CABINS, W.Va. — Ed Fischer of North Fork Mountain Inn will represent the Mountain State at the sixth annual Great American Seafood Cook-Off in New Orleans on July 18. Fischer is among more than 20 chefs from across the nation who will vie for the title of King or Queen of American Seafood.

Fischer plans to showcase West Virginia’s golden trout from local hatcheries, accompanied by morel mushrooms and ramps that grow wild in the mountains.

“I always fill my kitchen with local, fresh ingredients and buy produce locally in order to reduce my carbon footprint,’’ Fischer said. “Buying locally is important for the environment and helps the West Virginia economy as well.’’

The Great American Seafood Cook-off, presented by the Louisiana Seafood Promotion and Marketing Board, has featured up-and-coming and celebrity chefs over the years, and underscores the importance of cooking with domestic seafood and encourages the use of products from sustainable fisheries. Sig Hansen, the commercial fishing captain who stars in the popular documentary television show “Deadliest Catch,” will host the 2009 Great American Seafood Cook Off.

“Since first introducing the Great American Seafood Cook Off in 2004, we have advanced our cause and also had a lot of fun,” said Ewell Smith, executive producer of the Cook-Off and executive director of the Louisiana Seafood Promotion & Marketing Board. “I look forward to welcoming this talented West Virginia chef to New Orleans this summer.”

Fischer, now a rising star in West Virginia’s culinary arena, left a corporate career in sales and marketing in Indianapolis in 2006 to purchase and run the North Fork Mountain Inn with his wife, Carol. Fischer’s rustic cuisine, which features locally grown ingredients, has become a main attraction at the 10-room inn, a property recognized by Select Registry/Distinguished Inns of North America.

Fischer worked as a chef during his college years, but had not received formal culinary training. He credits his skills to the techniques he learned from his German grandmother and later honed while preparing meals for large groups. He is a French-trained master sommelier, with certification from Gevrey Chambertin in France’s beloved Burgundy wine region.

For more information, log on to www.GreatAmericanSeafoodCookoff.com