Maple Leaf Farms Announces 2015 Chef Recipe Contest, Open to Culinary Students
Maple Leaf Farms challenges professional chefs and culinary students to think outside the box when it comes to duck preparation. And to spark their creative juices, Maple Leaf is offering more than $19,000 in prize money in the 2015 Discover Duck Recipe Contest.
This year’s focus is “Duck Redefined,” which encourages participants to create a dish featuring duck as the main ingredient in a non-traditional way. “Our contest encourages chefs to think outside the box beyond just roasted whole duck or a sautéed duck breast,” said Maple Leaf Farms’ director of duck marketing, Cindy Turk. “Duck is such a versatile protein, the possibilities are endless.”
The 2015 Discover Duck Recipe Contest is open to professional chefs and culinary students enrolled in a professional culinary school. Recipe entries must include a Maple Leaf Farms duck product and will be judged according to originality, flavor, accuracy of the recipe and innovative use of duck products. Professional and student recipes will be judged in separate categories, each with its own cash prizes. Entries will be accepted through June 6, 2015.
Professional chefs will vie for a $10,000 Grand prize and four additional finalist prizes of $1,000 each. The top student competitor will win $2,500 with $500 awards going to four additional finalists. In addition, the winning student’s culinary program will receive a selection of duck products valued at $1,000. The decision of the judging panel will be final.
The contest is open to U.S. residents, 18 years old or older. Entrants must be one of the following: professional chef, sous chef or lead line cook in a restaurant or noncommercial foodservice establishment, or a student currently enrolled in a professional culinary program.
Complete contest rules and entry details are available online at www.mapleleaffarms.com/chefcontest. All entries must be postmarked or submitted online no later than June 6, 2015.
Photo:The 2014 Discover Duck Grand Prize Winner, Duck & Sweet Plantain Lasagna Pastelon, by Daniel Ramos, executive sous chef of Quail Ridge Country Club in Boynton Beach, Fla.