America’s Best High School Chef and America’s Best High School PASTRY Chef
America’s Best High School Chef
America’s Best High School Chef will be decided on Saturday, March 9, 2024 at the Culinary Arts Center at Monroe College in New Rochelle, NY.
The contest for culinary students will be comprised of 3 rounds; a quarterfinals Basic Skills round, a semi-final Salad Basket round; and a Mystery Basket Final Round.
All foods and basic equipment (minus knives) will be provided for the student competitors.
America’s Best High School Pastry Chef
America’s Best High School Pastry Chef will also be decided on Saturday, March 9, 2024 at the Culinary Arts Center at Monroe College in New Rochelle, NY.
Eight finalists will be chosen based on a nationwide search of composed dessert submissions. Those eight best submissions will be invited to compete in a Pastry Final Round.
Student Pastry chef competitors are required to bring all of their ingredients for their recipes pre-scaled, as well as any specialty equipment; basic equipment will be available on a limited basis.
March 9, 2024
- Breakfast and Check in for All Student Competitors: 8:00 am – 8:30 am
- Judges meeting: 8:30 am – 8:45 am
Schedule to be Determined - Basic Skills Round (Quarterfinals): 48 students
- Top 16 Students advance to the: Salad Basket Round (Semi-finals)
- Final 6 students advance to the: Culinary Finals Round (finals) will begin at approximately 1:00 pm
- Pastry Final Rounds 8 finalists compete (chosen based on packets submitted)
- America’s Best High School Chef and Pastry Chef will be announced immediately after the competitions
Pastry Chef Final Round
Students are encouraged to submit an application for the Pastry Chef competition that includes a signature dessert that the students are able to prepare exactly as submitted in a 90 minute final round.
The dessert should be of the style and level expected in an upscale restaurant and include 5 basic elements for a plated dessert (some items may be represented more than once, i.e. chocolate cake is the main item, etc.)
A main item, a sauce, a cookie or crisp item, chocolate, and fruit.
Students are required to submit a 4X6 color photo of the dessert along with the recipes for every component. Students will be required to prepare and present 2 portions of their dessert in the 90 minute window. The top 8 student submissions will be selected for the Pastry Chef Final Round. Students may enter more than 1 submission; however, only 1 of their submissions may be eligible for the finals.
Basic Skills Round
Students whose applications are accepted into the ABHSC competition will be required to compete in the Basic Skills Round.
Each student will be assigned to one of 3 competition flights of 16 students for a total of 48 slots in the Basic Skill Round. The top 16 students as computed by overall score, regardless of which flight they compete in, will move on to the semi-final Salad Basket Round.
Each Student will have 25 minutes total time to demonstrate their skills by completing the following tasks:
- Prepare 1 cup of julienne potato where the julienne measure 1/8” x 1/8” x 2”
- Prepare 4 pieces of Tourné potato with dimensions of ¾” diameter at middle, 2” long and 7 equal sides with flat ends
- Peel and small dice one onion where the dice are ¼” square on their surface
- Peel and segment one orange, Supremes only, no skin, seeds or pith.
Students will be scored on a 40 point system as follows:
- 10 points for overall kitchen which includes: organization, sanitation, product handling
- 5 points for julienne
- 5 points for onion
- 10 points for tourné
- 10 points for orange
Salad Basket Round
The top 16 students chosen based on their scores from the Basic Skills Round will advance to the Salad Basket Round.
Each student will have 30 minutes total time to demonstrate their skills and creativity by completing the following task:
Prepare and present 2 plated salads using some of the ingredients form the Salad Basket with dressing and garnish of choice that represent the type of salad you would find in an upscale restaurant.
The Salad Basket includes the following ingredients (all provided by Monroe College):
- Mixed Greens (basic Mesclun mix) pre-washed
- Iceberg Lettuce (pre-washed)
- Romaine Lettuce (pre-washed)
- Colavita extra virgin olive oil
- Canola oil
- Balsamic vinegar
- Rice wine vinegar
- Red wine vinegar
- White Wine vinegar
- Sliced white bread
- French bread loaves
- Thick sliced bacon
- Red onions
- Scallions
- Pasteurized egg yolks
- Whole eggs in shell
- Red, yellow and green peppers
- 3 varieties of fresh herbs
- Parmesan cheese
- Goat cheese
- Seedless Grapes
- Granny smith Apples
- 3 types of nuts, whole (pecan, almond, walnut)
- Golden raisins
- White mushrooms
- Basic pantry of dried herbs, spices, salt and pepper including sugar and flour
Students are NOT required to use ALL of these ingredients, but select those they wish to include in their presentation.
Students will be scored on a 40 point system as follows:
- 10 points for overall kitchen which includes: organization, sanitation, product handling
- 5 points for creative use of the ingredients
- 15 points for flavor, taste, texture and doneness
- 10 points for Presentation
Mystery Basket Final Round
The top 4 students chosen based on their scores from the Salad Basket Round will advance to the Final Four and compete in the Final Round.
After a 10 minute consultation period with their coach, each student will have 60 minutes total time to demonstrate their skills and creativity by completing the following task:
Prepare 2 identical portions of an entrée that one would find in an upscale restaurant using ingredients from a mystery basket.
The mystery basket will include one protein item plus 6 other items, 5 common and 1 uncommon.
In considering what protein possibilities they might expect, students should plan on having a comfort level with either whole chicken or round fish. Common ingredients include those that one would find in a basic produce or dried goods pantry: i.e. potatoes, mushrooms, rice, etc. An uncommon ingredient is just that, something that is not usually found except in a specialty pantry. This could be a flavoring ingredient like lemongrass or capers, or it could be an uncommon vegetable like artichoke or Asparagus, or it could be an uncommon dairy ingredient like asiago cheese or crème fraiche. Regardless of the ingredient, it will be harmonious with the others in the basket.
It should be noted that the finalists are required to use some of each ingredient in the assigned basket; however, they do not need to use the entire quantities given in the basket.
Besides the required basket, students will have a common basket of ingredients to choose from which include basic pantry staples: dried herbs and spices, olive and canola oil, salt and pepper, flour, cornstarch and sugar, etc. There will also be basic dairy; butter, cream, parmesan cheese and basic vegetables; garlic, onions, carrots, celery, Italian parsley plus 2 other types of fresh herbs.
