Pamplona Lafayette: Kris Allen, the Louisiana Seafood King, on Tapas & Gumbo
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A dish can taste like Louisiana and still feel brand new, and Chef Kris Allen proves it. We sit down at Sunday’s Soda Fountain to talk with the Pamplona and Gravy chef behind the Louisiana Seafood King win, and we get into the details that separate a good plate from a great one: modern technique, relentless repetition, and a deep respect for the classics.
Kris walks us through the winning seafood dish built as a modern ode to crab-stuffed flounder, including the kind of kitchen “science” most people never see, like a warm corn panna cotta that holds its shape and foams that add texture without stealing the spotlight. From there, we zoom out to what Louisiana seafood means to our culture and economy, why Gulf sustainability matters, and how his earliest memories on a shrimp boat still guide his cooking today.
We also get practical for anyone who loves Cajun food at home. Kris breaks down gumbo fundamentals with one word: patience. Then he explains the heart of Cajun gravy, starting with browning meat, building fond, and deglazing the grimmies for real depth. Along the way, he shares the career moves that shaped him, from Montana dish pits to iconic New Orleans kitchens, the pressure cooker of opening a Louisiana restaurant in Chicago, and the decision to come home and build Pamplona into the escape we all love while launching Gravy as the fanciest rice and gravy in town.
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The podcast was made possible through partnerships with Rouses Markets, Logic Refrigeration HVAC, The Cajun Table, Vermilionville, Soul Haus Kitchen, Chris Logan Media, and Sunday's Soda Fountain – proving that when a community rallies around celebrating local food culture, amazing things happen. Subscribe now to join this delicious adventure and become part of the movement that's transforming Lafayette's food scene one bite at a time!
https://sundayssodafountain.com/
https://bayouvermiliondistrict.org/
https://www.soulhauskitchen337.com/
learn more: https://foodiesoflafayette.com