After a long, hard night of sampling as many delicious dogs as possible at the NORTH Fest Nordic Hot Dog Championship, the people have crowned Chef Neal Fraser as their one true champion. Congratulations, Neal!
Chef Fraser competed along with ten other chefs in the Brooklyn Brewery Tasting Room, making it the best-smelling room on the East Coast at the time. Noted amateur chef semifinalists Dellie Wakeham and Egil Ekbom were also on hand to throw down, but in the end, Chef Fraser overcame what he described as a “tough corner position” in the room to charm the crowd and take the prize for the night.
Inspired by a recent trip to Norway, Chef Fraser decided he wanted to create a hot dog that was “clean, crisp, direct, and made with the history of the Nordic people.” To do that he spurned conventional hot dog meats and built his using a mix of traditional Scandinavian fish. 50% halibut, 25% scallops and 25% salmon filets were mixed together with egg whites, cream, salt and thyme to create his rich, satisfying base, topped with home-made sauerkraut and mustard. The dog nestled in a bun custom baked for Chef Fraser in Los Angeles and shipped to Brooklyn, creating a globetrotting dish worthy of Nordic Hot Dog Championship glory.
If you missed the Nordic Hot Dog Championship, we understand why you’re upset, but we don’t have any leftovers. Fortunately, NORTH Festival is still going strong until Friday, September 19, so you can still get your Nordic food fix. Catch us at the Nya Carnegie Beer Dinner with Chef Billy White and Chef Andrew Gerson tonight at the NORTH Pop-Up space, or stop by one of the other great events all over the city.