An exceptionally deft and delicate touch with a dish of Dover sole and lobster earned George Bumbaris, executive sous chef of the Ritz-Carlton Hotel, Chicago, the American Culinary Gold Cup Bocuse d`Or here last week. With the $5,000 trophy came the right to represent the United States in an
international cook-off in France next January.
At least 25 other nations are expected to send a champion to the third edition of the competition named for famed French chef Paul Bocuse.
The 31-year-old Bumbaris beat 11 other American-born finalists at the U.S. championship, held at Kendall College in Evanston. Each contestant had to create and prepare 12 portions of two original recipes, one featuring Dover sole and one featuring duck.
Bumbaris` sole dish wowed a panel of judges that included Ferdinand Metz, president of the Culinary Institute of America, and food writer Craig Claiborne. His duck dish did not score as highly, but the lead he built up in the fish category proved insurmountable.
In addition to the trophy, contributed by Custom Food Products, the Gold Cup`s main sponsor, Bumbaris receives an expense-paid trip to Lyons where the 1991 International Bocuse d`Or will be held. He also received a set of dinnerware from Villeroy & Bock and a chef`s knife set from Wusthof Trident Cutlery.
Awards were presented at a banquet held, appropriately, at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel. In addition to Bumbaris, who has been cooking at the hotel since 1983, Ritz Carlton Executive Chef Fernand Gutierrez also coached the first U.S. representative to compete in Lyon. Susan Weaver-Flori, then a sous- chef at the hotel and now executive chef of the Four Season`s Inn on the Park in Houston, placed sixth at the inaugural event in 1987. Jeff Jackson, executive chef of the Park Hyatt Hotel here and winner of the 1988 Culinary Gold Cup, placed fifth in Lyons last year.
Other participants in this year`s Gold Cup competition were: Brian Polcyn of Pike Street Restaurant, Pontiac, Mich. (second place); Christopher Koetke of Le Francais, Wheeling, Ill. (third place); David L. Burke of The River Cafe, New York City; Paul Cunningham of Le Cirque, New York City; Kurt Fleischfresser of The Coach House, Oklahoma City; Todd Hall of Los Abrigados, Sedona, Ariz.; Edward Janos of Chez Raphael, Novi, Mich.; Peter McGinley of the Hotel Nikko Chicago; Rick Moonen of The Water Club, New York City; Tamara Murphy of Dominique`s Place, Seattle; Bryan O`Connor of Christopher`s, Pheonix.
The American Culinary Gold Cup competition is organized and administered by Le Vatel Club du Midwest, an organization of French-speaking chefs. More than 100 entries were received this year.
FILLET OF DOVER SOLE WITH LOBSTER MOUSSELINE
Preparation time: 3 hours
Cooking time: 45 minutes
Yield: 4 main-course or 6 first-course servings
The winning Bocuse d`Or recipe from George Bumbaris is fit for the most special guests.
2 live whole lobsters, 3 pounds each
2 cloves garlic
3 large shallots
2 carrots
1 medium onion
1 rib celery
4 plum tomatoes
1/4 cup olive oil
1 teaspoon tomato paste
3/4 cup brandy
1 cup dry white wine
1/2 cup vermouth
1/4 cups fish stock
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon white peppercorns
Pinch cayenne peper
Several sprigs each: fresh tarragon, thyme
2 cups whipping cream, divided use
3 whole Dover sole, each cut in 4 fillets
Salt, pepper to taste
2 egg yolks
1/2 pound spinach
12 medium fresh or dried morels
1. Kill lobster by plunging a knife into center of back behind the head or have fishmonger kill it. Cut lobster in half lengthwise and remove all meat from claws and tail. Scrape as much of the pigment from the shells as possible. Place meat on towels to drain liquid; refrigerate meat. If desired, push any lobster roe through a sieve and set aside in refrigerator. Rinse shells and cut into chunks with kitchen shears.
2. For the sauce, mince garlic, shallot, carrots, onion and celery in a food processor. Roughly chop tomatoes. Heat olive oil in a large pot. When hot, add shells and cook 5 minutes. Add minced vegetables, tomatoes and tomato paste. Cook and stir 3 to 4 minutes. Add brandy and carefully ignite. When flames subside, add white wine and vermouth and cook 5 minutes. Add fish stock, peppercorns, bay leaf, cayenne, tarragon and thyme. Heat to a simmer;
cook gently 25 to 30 minutes. Strain through a fine strainer lined with cheesecloth, pressing on the ingredients to remove as much liquid as possible. Transfer strained liquid to a clean pan and add 1 1/3 cups cream. Boil until it coats the back of a wooden spoon, about 10 minutes. Remove 1/4 cup to use in mousseline and chill thoroughly. Set the rest aside.
3. Pound sole fillets between 2 sheets waxed paper to make a uniform thickness. Trim any narrow ends and reserve for mousseline. Arrange fillets on a baking sheet lined with paper toweling and season the outside (the side skin was attached to) with salt and pepper. Refrigerate.
4. For mousseline, puree lobster meat and 1/2 pound of the sole trimmings in a food processor. Add egg yolks and 1/4 cup lobster sauce and mix thoroughly. With processor running, pour 2/3 cup cream through feed tube in a thin steady stream. Process until mixture is completely smooth, 1 to 2 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste along with lobster roe and process again, if desired. Set aside in refrigerator.
5. Puree spinach in a food processor with 1/2 cup water. Transfer to a strainer lined with cheesecloth and squeeze as much liquid as possible into a small non-aluminum saucepan. Cook very gently, without boiling, until green clusters come to the surface. Skim these clusters from the liquid and place in a coffee filter to drain. Clusters will be used to color part of the mousseline.
6. Trim stems from mushrooms. If using dried mushrooms, soak in a small amount of hot water until they are soft. Drain thoroughly and dry as much as possible.
7. Put 1/4 cup mousseline into a small bowl. Add the green chlorophyll, a small amount at a time, until mousse is a medium green. Transfer to a pastry bag fitted with a small round tip and fill hollowed center of mushrooms. Set aside.
8. Transfer rest of mousseline to a pastry bag fitted with a medium round tip. Pipe a strip down the center of seasoned side of each fillet. Place a stuffed mushroom crosswise in the center of each fillet. Trim any narrow ends. Fold bottom of fillet up over the top so mousseline and mushroom are encased. 9. Arrange fillets in a large buttered steamer, in batches if necessary so they aren`t crowded. Cover with plastic wrap. Cook over boiling water until mousse lightens in color and fillets are cooked through, 5 to 7 minutes. Remove steamer basket but leave covered with plastic. Let stand for 5 minutes. With a very sharp knife, trim both long sides to make a neat presentation. To serve, spread a small amount of sauce on plate. Arrange fillets, cut side up so the wide opening of the mushroom is face up.
Note: Chef Bumbaris garnishes the plate with a phyllo basket filled with turned root vegetables and a glazed mussel. –
