Photo courtesy of Dwight Hudgins
Somewhere in the Caribbean, a new food competition show features Largo’s own Dwight Hudgins, aka The Dreaded Fisherman as a contestant. Chopped Castaways premiered on May 12 on the Food Network.
On the show, 12 chefs battle outdoors on an unspecified island — with no electricity and kitchens they had to build themselves with scavenged materials — as they vie for the $100,000 grand prize.
Hosted by Food Network staple Ted Allen, television chefs Gabe Bertaccini, Maneet Chauhan, and Marcus Samuelsson serve as the judges making the tough decisions of who will move forward — and who will end up on the chopping block.
Hudgins, who with his wife Sharon Young own Barbara’s Kitchen in Largo, said the show’s producers found him on social media and reached out to him via email. He said they probably saw his Instagram page, which is full of posts about his pole-to-table fish dishes and feasts with exotic meats, like alligator.
Preparation Is Everything
“I love fishing and hunting … I’m a naturalist,” Hudgins said. “So everything that I like to do is natural cooking. I don’t use a microwave. I don’t use air fryers. I’m basically cast iron, you know, wood and fire and anything that we caught, hunted or fished.
“It’s all in the prep, in the processing of the meats and the wild foraged vegetables and mushrooms and things along that nature,” he said.
Photo courtesy of Dwight Hudgins
All those skills and others served him well on the first episode of Chopped Castaways. Hudgins is also a trained architect, so he took the lead on building his team’s kitchen. He kept the fires going and cooked a goat leg in a way that the judges appreciated.
No spoilers, but viewers can expect to see Hudgins in episode two.
To prepare for the competition, Young set timers for Hudgins because he’s accustomed to doing long, slow, ten-hour cooks on his hand-built smoker and had to adjust to cooking in 20-40 minutes, he said.
Despite the island’s rough weather, (“the island didn’t seem to want us there,” Hudgins said) the experience was exciting and fun for Hudgins.
“It was a blast,” he said. “There were chefs from different countries that came together for this, which made it really, really cool.”
Photo courtesy of Dwight Hudgins
Jams, Salsas, and Seasonings
Folks can taste Hudgins’ cooking, as well as that of Young, who has a culinary degree, in multiple ways around Tampa Bay.
At their Largo storefront, they sell Young’s all-natural jams, jellies, butters, and salsas, as well as Hudgins’ organic seasonings. They also offer cooking classes that include a history lesson about the food. They have a tea line called Brie and Tiffany, and offer afternoon and high tea parties at the restaurant.
Hudgins and Young also pop up at the Madeira Beach Market, serving smoked meats complemented by the jams and salsas. Their products are also in stock at Stella’s Divine Wine and Gourmet in Gulfport.
The more adventurous eater can visit Barbara’s Kitchen on June 21 for a Father’s Day edition of Wild Game Night, featuring parrot fish, kangaroo and quail, complete with desserts that Young makes and tea.
Watch Chopped Castaways
Chopped Castaways airs Tuesdays at 9 p.m. on Food Network and is available to stream on Wednesdays on HBO Max.
Barbara’s Kitchen is located at 12508 Starkey Road, Largo. Visit barbaraskitchenjams.com and follow Hudgins on Instagram (@thedreadedfisherma).
Keep Your Community Local: Donate Now To Support Us
Donate now to support The Gabber Newspaper. The owners of the paper take no income from the paper. Every penny donated helps keep your community news hyperlocal. And everyone who earns their living working at The Gabber Newspaper lives in Gulfport and St. Petersburg. Most of our freelancers live here, too. We support our community; please support us.
The Gabber Newspaper? Yeah, We Go There.
Did you know: In 1968, our founder, George Brann, started The Gabber Newspaper, then called the Gulfport Gabber, to hold Gulfport City Council accountable. Read more of our city council coverage, and learn about our policies on reporting, fact-checking, and funding.
Get all your Gulfport and Tampa Bay beaches news and things to do at thegabber.com.
