Competition Dining: Battle Shiitake Mushrooms
The two competing chefs were thrown a curveball when it was revealed the mushrooms were dried and in powder form.
Posted — UpdatedConklin, a graduate of the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, N.Y., used to work at the Four Seasons Hotel in Manhattan, serving up food for celebrities like Oprah. He also worked as a chef in Limerick, Ireland. Representing Rex, he has won gold and silver medals in healthcare food competitions. Competition Dining is the first time the Rex team has competed against restaurant chefs.
A few weeks ago, Conklin told me that he was ready to show that his team could match knives with the best of them. And he wasn't lying. His team's dishes scored high - we're talking two-time Fire in the Triangle champion Dean Thompson-high - last night!
The mushrooms had to be featured in each chef's three dishes, which had a lot of diners waiting for mushroom ice cream for dessert.
Top of the Hill and Rex each had a great turnout at the meal. They each two tables filled with supporters. One couple at another table sat next to Conklin when he judged competition dining last year. They told him that if he competed this year, they would buy tickets.
The dinner's focus on technology in the kitchen is slowing growing with Competition Dining's Heidi Billotto giving diners live looks from the kitchen. Last night, she showed us how to make a Hail Mary Bloody Mary and then took us into the pantry to see what ingredients the chefs had to choose from when creating their dishes.
The Meal
As with all Competition Dining events, the dishes are served and no one knows who made what until after the scores are tabulated. Here's a rundown of each course, reviews and results. In each round and overall, diners (the Joes) and local chefs (the Pros) grade the dish on aroma, presentation, creativity and other factors. All scores are out of a possible 40 points. The score shown is the final weighed score for each dish.
The mushroom was really showcased nicely in this dish. The sauce and the grits had diners talking for the rest of the meal!
This dish was a let-down. While the beef and molasses reduction were delicious, the mushroom seemed to get lost. The vinaigrette was also a highlight, but overall diners felt the first dish was the one to beat, until they got to course 3!
The highest scoring dish of the night featured butternut squash ketchup and a perfectly cooked filet.
Coquette chef Beth Littljohn, a pro judge for the evening, liked the dish's acidity and balance.
When this dish came out, Heather Conklin said immediately that she knew it wasn't from her husband. "He wouldn't fry something," she said.
The crunch of the crawfish and the mustard butter sauce were great accompaniments. And the duck was tender and full of flavor. It was a favorite of chef Anthony Zanini, a member of the two-time Fire in the Triangle championship team at Flights in North Hills, who served as a pro judge for the evening.
The Shiitake brulee was a great use of the mushrooms. It really gave you just a taste of the mushroom while complimenting the cheesecake. The biscotti also had diners talking. Overall this was a strong dessert, especially for one containing mushrooms.
It took awhile for this dessert to come out and when it did, the mushroom ice cream just tasted like butter pecan. A really, really good butter pecan ice cream, but the mushrooms were virtually non-existent. The dessert was tasty and that is probably why it scored 30 points from both pros and joes.
The Result
Competition Dining founder and host Jimmy Crippen noted that the kitchen was quiet and calm all afternoon. Neither chef seemed to panic. They just got to work and produced great food.
Team TOPO did have an accident in the kitchen. Head catering chef Matt Butler burned his foot while carrying some scalding sauce. He wrapped his foot up and continued cooking.
In the end, Conklin defeated Cleveland by about 5 percentage points. With such high scores, many are talking about Conklin and Rex being the "dark horse" to win this year's Competition Dining title.
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