brought, Gibbons replied, “Chorizo, chorizo, chorizo!”

The chefs were then given one hour to cook. They were judged on taste, presentation, and creativity by Ed Roszak, the 2017 winner, Peter Darling of Kyler’s Seafood, and Brendan Kurie, the food critic at the Standard Times.

Comire of URI, along with sous chef Chris Simonson, cooked up a gluten and dairy free dish with grilled peaches, fried polenta, a compote made from farmer’s market vegetables, and, of course, monkfish. Dartmouth’s own Chef Gibbons cooked up a twist on a traditional Portuguese stew with help from sous chef Helder Costa, and served it alongside a simple, summery salad.

The event, hosted by the Heritage Fishing Center in New Bedford with the Northwest Atlantic Marine Alliance, hopes to connect people with local fishermen and the fish they catch. Each year, the Throwdown features a different plentiful and underutilized fish.

Brett Tolley of NAMA said that of the fish Americans eat, 92% is imported. Furthermore, the majority of seafood caught by American fishermen is exported. Both NAMA and the Fishing Heritage Center are focused on connecting communities and local fishermen.

Jessica Bailey of the Heritage Center said, “It’s a way to engage the public and teach them about locally sourced seafood.”

Bill McCann, a local monkfish fishermen, said about the species, “Julia Child made it famous when she called it the poor man’s lobster.”

McCann has been fishing for over forty years, and now runs his business with his sons. He said that, like most fishermen, most of his fish is exported. Spain and South Korea have the highest demand for whole fish, and Japan imports the monkfish’s liver. France also has a moderate demand for the fish.

McCann said the monkfish is a simple fish for home cooks to prepare because it has only one large bone, so chefs don’t need to worry about having filets full of tiny bones. Home cooking was a secondary theme of the event -- Tolley emphasised how easy fish is to cook, and folklorist Millie Rahn talked about how much culture is passed down when families cook together.

Rahn also noted that there are many fish caught locally in season right now, and, summing up the theme of the event, said, "Go out and eat fish!"