Pierpont Culinary Academy won the West Virginia Junior Hot Food Competition for the third year in a row on Friday. Team members: Maria Provencher, Captain; Joseph White; Ted Hastings; Brandon Show; and Ryan Contraski advanced to the American Culinary Federation Northeast Regional Competition.
The team will face the top culinary schools from each state in the Northeast to be held in Columbus, OH in March, 2011. The team’s coach, Chef Jay R. Mahoney, CEC said, “I am incredibly proud of this group. They put in a tremendous number of hours in preparation for this victory.”
Pierpont Culinary Academy outscored Carver Culinary Center (Charleston), Mount West Culinary (formerly, Marshall in Huntington), and the National Institute for Culinary Arts at Mountain State University (Beckley) to secure the win.
The event was judged by Chef Alan Nease, CEC, AAC and Chef Brian Campbell, CEC, CCE. Teams were required to compete in two phases: Skills Phase and Four Course Preparation.
During the Phase I relay, teams have 80 minutes to complete four pre-determined skills. Ryan Contraski began the relay by fabricating a chicken, Brandon Show filleted a fish, Joseph White had to demonstrate a number of technical knife cuts with the vegetable preparation, and Ted Hastings anchored the team and finished with pastry preparation.
First year freshman Brandon Show said, “I was really nervous to start, but I just concentrated on filleting the fish, and didn’t think about the judges standing nearby. I still don’t feel I had practiced enough, but somehow at the competition, it was the best filleting job I have ever done.”
Brandon was working with a unique product. Pierpont featured farm-raised striped bass from Morgantown, but not just any striped bass. WVU Aquaculture Research Associate, Daniel Miller and his team, provided the fish for the team. In fact, Chef Jay Mahoney and team member Ted Hastings visited the Dogwood Lake Research Thursday morning to select just the right fish before they left for the competition.
The fish was grown as part of the West Virginia University Aquaculture Product and Marketing Development Project. Consol Energy pumps water to the surface for treatment to remove iron and discharges it into a stream. The WVU Aquaculture Team captures the new clear water to grow fish. Water flows by gravity at 400 gallons per minute continuously through the system.
During the Phase II Four Course Competition, Ted Hastings featured the fish as the centerpiece of his appetizer course: Crisp-Skin WV Striped Bass with Cantalini Bean Puree, and Wilted Spinach.
“The judges loved the dish,” said Hastings. “They liked the freshness, and we prepared it with a very crispy skin. They commented on how well the crisp skin contrasted with the delicate tasty meat.”
The salad course was served next by Brandon Show. The plate featured Mixed Greens, Mustard Vinaigrette, and Saffron Cracker. The entrée is a required classical dish known as Poulet Sauté a la Catalane. Joseph White prepared the dish which featured sautéed chicken, chipalota sausage, chestnuts, green beans, and tourneed potatoes.
Maria Provencher, Team Captain, completed the Four Course with a beautiful Chocolate Mousse and Chocolate Croquantine Cake, Hazelnut Florentine, Brandied Cherries and Orange-Cardamom Sauce. “I practiced components of the dessert for over three months. We continuously tried to refine it, and come up with just the right combination of flavors and the ideal plated design.”
Provencher was equally as pleased with the team’s performance, “I was very pleased with the team’s execution and professionalism. The judges said we worked well together. They commented on our relaxed work flow, and how well we helped each other during preparation.”
With the team’s victory, Pierpont has won the last three state titles and five of the last seven years. Team Coach Chef Jay R. Mahoney, CEC Culinary Coordinator, attributes the team’s success to hard work and a great attitude. “This is a special group of students,” said Mahoney. “They have worked for months on perfecting their dishes and honing their craft. These students were judged on international standards, and they have proven that they are capable of extraordinary things under extreme pressure. Through it all, each of them kept a great attitude, and I couldn’t be more proud.”
The students are judged separately against an internationally recognized 40 point scale. Overall the team scored 32.6, which qualified them to receive ACF Silver Medals. “The medals were icing on top of an already delicious cake,” said Chef Brian A. Floyd, CEC, Executive Director of Pierpont Culinary Academy. “Chef Mahoney and these students are terrific ambassadors Pierpont Community & Technical College. I know they will represent West Virginia well at the next level.”
The team will face the top culinary schools from each state in the Northeast to be held in Columbus, OH in March, 2011. The team’s coach, Chef Jay R. Mahoney, CEC said, “I am incredibly proud of this group. They put in a tremendous number of hours in preparation for this victory.”
Pierpont Culinary Academy outscored Carver Culinary Center (Charleston), Mount West Culinary (formerly, Marshall in Huntington), and the National Institute for Culinary Arts at Mountain State University (Beckley) to secure the win.
The event was judged by Chef Alan Nease, CEC, AAC and Chef Brian Campbell, CEC, CCE. Teams were required to compete in two phases: Skills Phase and Four Course Preparation.
During the Phase I relay, teams have 80 minutes to complete four pre-determined skills. Ryan Contraski began the relay by fabricating a chicken, Brandon Show filleted a fish, Joseph White had to demonstrate a number of technical knife cuts with the vegetable preparation, and Ted Hastings anchored the team and finished with pastry preparation.
First year freshman Brandon Show said, “I was really nervous to start, but I just concentrated on filleting the fish, and didn’t think about the judges standing nearby. I still don’t feel I had practiced enough, but somehow at the competition, it was the best filleting job I have ever done.”
Brandon was working with a unique product. Pierpont featured farm-raised striped bass from Morgantown, but not just any striped bass. WVU Aquaculture Research Associate, Daniel Miller and his team, provided the fish for the team. In fact, Chef Jay Mahoney and team member Ted Hastings visited the Dogwood Lake Research Thursday morning to select just the right fish before they left for the competition.
The fish was grown as part of the West Virginia University Aquaculture Product and Marketing Development Project. Consol Energy pumps water to the surface for treatment to remove iron and discharges it into a stream. The WVU Aquaculture Team captures the new clear water to grow fish. Water flows by gravity at 400 gallons per minute continuously through the system.
During the Phase II Four Course Competition, Ted Hastings featured the fish as the centerpiece of his appetizer course: Crisp-Skin WV Striped Bass with Cantalini Bean Puree, and Wilted Spinach.
“The judges loved the dish,” said Hastings. “They liked the freshness, and we prepared it with a very crispy skin. They commented on how well the crisp skin contrasted with the delicate tasty meat.”
The salad course was served next by Brandon Show. The plate featured Mixed Greens, Mustard Vinaigrette, and Saffron Cracker. The entrée is a required classical dish known as Poulet Sauté a la Catalane. Joseph White prepared the dish which featured sautéed chicken, chipalota sausage, chestnuts, green beans, and tourneed potatoes.
Maria Provencher, Team Captain, completed the Four Course with a beautiful Chocolate Mousse and Chocolate Croquantine Cake, Hazelnut Florentine, Brandied Cherries and Orange-Cardamom Sauce. “I practiced components of the dessert for over three months. We continuously tried to refine it, and come up with just the right combination of flavors and the ideal plated design.”
Provencher was equally as pleased with the team’s performance, “I was very pleased with the team’s execution and professionalism. The judges said we worked well together. They commented on our relaxed work flow, and how well we helped each other during preparation.”
With the team’s victory, Pierpont has won the last three state titles and five of the last seven years. Team Coach Chef Jay R. Mahoney, CEC Culinary Coordinator, attributes the team’s success to hard work and a great attitude. “This is a special group of students,” said Mahoney. “They have worked for months on perfecting their dishes and honing their craft. These students were judged on international standards, and they have proven that they are capable of extraordinary things under extreme pressure. Through it all, each of them kept a great attitude, and I couldn’t be more proud.”
The students are judged separately against an internationally recognized 40 point scale. Overall the team scored 32.6, which qualified them to receive ACF Silver Medals. “The medals were icing on top of an already delicious cake,” said Chef Brian A. Floyd, CEC, Executive Director of Pierpont Culinary Academy. “Chef Mahoney and these students are terrific ambassadors Pierpont Community & Technical College. I know they will represent West Virginia well at the next level.”
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