Caribbean Junior Chef Competition: Culinary Heritage Edition St. Thomas, U.S.V.I Official Rules and Guidelines Designed by: Prof. Daina Soto-Sellers Jose A. (Tony) Santana International School of Hospitality & Culinary Arts 1
DESCRIPTION The Caribbean Junior Chef Competition: Culinary Heritage Edition is a competition organized and sponsored by José A. (Tony) Santana International School of Hospitality and Culinary Arts in Puerto Rico. The competition will provide a platform for young chef apprentices, to demonstrate their culinary skills in front of top chefs and general audience. The competition is aimed at spreading Caribbean Gastronomical Culture by heightening local products with both traditional and creative Caribbean preparations. OBJECTIVES Offer an opportunity for students to showcase their skills at the Ultimate Flavors of the Island event in front of important celebrity chefs from the Caribbean and the United States. Promote the passion for using sustainable/local foods amongst young chefs apprentices, guest celebrity chefs and general audience. Acknowledge the importance of the local farmers, fishermen and the Department of Agriculture. Promote Universidad del Este s José A. (Tony) Santana International School of Hospitality and Culinary Arts in Puerto Rico as a closer option for U.S.V.I students to pursue a culinary arts degree in higher education. COMPETITION The competition is open to the following schools: St. Thomas- Charlotte Amalie High School and Ivanna Eudora Kean High School St. Croix- St. Croix Career and Technical Education (CTEC) BVI - H. Lavity Stoutt Culinary School Each school will pre select teams of three (3) students (two students to prepare and cook and a third student who will work as an assistant). The teams will have a total of 45 minutes (including cleaning time) to prepare a three portion hot or cold appetizer (2-3 ounce portion each) featuring a given secret ingredient while heightening Caribbean gastronomy. Guest top chefs will mentor students during the competition by providing hands-off guidance in creative ideas, cooking techniques and safety during the preparation of their final dish. It is highly recommended to practice your teams previous the competition to enable a better highlight of their skills. 2
GENERAL GUIDELINES Competition will be held Friday May, 29 2015 from 12:30pm to 5:00pm. There will be two (2) school teams cooking simultaneously per round for a total of 4 participating school teams. Each team must bring their knife kits and small tools (all equipment brought should be labeled with your team name). Each school will have a three (3) student team: o Two students will conceptualize, prepare and cook the final dish. o The third student will serve as a runner to assist in gathering equipment, organizing and cleaning. The assistant cannot cut, prepare or cook any part of the dish. o Team members must be currently enrolled in the school s culinary program. Each team must have an Adult Team Supervisor who is present for the duration of the competition. Team Supervisors must be a school employee, Chef or Adult Representative of their organization. During the competitions all competitors must be dressed in their school s chef s attire. (Chef s pants, chef s shoes with socks, hat, apron, safety towels and a clean, pressed chef s coat). Teams must meet these guidelines to be able to compete. The teams will have a total of 45 minutes (including cleaning time) to prepare a three portion hot or cold appetizer (2-3 ounce portion each) featuring a given secret ingredient while heightening Caribbean gastronomy. o The secret ingredient will be a fruit or vegetable that will be revealed at the competition. o The appetizer must feature the mandatory mystery ingredient which must be profound and stand out in the final dish. For example the mandatory ingredient should not be incorporated as a garnish or a side note or after thought. o The appetizer should have the appropriate accompaniments, garnishes, and sauces to create a balanced plate. o Students must demonstrate clean, crisp workmanship and proper color, presentation and flavor combinations should be displayed. o A guest top chef will mentor students during the competition by providing hands-off guidance in creative ideas, cooking techniques and safety during the preparation of their final dish. o It is highly recommended to practice your teams previous the competition to enable a better highlight of their skills. 3
All ingredients, plates and equipment will be supplied (please refer to EQUIPMENT and INGREDIENT sections). Competitors are not allowed to bring in any other ingredients. Final dish will be presented on a uniform plate provided by the competition. Contestants will have a total of 45 minutes distributed as follows: o 5 minutes to see the common pantry area. o 5 minutes to establish and write name and description of their appetizer. o 25 minutes to prepare and cook. o 5 minutes to plate and present their final dish to the judges. o 5 minutes to clean up and exit station. Competitors will be penalized in scoring if plates are not delivered to judges in 30 minutes or if the station is not cleaned after exiting. o There will be a 1 point deduction for each minute late (with a maximum of a 5 minute delay). o The assistant will help in cleaning and delivering plates to the judges. o There will be a 5 point deduction if the station is not cleaned after exiting. o Each school may pick two (2) more students to assist in the final cleaning of the station, but no more than a total of 5 students per school will be allowed in the kitchen area. The other 2 students will only join the kitchen area once the plates are delivered to the judges and must finish cleaning while competitors are explaining their dish for the final tasting. Teams must provide their own knives, small wares, additional cookware, and/or small appliances. No additional heat source may be used during preparation. EQUIPMENT: The competition will provide the teams with the following equipment to use during the competition: 4 burners 2 per team Small electric fryer to be shared by both teams A 3 in 1 hand blender (with food processor and whisk attachments) 1 per team 1 blender to be shared by both teams Sauce pots 2 per team Sauté pans 2 per team Mixing bowls 3 per team Cutting boards 2 per team 4
Small plating dishes 3 per team The competition will also provide with the following materials: Plates and Taste-test serving utensils for judging/presentation Food service gloves Containers for mise en place Cleaning supplies Dish cloths and paper towels Containers for dirty dishes Trash container with liner Heavy Duty (at least 12 gauge) 3-prong extension cord JUDGING The Judging panel is comprised of 3 judges. The teams will be judge using a 50-point scale distributed as follows: CRITERIA POSSIBLE POINTS Sanitation, Food Handling and Organization 0-10 Serving Methods and Presentation 0-5 (Fresh and colorful, easy to eat, closely placed items, hot/cold serving plate, stylistic but practical) Portion Size 0-5 (serving size equals an appetizer portion for an individual serving) Creativity (utilization of mystery ingredient) and Ingredient Compatibility 0-10 (Is the mystery ingredient used properly to complement with other ingredients heightening color, flavor, and texture?) Culinary and Cooking Techniques, Proper Execution and Doneness 0 15 (Do the specified major ingredients carry the dominant flavors? Do the components fit together? Are cooking techniques properly executed?) Timing / Work Flow (1 point deduction for each minute late) 0-5 **Note: There will be a 5 point deduction from total score if station is not cleaned after exiting. 5
POSSIBLE LIST OF INGREDIENTS Fresh Produce Spanish onions Garlic Ginger Leeks Scallions Cilantro Parsley Tarragon Thyme Tubers Bell peppers Celery Plantains Potatoes Corn Okra Lettuce Mix greens Hot peppers Avocado Tomatoes Mangoes Papaya Guava Oranges Lemons Limes Grapefruit EGGS AND DAIRY Butter Heavy cream Milk PANTRY ITEMS Olive oil Vegetable oil Cider vinegar Honey Dijon mustard Olives Capers Piquillo peppers Garbanzo beans Mayonnaise Tomato sauce Tomato paste Coconut milk Stocks Cheese Eggs All-purpose flour Cornmeal Cornstarch Breadcrumbs / Panko Cinnamon Nutmeg Allspice Star anise Cumin Curry powder Salt and pepper Brown Sugar 6
If you have questions about any of the provided information please contact Chef Daina Soto- Sellers at dsoto19@suagm.edu 7