The New Hampshire Food Bank Steel Chef competition is something Jim and I look forward to every year. It was cancelled last year due to Covid so we were thrilled it was back for this year! It was hosted by Chef Michael Symon for the second year and I could not have been happier! This is the biggest fundraiser the New Hampshire Food Bank has so it’s an important event for our state and is always sold out! They sell 2 different types of tickets. One is the VIP ticket which includes a meet and greet with Chef Symon, appetizers from various restaurants that have competed in past years along with a fruit and cheese table and your choice of beverages. Included in this ticket is also a signed copy of Chef Symon’s new book “fix it with food” this is his second fix it with food book and my favorite.
The second ticket is the General Admission ticket that includes a reception with crackers and cheese and a bar to purchase beverages. Both tickets include the show and dinner along with various items you can bid on.
We purchased the VIP tickets again this year and met up with our friends Ann as well as Michele and her significant other Rich. We checked in and made our way to the reception area snacking and drinking our way through some delicious food! Our favorite bite of the entire night was the gnocchi from The Tuscan Kitchen. The gnocchi was so light and airy then coated with truffle butter but that’s not all its then added into a flaming wheel of parmesan and because that not enough it then gets more Parmesan grated on top. I can’t even begin to tell you how good that was. Don’t tell but Jim made his way to that food station three times!
The other food and stations were also very good but I’m still thinking about that gnocchi.
Once the reception was over we all found our way to our table and soon enough the competing chefs were brought on stage. This competition is a shortened version of the show “Chopped” where there is only one round. The chefs competing this year were John Boulez from River Mead in Peterborough, Jordan Scott from Machina Kitchen and Art Bar, Tina Verville from Bedford Village Inn and Restaurant and last but not least Keith Wilson of Dunks Mushroom Products and Foraging LLC.
The judges for the night were Chef Bobby Marcotte, News 9 personality Erin Fehlau and the previous Steel Chef winner Chef George Bezanson. As soon as the introductions were complete our dinner was being served. We started with a kale salad and dinner rolls.
The chefs were given the option to use Maple Candy in there dish, that was the whammy ingredient. They also had mushrooms and lobster among other ingredients. While they were cooking we went onto our main course which was Beef Bourguignonne, red wine braised beef with mushrooms, bacon and root vegetables along with a butternut squash and a farro salad. Everyone had mixed reviews about the dinner but let’s face it we were there to support the food bank!
The chefs only have 20 minutes to create and plate their dish and when the time is up each chef presents the dish to the judges where the judges critique the dish, some food and some not so good! Meanwhile we were onto dessert. Dessert was Dark Chocolate Chip Cannoli Mousse served with cocoa nibs and cannoli shell brittle. Dessert was very good and was served in little mason like jars.
It was now time for the winner to be announced, this year the title of The Steel Chef competition was John Boulez.
After the competition the auction begins. This year Chef Michael Symon donated an autographed knife along with not one but TWO zoom cooking demo’s along with a full set of his books. This auction item was hot and both winners paid $6,000.00 for the zoom demo. That was a lot of money for the NH food bank. There were several other items as well, needless to say it was a great night for the food bank!
We had a great evening with our friends Ann, Michele and Rich. We are all already looking to next year’s event!
Enjoy!
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