Some of the ingredients in
this post were provided by Melissa’s Produce,
Springer Mountain Farms, Bolner’s Fiesta Brand, and Happy Chef but the opinions expressed here
are my own.
Our morning started early as
we loaded up on carbs and caffeine at the hotel breakfast in anticipation of
the day’s events. Although it was my second year of competition, I couldn’t shake
the nervousness. It was a bit of a relief that we were only 8 minutes from The Wharf this time, versus the previous year’s
hour-long trek to the venue. With our kitchen tools and ingredients packed up,
it was time to head into battle, Battle: Chicken!
We got there early and sat at
one of the picnic tables outside the Kitchen Arena. We started seeing other
teams arriving. That’s when a sudden realization washed over me. I had forgotten
my Happy Chef chef coat in our hotel room!!! My hubby came to the rescue and
was back with my chef coat just in time for the cook’s meeting. Geez! I need to
put this on the packing list next time!
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| Credit: World Food Championships |
The World Chicken Championship Opening Round is 2 hours of live cooking. The first hour is the Structured Build. For the chicken category, the structured dish was Chicken Parmesan, defined as “A piece of chicken that is topped with tomato sauce, mozzarella, parmesan or provolone. Chicken can be prepared in various ways that include, but are not limited to, breaded, fried, or baked.” The second hour is the Signature Dish where it is the competitor’s choice, as long as it fit the theme of chicken to receive maximum points.
In preparation for the Chicken
Parmesan Structured Build, I had to test the recipe. Being a food writer, I was
fortunate to have sampled this dish in restaurants all over the country. Now it
was time to prepare it in my own kitchen. After preparing a generic version of Chicken
Parmesan, it was time to think a little outside of the box. After a month of
testing, I finally got it down to a recipe I was happy with. Then, I started playing
with presentation. How do I present it, so it looks appetizing? What kind/size
of plates do I use? How big or small should I make the presentation piece and
judges’ samples? Keep in mind the presentation plate and 5 judges’ samples need
to fit on one 20” x 13.75” oval silver platter and nothing can extend more that
3 inches off the edges or elevated more than 3 inches above the platter.
After months of practice, it
was time to show the judges my take on a Chicken Parmesan. Everyone has seen a
typical chicken parmesan – breaded chicken breast topped with marinara sauce
and melted mozzarella cheese served with or atop a bed of pasta. I took all the
elements of a chicken parmesan but baked it in a pastry dough as you would a
beef wellington. The outside of the pastry had a golden baked shine,
criss-crossed with golden brown shredded parmesan, and dotted with thinly
sliced tomatoes and black olives. My Chicken Parmington scored 97.5 out of 100.
Serves 4
Ingredients:
½ cup grated
Parmigiano-Reggiano-Pecorino Romano blend
1 tbsp Bolner’s Fiesta Brand granulated
garlic powder
1 tbsp dried oregano
1 + ¼ tsp Kosher salt
½ tsp Bolner’s Fiesta Brand ground
black pepper
4 Springer Mountain Farms Boneless
Skinless chicken breasts
12 slices provolone cheese
4 oz. can, sliced black
olives
2 cans Pillsbury Crescent
Dough Sheets
24 oz. jar Bertolli Organic Basil & Garlic sauce
2 large eggs
2 cups shredded parmesan
1 Roma tomato, firm, thinly
sliced for garnish
Basil leaves, for garnish
Oregano leaves, for garnish
Cherry tomatoes, for garnish
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, add grated parmesan cheese, granulated garlic, dried oregano, 1 tsp kosher salt, and pepper. Toss to combine, then set aside.
- Thinly slice tomatoes. Place between paper towels and set aside.
- Cut chicken breasts in half, pound to ½” thick, and trim into 4” squares.
- In small bowl, whisk eggs with ¼ tsp salt. Set aside.
- Unroll crescent roll dough and cut in half. Flatten with hands on parchment paper. Cut dough in half to make 2 squares.
- Place 3 slices provolone cheese in the center of crescent roll dough square. Place 2 tablespoon of sauce (at room temperature) on top of cheese. Layer on 1 tablespoon olives and 1 tablespoon parmesan mixture. Top with chicken breast and 1 tablespoon parmesan mixture.
- Fold up opposite corners of the dough to wrap up the chicken. Pinch up seams and any holes that might have opened while stretching dough around chicken. Flip over and place on parchment paper so that seams are facing down.
- Brush outside with egg wash. Place thinly sliced tomatoes in a flower petal pattern from center. Sprinkle shredded parmesan and olives on top.
- Bake for 30 minutes.
- Heat remaining sauce on low.
- Remove from oven and garnish with a side of marinara sauce, fresh basil and oregano leaves, and cherry tomatoes. Serve immediately.
What an exciting day! After
being under pressure for 2 hours, it was time to unwind, wash dishes/aprons,
and get some lunch!
For more information:
If you enjoyed this post,
continue reading these:
- 2017 World Food Championships: World Recipe Championship Top 10 Round + Recipe
- 2017 World Food Championships: Bacon World Championship Top 10 Round
- 2017 World Food Championships: World Recipe Championship Opening Round + 2 Recipes
- 2017 World Food Championships: Bacon World Championship Opening Round
- Inside look at the sandwich and burger first round competitions at the World Food Championships
