Sixty plus members and guests were on hand to observe and celebrate the Cincinnati Bailliage’s 9th Annual Young Chef Competition at the Midwest Culinary Institute (MCI) on November 6.
This year’s contest drew twelve aspiring young chefs to compete for the Gold Medal. Each had 90 minutes to prepare their main course and dessert from a mystery basket containing a whole duck and supplemental ingredients from the pantry.
Under the auspices of Chef Rôtisseur Alan Neace, two floor judges and four tasting judges, young chef Nick Ellison won the gold for an unprecedented third time for his creative entrée preparation of Pan Seared Duck with Potato Corn Puree and a dessert of Chocolate Cake with Mixed Berry Coulis, Hazelnut and Apple Puree.
Nick, the Sous Chef for the Jeff Ruby Restaurant Group, will now prepare to compete at the Chaîne’s Midwest Regional Young Chef Competition in Pittsburgh March 25, 2017.
Following the competition, the attendees gathered at MCI’s Summit Restaurant for the customary Dine Around reception to share an assortment of quality wines contributed by the members.
The anxiously anticipated sit-down dinner featured the culinary skill of visiting celebrity chef and MCI graduate Kevin Ashworth who is now executive chef of 610 Magnolia Restaurant in Louisville KY. Chef Ashworth treated the group to a fantastic dinner highlighted at the end with a Banana Cake dessert drizzled with a syrup made with the legendary Pappy Van Winkle Kentucky Bourbon. In departing all agreed that this occasion epitomized the spirit of the Chaîne as an ideal way to “celebrate the table.”
Irwin Weinberg, Bailli Honoraire, Chambellan Provincial
