Contests showcase culinary excellence

SANDY — They came. They cooked. They conquered.

The annual Nicholas & Co. Food Show attracts thousands of restaurateurs and food-service providers who avidly taste-test product samples.

But it also offers chefs a chance to compete in various culinary contests throughout the two-day show at the South Towne Expo Center.

Tuesday's premier cook-off was the Ultimate Chef Challenge, where four teams cooked against the clock. The grand prize? A chance to cook at Chefdance, the ritzy Park City event during the Sundance Film Festival. In past years, celebrity chefs such as Tyler Florence and Rocco DiSpirito have headlined the event.

"We wanted to get more local chefs involved in Chefdance, and it's a great advertisement for a restaurant," said Michael Nook, the executive chef with Nicholas & Co. who helped organize the competitions.

The culinary contests showcase local talent, Nook said, "and it gives the chefs a chance to have fun competing. And obviously it all relates back to selling more groceries."

The air was fragrant with aromas of fresh herbs and seared meats as the teams sliced, stirred and sauteed. When the smoke cleared, the winning team was John Murcko and Clement Gelas of Talisker Mountain Inc., a golf club in Park City.

Their skewered lobster and soy beef dish was served on two large stones, heated up to more than 600 degrees.

"When you are searing it like this, the juices go to the middle, and it will melt in your mouth," Murcko said.

Apparently the judges agreed.

The other Talisker dishes were Yorkshire pudding with wasabi creamed spinach; a shepherd pie topped with potato "foam," oxtail consomme; and a Bloody Mary salad.

Trying to defend their title from last year were Adam Vickers and Robert Perkins of Tuscany, and Franck Peissel of Franck's.

Cooking from The Trio Group were Mikel Trapp, Matt Carlson and Billy Sotelo of Fresco.

Lugano had owner Greg Neville with Wyatt Jones and Jonah Hornsby.

The "mystery ingredient" turned out to be a 24-pound beef short loin. The chefs heaved the meat to their work stations, pulled out their butcher knives and carved the meat into steaks.

The chefs showcased unusual cooking methods and equipment. Neville brought his own pasta roller to make ravioli, which required an extra electricity hook-up. The Franck's/Tuscany group used a sous-vide method of vacuum-sealing their tenderloin and cooking it at 135 degrees for an hour to keep it juicy and tender.

Trapp's team did butter-poached prime beef, as well as raw beef carpaccio and tartare served with a quail egg.

Trapp said the chance to cook at Chefdance is a great opportunity for some of the younger chefs.

"But I like to compete because of the camaraderie with the restaurant community," he added. "We're always cooking and don't often get a chance to rub shoulders with the other chefs."

Earlier in the day, Myosook Lee, a Utah Valley University student, took a gold medal in the American Culinary Federation Beehive Chef's Competition that involved nine student and professional chefs. On Wednesday, Nicholas is sponsoring a Salad Creation Competition and the Nicco Cup Challenge, involving five culinary schools.

E-mail:vphillips@desnews.com