James Kent to Head Team U.S.A. at Bocuse d'Or

by Jennifer Lawinski, Posted Feb 8th 2010 @ 2:30PM

Keith Ferris, The Culinary Institute of America

James Kent, sous chef at New York City's Eleven Madison Park restaurant, will represent the U.S. at the 2011 Bocuse d'Or cooking competition in Lyon, France, Nation's Restaurant News reported.

He will be assisted by fellow Eleven Madison Park sous chef Tom Allan. Kent beat out 11 other semifinalists from around the country at the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, N.Y. on Saturday.

(Click here for more on the American semifinalists from Slashfood.)

The Bocuse d'Or competition was started in 1987 by French chef Paul Bocuse to "o broaden the public understanding of the rigors involved in culinary excellence," NRN reported. The biannual competition pits teams from 24 countries against one another in a haute-cuisine cook-off.

Each of the 12 semifinalists had five and a half hours to create a meat and a fish platter. This year's choices were Scottish salmon and American spring lamb, NRN reported.

Kent's fish menu featured salmon pavé with leeks, osetra caviar and fumet blanc sauce garnished with a roulade of Alaska king crab, cucumber relish and Meyer lemon, chilled mousse with tartare and roe, and pickled heirloom beets with crème fraîche, dill and black pepper, NRN reported.

His lamb dish was a bacon-wrapped saddle with piquillo peppers and Provençal herbs, vol-au-vent of braised leg with sweetbreads and preserved lemon, zucchini with Lynnhaven chèvre frais cheese and mint, and a tart of tomato confit with basil, Niçois olives and fromage blanc.

The American competition was sponsored by the Bocuse d'Or USA Foundation, created by chefs Daniel Boulud, Thomas Keller and Bocuse's son, Jerome, to support the U.S. team and to draw national attention to the event.

Filed Under: Chefs, Events
Tags: bocuse dor, eleven madison park, james kent, james kent bocuse dor

Chew on This

Royal Wedding Cake Details Revealed! - YumSugar

Make Your Own Pop Tarts - CHOW
Denny's Introduces a Maple Bacon Sundae - Eater
Whole Foods Opening Bars in Stores - USA Today
Rules Of Bar Etiquette -- For The Bartender - HuffPost Food

Reader comments (Page 1 of 1)

2-08-2010 @6:12PM Victor Bruno said... I was under the impression that this was a 'Hot Food' competition...it sounds as if much of Chef Kent's work was presented cold. If so, this puts the other entrants at a disadvantage, as much of the prep could have been done during the three hour period the day prior to the final presentation.
Anyone that is in the know care to comment?
Reply