Pan-roasted red snapper with corn maque choux puree, paired with Jazzmen rice prepared in Abita beer, alongside a cornucopia of pickled vegetables and a John Folse Culinary Institute education was Paul Terrebonne’s award winning recipe for the regional level of the San Pellegrino Almost Chef Famous held in San Antonio on Jan. 23.
Terrebonne, culinary senior from Larose, placed first out of four students who were from Delgado Community College, the Art Institute of Dallas and Nicholls. Due to this accomplishment, Terrebonne has qualified to compete in the national level competition that will be held in Napa Valley, Calif.
He will square off against other students from nine other regions from the U.S. and Canada in a culinary cook-off that will ultimately name one winner who receives $10,000 and a paid apprenticeship with one of the participating chef judges.
“It’s nice to have received such a high honor especially because so much hard work has gone into this competition,” Terrebonne said. “It was a very rewarding experience, and I am glad I entered the competition.”
Since September, Terrebonne has worked diligently on this meal in preparation for this contest. He was fortunate to have the help of fellow students and faculty of the Culinary Institute.
“I made this dish for the first time in the fall, and now I am pretty tired of making it and eating it,” Terrebonne said. “This opportunity is something that first and second year culinary students are aware of, so it is something we look forward to every year. I had the help of a lot of chefs and students who would critique my meal and make suggestions on how to improve it.”
This recipe was chosen by Terrebonne for a number of reasons.
“I wanted something that was both unique and well balanced, that also offered different textures, colors and tastes,” Terrebonne said. “My vision was to create a dish that was related to springtime but yet maintain that Cajun influence.”
Terrebonne’s first place finish gave the John Folse Culinary Institute its fifth consecutive victory at the South Central Regional San Pellegrino Almost Famous Chef Competition. Thus, Nicholls will once again compete for the national title.
“Our recent success says a lot about our program and for five years now we have sent a student to nationals,” Terrebonne said. “This speaks to how the teachers are showing us how to do things correctly and also that we have good students coming in and working hard.”
With his achievement, Terrebonne received the opportunity to appear with an established chef, Jason Dady, on a San Antonio TV affiliate of the NBC network, where he did an interview while preparing a meal.
Chef Randy Cheramie, executive director of the John Folse Culinary Institute, is very proud of his award-winning student but is not surprised because of the work ethic Terrebonne possesses. “He is the epitome of the best student we have to offer,” Cheramie said. “He loves to be in the kitchen, and it seems that there is no place he would rather be. He is confident in his skills but is not egotistical because he knows he still has a lot more to learn.”
“Competition at the regional level is quite different from the national competition,” Cheramie said. There, the participants only fixed eight plates of their signature dish.
At nationals, there will be various competitions held within the greater competition itself. In the People’s Choice category, the contestants will not know beforehand what they will prepare for their dish. They will be given what Cheramie calls a “mixed basket” which is comprised of various ingredients and food options.
After gazing at the assortment for only ten minutes, the chefs will then write down their plan for the meal. Later, they will move to the kitchen where they will be given an assistant and four hours to complete their dish, which will then be made into 300 three-ounce plates of food.
Last year, each of the smaller competitions was worth $3,000 in prize money and the overall winner received $10,000, as well as a paid apprenticeship with one of the chef judges.
“Whenever you put yourself on the line and compete, only two things can happen: you win or lose,” Cheramie said. “So, therefore, you have to be prepared for both outcomes. But either way, you have to look at what you have done and learn from the overall experience.”
