ICC 2010: the dishes

Once again, Starchefs gathered together some of the most talented chefs from around the world to share ideas and techniques at the 5th Annual International Chefs Congress.

The event kicked off with a panel discussion on this year's theme: Art vs. Craft. Present on the panel were chefs Dan Barber, David Kinch, and Thomas Keller, with Michael Rhulman moderating. The discussion brought up some thoughtful points about intent and perception. While Barber and Kinch were willing to entertain the notion of chef/artist, Keller adamantly stated that he was a craftsman, not an artist. The consensus seemed to be that it was hubris for chefs to label themselves as "artists", though it was OK for the consumer to do so. The lack of a radically opposed point of view, which would have added another dimension to the conversation, became apparent when Barber admitted that the panel was mostly  ''vanilla' on the subject.  

Here are most of the dishes prepared on the main stage over the course of three days:

DAN HUNTER            Royal Mail  Dunkeld, Australia

Giving Art and Craft in Cooking the Royal Treatment

Chef Hunter is a protégé of Andoni Luis Aduriz of Mugaritz. His cooking is driven by a passion for indigenous Australian ingredients, some of which he brought from his garden to share with the audience. Included were herbs largely unknown to North America: saltbush and bonefruit. His dishes reflect a strong sense of place; or terroir.

  
 calamari seasoned with bonito powder and lemon-infused olive oil 
 marine essence mussel broth infused with lemongrass, galangal, ginger 
 dried lychee  •  saltwort  •  saltbush
 

 
pan-seared oyster •  grapefruit jelly  •  roasted buckwheat  
 confit lemon rind •  samphire •  bonefruit
 

 
broccoli stem puree • sprouted mung beans • fenugreek  
 toasted breadcrumbs • lemon confit • mushroom and yeast stock  
 60C egg yolk • tasmanian black truffles
 

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BERNARD LAHOUSSE   Foodpairing, Belgium
DOMINIQUE PERSOONE   The Chocolate Line, Belgium

Chocolate is Rock n Roll

Lahousse, a bio-engineer and author of the interactive website http://www.foodpairing.be, and Persoone, an outrageous 'shock-o-latier' and author of "The Roots of Chocolate", teamed up with Belcolade for this engaging presentation. The audience was presented with boxes that contained four pieces of chocolate and instructed to eat each one while watching a video and exposed to an evocative scent. For example, we tasted a chocolate filled with grass cream while watching a clip of a lawn being mowed and the room filled with the scent of spring flowers. The intention was to engage multiple senses in order to heighten the experience of flavor. 

 
 

filled chocolates; clockwise from top right:
grass cream • oyster liquor • chocolate lipstick  
 rainwater • lime salt tequila
  

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TOM AIKENS    Tom Aikens Restaurant, London

Culinary Notes from the UK

Chef Aikens celebrates the best of British ingredients with dishes from his eponymous restaurant.

lamb loin marinated in sheep's cheese  •  brioche green olive crust 
aligot potatoes  •  roasted silverskin onions 
lamb jus  •  green olive crumbs and oil  •  tarragon
 

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CHARLIE PALMER    Aureole, NYC

Translating Creativity from Mentor to Protégé

 

 Chef Palmer's protégés prepared dishes using two of his favorite ingredients: duck and foie gras. 

 MATT HILL   Charlie Palmer Steak, Washington DC
Whole roasted Muscovy duck  •  pickled peaches
foie and cornbread stuffing

 AMAR SANTANA   Charlie Palmer at Bloomingdale's, Costa Mesa, CA
foie torchon rolled up in duck proscuitto
port balsamic glazed dates  •  lemon rind puree

SCOTT ROMANO   Charlie Palmer at the Joule, Dallas, TX
compressed and seared duck confit  •  foie mousse terrine
caramelized honey vinaigrette  •  pickled onions  •  micro cress

CHRISTOPHER LEE   Aureole, NYC
seared foie smoked under glass  •  seared duck breast
butternut puree  •  sauteed spinach  •  roasted chanterelles
guinness gastrique  
 

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ELIZABETH FALKNER   Orson, San Francisco
GABRIELLE HAMILTON   Prune, NYC

Art Meets Craft

Falkner, a pastry chef, and Hamilton, a savory chef, switch roles and prepare imaginative versions of American classics.

Falkner's  "Buffalo Wings" 
deep fried chicken ballotine  •  celery root mousseline
blue cheese ice cream  •  habanero BBQ sauce  
celery  •  lovage  •  radish

Hamilton's  "Ants on a Log"
celery ribbons candied in vanilla syrup
powdered peanut brittle  •  rum-soaked raisins

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MOURAD LAHLOU   Aziza, San Francisco

Putting Soul on the Plate

Introduced by Antoinette Bruno as a chef who cooks with soul, Chef Lahlou prepared 4 modern Moroccan dishes.   

 
short ribs with charmoula sauce  •  potato foam  •  65C egg yolk
 

 
seared squab breast  •  confit squab legs  •  hibiscus sauce
ciopollini onions  •  young leeks  •  maitake mushroom tempura
 

 
 radish salad  •  bread pudding  •  chicken skin crackling
 

vegetable consomme with ras el hanout

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JORDAN KAHN   Red Medicine, Los Angeles

La Revolution Surrealiste

From the moment that pastry chef Jordan Kahn's video began, we knew that we were witnessing something extraordinary. The three part atmospheric film noir blended chiaroscuro images of Kahn preparing three desserts inspired by Rothko, Chopin, and Dali, with staccato clips from old films, provocative text, adumbrative images, and evocative music. The audience was so mesmerized that we hardly noticed Kahn quietly preparing the dishes on the darkened stage. Without uttering a word, Kahn effectively showed us how food becomes art. 

 

 

 

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MARTIN BERASATEGUI  Martin Berasategui, Guipuzcoa, Spain

It's All in the technique:
Harnessing the Potential of an Ingredient

Chef Berasategui shares techniques from his three-star restaurant in Spain.

 

nori-wrapped smoked salmon  •  goat's milk with Basque sheep's cheese
almond hazelnut coffee curry crumbs

 
cockles  •  cod cheeks  •  txakoli
 

 
rouget with crystal scales made by pouring hot oil over scales

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SUZANNE GOIN    Lucques, AOC, and Tavern, Los Angeles

Behind the scenes at Lucques, AOC, and Tavern

A powerhouse of a chef, Suzanne Goin prepares a seasonal dish and discusses the challenges of running three successful restaurants while raising a family.

 

seared pork confit  •  cavolo nero
chorizo and cornbread stuffing

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MICHAEL VOLTAGGIO   formerly of The Dining Room at The Langham, Pasadena, CA
BRYAN VOLTAGGIO   Volt Restaurant, Frederick, MD

Sibling Rivalry: Two Styles, One Ingredient

The Voltaggio brothers demonstrate their unique approaches to the same ingredient: Australian Wagyu beef. In typical playful fashion, Michael chose to prepare the tongue, and Bryan the cheek.

 

Michael's  Wagu tongue Rueben
brined sous vide tongue  •  sauerkraut noodles
thousand island dressing  •  porcini wafer  •  pickling spice espuma
nitro gruyere snow  •  smoked sugar cotton candy

 
Bryan's Wagyu Cheek
beef cheek, cooked sous vide, then applewood-smoked
mirepoix pincage  •  bruleed butternut squash puree
caramelized baby root vegetables  •  matsutake 

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This year, Starchefs debuted its 1st Annual International Pastry Competition, organized by Antoinette Bruno and Johnny Iuzzini. The level of talent was astonishing and inspiring to watch. It began with twenty competitors on day one, cut to ten on day two, and down to three on day three. Ron Paprocki from Gordan Ramsey at the London took first prize.

Here are some images of the work from the final three competitors who were required to use chocolate to produce small petit four showpieces and a plated entrement.