The winner of the Russian stage of the Chaine des Rotisseurs, young chefs' competition, which took place yesterday at the Grand Hotel Europe, has been announced. The first prize of the competition went to Pavel Belyalov (L'Europe and Caviar Bar restaurants). In September 2010, Pavel will represent Russia at the international final of the competition in Helsinki, Finland.
Second prize was awarded to Maria Egorova from the Stroganoff Steak House, while Olga Baranova from the Sheraton Palace hotel in Moscow took the bronze medal. Maria and Olga were the only female chefs taking part in the competition. As the jury noted, competition between contestants was very high, and the differences between scores were minimal.
Eight chefs from St. Petersburg and Moscow took part in the final of the Russian stage of the competition. Under the rules of the competition, restaurants which belong to the Chaine des Rotisseurs put forward a candidate under 27 years old who has passed the preliminary round.
This year, the following establishments were represented at the competition: the Balchug Kempinski and Sheraton Palace hotels in Moscow, the St. Petersburg restaurants Stroganoff Steak House, Stroganoff Bar and Grill, Fish House, Russian Vodka Room No. 1, and L'Europe restaurant at the Grand Hotel Europe.
At the beginning of the competition, each contestant was given a basket of 108 different ingredients, including meat, fish, bouillon, vegetables, salad leaves, herbs, fruits, berries, alcohol and other items.
The contestants' task was to use the ingredients to devise and prepare a three-course meal for four people: a starter, main course and dessert. To add to the challenge, one of the ingredients from the basket — sterlet — had to be included. Since the international final of the competition will take place in Finland, the organisers selected a food item typically used in Scandinavian cuisine.
Pavel Belyalov's winning menu included the following dishes:
- Sterlet and sea scallop mousse served with salmon confit and cauliflower and green asparagus puree;
- Rack of lamb with herbs, served with duck breast Parmentier, mashed potatoes and steamed vegetables;
- Banana parfait with strawberry saute and forest berries.
The panel of judges includes both a jury of professionals and another of non-professional members of the Chaine des Rotisseurs, who assess the taste qualities of the dishes prepared, as well as their presentation and originality.
In addition to this, professional chefs present in the kitchen observe the cooking techniques, use of ingredients and professionalism, and check that technology is used correctly and that the time limit is obeyed. Extra points are awarded for cleanliness and organised work in the kitchen.
As a result, the three-tier system of judging is as objective as possible, since every dish is assessed by a chef, restaurateur and end consumer. This year, the jury included: Dmitry Zhurkin (Bon Vin wine cellar), Vladimir Efimov (Sheraton Palace hotel), Sepp Dendel (Viking Line), Lizette Bota (Park Inn Pribaltiiskaya), Valentin Komisin (Ambassador hotel), Marina Petrova (Baltiets hotel) and others.
