Newman foundation wins $10,000 from cookoff

TALLADEGA, Ala. -- Ryan Newman's beer battered fried catfish recipe was chosen as the winner in the NASCAR Catfish Cookoff, earning the Ryan Newman Foundation a $10,000 donation.

A panel of judges which included NASCAR President Mike Helton chose Newman's recipe over Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s baked catfish stuffed with gumbo.

Newman's fried catfish with its unique beer batter was a unanimous choice among the judges. Earnhardt's dish, which is served in the trophy room at Dale Earnhardt Incorporated headquarters, also received praise from the judges.

Catfish fillets were stuffed with a unique gumbo and served over grits. The two recipes were judged on the basis of taste, visual appeal, ease of preparation and use of catfish.

The contest was sponsored by the Catfish Institute, a non-profit organization comprised of growers and processors of U.S. farm-raised catfish, to build awareness for America's leading farmed fish.

"Catfish is the favorite fish of NASCAR fans," said Roger Barlow, President of the Catfish Institute. "U.S. farm-raised catfish is an all-American product and a healthful, safe choice; consumers have the satisfaction of knowing that it is farmed in an environmentally responsible way."