Eight U.S. chefs competed in its annual Copper Skillet Competition this year, according to IACC-Americas, the North American chapter of the International Association of Conference Centres (IACC), which today announced two U.S. winners that will now advance to the cook-off's regional championship.
Austin Klug (pictured, right), restaurant line chef at The Inn at Virginia Tech and Skelton Conference Center, won the "Junior Category U.S. Copper Skillet Award" for his winning dish of creamy pepper polenta with lobster mushrooms, Wagyu New York strip steak, and sesame seared Ahi tuna.
Sean Curry (pictured, left), executive chef at the Hilton Chicago/Oak Brook Hills Resort & Conference Center, won the "Senior Category Copper Skillet Award" for his winning dish of Tikka masala tuna loin with micro radish salad, sautéed ratatouille, mushrooms, and fingerling potato hash with Wagyu New York strip steak.
During the competition, both chefs and their competitors were presented with basic pantry items along with a "mystery basket" of proteins. They subsequently had 30 minutes to prepare, create, and present their creations to local area judges.
"Each year IACC showcases the best in culinary performance through its Copper Skillet competitions, and this year's U.S. cook-off featured impressive talent from eight chefs who competed from around the country," said Sean Anderson, vice president of operations, Sodexo Conferencing, and vice president of IACC-Americas. "The chefs [who won this year] represent the best of the best from across the United States, competing for the opportunity to represent the Americas in the global Copper Skillet final in New York City in April."
The Copper Skillet Competition was launched in 2004 to highlight the artistry and skill of the best chefs from IACC-member conference centers around the world, and to honor their contributions to the shared goal of providing an outstanding conference center experience.
As winners of their country-level competition, Klug and Curry will compete again in February in a chapter-level cook-off. The winner of that competition will advance to the international finals in April, where the 12th International Copper Skillet Global Champion will be named.
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