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News

Aspiring chef takes fifth place in culinary contest

by REBECCA DAOUD
The Daily Cougar

A student from the Hilton College of Hotel and Restaurant Management won fifth place in the Southwest Regional Young Chefs Competition that was held at the UH Hilton on March 11.

HRM junior, Justin Yu, was chosen to represent the University in the event.

The chefs received the same mystery basket and had 30 minutes to write a menu, three and a half hours of kitchen time and 30 minutes to plate their dishes.

Siegfried Lang, the executive chef of Continental Airlines, coordinated the entire event. 

The kitchen stations were equipped with double sinks, double ovens and a four-burner stove. 

Each chef was given an array of fresh herbs, vegetables, meat stocks, vinegars and liquors, the collection being referred to as the "par stock" to spice up their dishes.

The only thing the chefs were required to bring were some supplies such as cutlery, whisks and graters, but had the option of bringing their own pots and pans to the competition.

The mystery baskets included shrimp, scallops, veal tenderloins, crimini mushrooms, chayote squash, fresh leeks, fresh mango, oranges, mache salad, couverture (chocolate) and flour tortillas.

The chefs had to use these ingredients to make a three-course meal for four people.

Judging criteria includes 50 percent of the chef's points going toward their kitchen technique, taste is worth 20 percent and presentation and originality are each worth 10 percent.

After all the chefs had finished in the kitchen, each of their courses were displayed for their parents and sponsors to see.

"Time went by fast, especially when it came down to the plating," Yu said.

Yu made shrimp mousse wrapped in crispy potato, pan-seared sea scallops and a puree of chayote squash with brown butter leek froth for his appetizer. 

For his main course, he slow-poached the veal tenderloin in a soy and mushroom puree with roasted crimini mushrooms and a confit of shallot.

He decided to finish the meal off with a "breakfast for dessert" theme and created sugar and spice pancakes, orange juice and chocolate sauce, fruit and sour cream salad and a churro flavored tortilla.

"I really learned a lot from this competition, and while I am happy to have won fifth place," Yu said. "I now know what they are looking for and hope to win first prize next year."

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