Article by Debra Freeman with photos by Fitz
Last week the Culinary Institute of Virginia held their annual Perfect Pairing Competition, and although there are four student competitions each year, this is is the event that everyone clamors to participate in, and is indicative of the kind of innovative and collaborative culture of learning at CIV.
After the students were paired with chef instructors and CIV alumni, each team had to prepare a dish on the spot using nori puffs, frog legs, peaches, cafe du monde, and finger limes for a panel consisting of six judges, including Jesse Wykle of Aloha Snacks, Steven Aldridge, Executive Chef at Hair of the Dog, and Jason Congleton, Executive Chef at the Virginia Aquarium. The ten dishes ranged in originality from Mississippi fried frog legs to dishes that incorporated crispy wontons and lime caviar.
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The ten teams were then whittled down to five for the next round, and the mystery ingredients were revealed; beltfish, forbidden black rice, white asparagus, and mamey sapote (Cuban tree fruit). The culinary creativity continued with beltfish poached in butter with a mamey sapote broth to Cuban roasted pork loin stuffed with beltfish.
Winning dish by Jonathan O’Brian and Elieanna Corbett incorporating the ingredients beltfish, forbidden black rice, white asparagus and mamey sapote
Ultimately, the winning team was Jonathan O’Brien from The Butcher’s Son and CIV sophomore Elieanna Corbett, and this was the first time a team led by a CIV alum won the competition. The judges felt their dish incorporated the elements of presentation, creativity, taste, and ingredient utilization.
For more information about the Culinary Institute of Virginia, visit www.chefva.com
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