Foodie adventures
On Invitation
Jeunes Chefs Rôtisseurs 2013 - (National Young Chefs Competition)
Friday, March 01, 2013Me! In words
Sometimes you just have to let the pictures do the talking (Do watch this in full screen, with preferably a full tummy and remember to press the play button). What you see in the slide show up there are 3 amazing courses each, set out by 17 budding chefs from across the country. Such talent came under one roof - that of Taj Vivanta Whitefield for the the first ever Concours de l’Inde des Jeunes Chefs Rôtisseurs 2013 - (National Young Chefs Competition or JCR). This was being held in the country for the first time by the Bangalore Bailliage (chapter) of the La Chaîne des Rôtisseurs the world's premiere gastronomy society. All of the chefs were below 27 years old with less than 5 years of professional experience. Their task was to cook three courses and battle it out for the first prize of representing the country at Istanbul, at the International JCR 2013.
Since this is more of a visual post... here goes
Rishad Minocher detailed the rules and regulations of the competition and took questions till it was time to head to the cooking area.
The chefs were attentive and had several pertinent questions to clarify
All the contents of the black box and the open pantry were from Auchan. While we waited for the gong to signal that the boxes could be opened, we tool a looke at the produce kept for use.
Fresh vegetables and greens
A host of ingredients, including stocks for use
Poultry and meats
Dried fruits, oils, spices sauces and dressings
A look at individual cooking stations. Each chef also had access to ovens,
BBQs, fridges, mixers and more
BBQs, fridges, mixers and more
This was once the box was opened and to us it was the lone avocado that was the surprise. Click on the picture for a detailed list of all that was available for the chefs to cook with
As the gong rang, some looked for last minute instructions...
Others took the zen-like approach... They had half an hour to chart out a menu followed by the cooking time
Some brought along their personal equipment to the arena....
The chefs has 3.5 hours excluding plating time to cook. They chopped...
They strained...
They whisked...
They boiled....
And they prepped...
Finally they served a distinguished panel of judges.
The slide show at the beginning details all 51 dishes
The slide show at the beginning details all 51 dishes
While the chefs were busy doing all this, we were allowed to walk around and watch them at work and take our photos. When we were not doing that, we indulged in the little bites that were constantly being replenished at the counters. What you see here is just one part of the spread. Lovely stuff.
It was an amazing day that culminated into an evening of cocktails and the announcement of the results. For a competition being organized for the first time in the country, I would say it was a stupendous success. Ruma Singh, Aslam Gafoor, Rishad Minocher and everyone on your team deserve a huge round of applause. Taj Vivanta played the ideal host for the venue with the nice, open green space providing a beautiful backdrop.
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