PerishableNews - Produce

by Maggie Bezart, Chilean Avocado Importers Association
Posted: Friday, September 3, 2010 at 10:44AM EDT

APTOS, Calif. (Sept. 2, 2010) – Chilean Hass Avocado Charlotte, created by Austin, Texas, Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts student Juan Duboue, took first prize in the Chilean Hass Avocado first-ever recipe contest for culinary students. Student chef Duboue’s $1000 winning recipe is a Charlotte made from avocado slices fitted into a ring, then filled with an avocado mousse and a second mousse made from smoked salmon, goat cheese and roasted garlic. Duboue serves the Charlotte on black bean ancho chili sauce, garnished with black tobiko pico de gallo and red corn tortilla chips, making an impressive first course for white tablecloth dining.

Second prize of $750 went to Ayanna Johnson, student at L’Ecole Culinaire, Memphis, TN. Her recipe for Avocado Bites, perfect for casual or fine dining, features slices of Hass Avocados from Chile dipped in a spicy mayonnaise and then a coating of toasted Panko crumbs seasoned with bacon and shallots. Johnson suggested her savory special as a lunch, dinner or breakfast menu item.

Third prize went to Nick Furlan, a student at Le Cordon Bleu in Las Vegas, NV for his easy appetizer Avocado Poppers. Furlan blends guacamole with ground tortillas to thicken, then forms the mixture into balls to be rolled in more ground tortillas and deep fried. The easy appetizer can be addictive and is perfect for almost any foodservice menu but especially for quick service or college and university feeding. The Poppers are also a great bar food.

Jessie Beninger, a culinary arts major at Santa Barbara, CA City College, took fourth place with an autumn dessert of Avocado Cream Filled Puff Pastries. Her avocado and fromage blanc cream featured traditional fall seasonings: cinnamon, ginger, cloves, nutmeg and maple. Furlan and Beninger each took home $250 for their winning entries.

Students from American Culinary Federation accredited schools all across the country sent in an amazing array of avocado recipes created especially for the Chilean Hass Avocado season: September through February. Recipes ranged from appetizers to desserts, entrees to snacks and for every foodservice segment and type of operation.

Because the first contest was so successful, the Chilean Avocado Importers Association is running another contest for the upcoming season. Avocados arrive here from Chile from August through February, so the Chilean Avocado Importers Association is looking for unique recipes for seasonal menus. Recipes can be for any type of operation, any day part. Entry deadline is December 20, 2010. Recipes must be for 12 portions and use at least 3 Chilean Hass Avocados.

Source: Chilean Avocado Importers Association