Elements Chef Scott Anderson Takes Third Place in Great American Seafood Cook-Off

Scott Anderson, chef and owner of , took third place in the eighth annual Great American Seafood Cook-Off on Saturday in New Orleans.

Anderson represented New Jersey in the cook-off after winning a statewide seafood showdown in New Jersey this June.

Anderson prepared fluke with garlic scapes, panko, arrowhead cabbage and a herbaceous vinaigrette, the same award-winning dish he made for the New Jersey competition.

“Seafood is a staple on our menus at elements and an important food source around the world,” Anderson said of the competition. “I couldn’t be more thrilled to participate in an event aimed at educating people about the bounty of delicious and safe seafood found in New Jersey and the Gulf region.”

In New Orleans, he competed against 14 other chefs from around the country who were selected to represent their states. The winner was Jim Smith, executive chef at the Alabama Governor’s mansion. Participating chefs were required to create unique dishes with domestic seafood, utilizing fish that is native to their home states.

Created and sponsored by the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration and the Louisiana Seafood Promotion & Marketing Board, the Great American Seafood Cook-Off highlights the agency’s commitment to a healthy marine environment and improving the nation’s domestic seafood supply.

A native of New Jersey, Anderson honed his culinary chops at as a line cook at Baystreet Grill in Edison, later joining the Terra Momo restaurant group, where he spent six years helping manage the kitchen at before becoming head chef at , and later at Nova Terra in New Brunswick. Following Nova Terra, Anderson worked with Chef Craig Shelton at the Ryland Inn.

In 2008, Anderson partnered with Stephen Distler to open elements. Relying on the seasons, as well as the inspiration and bounty of the farm, Anderson likes to improve when creating what he calls the “interpretive American cuisine” found on the elements menu. An avid gardener and outdoorsman, he loves to fish and forage in the local parks for wild edibles such as ramps and morel mushrooms.