Two junior and two senior chefs from International Association of Conference Centres (IACC)- Canada and the United States competed in the IACC-Americas Chapter Copper Skillet at the Tempe Mission Palms Hotel on February 26. The competition consisted of each contestant having 30 minutes to prepare and present their dishes using the items given to them. Each competitor was fighting for the chance to represent the Americas at the IACC Global Copper Skillet Final on April 19 in New York City.
“This competition highlights the best of the Americas Chapter and the chefs who competed represented amazing culinary skill,” said TJ Fimmano, IACC-Americas president. “I’m thrilled that both Canada and the United States will be represented at the Global Competition in April and look forward to seeing the elite chefs in the meetings industry compete in this favorite annual IACC event.”
Winning the junior category was US Chef Austin Klug, a restaurant line chef from the Inn at Virginia Tech and Skelton Conference Center. Klug’s winning dish were filet medallions with a wild shitake mushroom demi and a Dijon panko crusted wild salmon with a cream tomato risotto. Winning the senior category was Canadian Chef Barrington Graham, first cook St. Andrew’s club and Conference Center. Graham prepared pan seared salmon with mango relish and beef tenderloin with lemon and green onion au jus with creamy polenta and sauteed zucchini ribbon and honey mushroom.
