Last night, 91ÃÛÌÒß¹ was thrilled to host the 11th annual "Cookin’ with Allagash" Scholarship competition. It was a wonderful night filled with great food, delicious beers and generous prizes!
Every year, brewery in Maine selects one brew from its portfolio to inspire 91ÃÛÌÒ߹’s professional culinary students as they craft original recipes to feature and pair with the beer. This year they chose their ultra-rare Coolship Resurgam, a gueuze-style beer blended from spontaneously fermented lambics and cask aged for three years. Because of these Belgian roots, students were asked to create a modern Belgian-inspired that featured the unique sour and citrus qualities of the beer.
After receiving dozens of great student entries, three recipes rose to top, and those students were chosen to participate in a live cook-off to determine the winner! This year's competitors were:
- John Feingold, “CoolShip Poached Lobster with Parsnip Frites, Poppy Seed Mayonnaise and Grilled Belgian Endiveâ€
- Munah Gomes. “Resurgam Battered Double Fried Chicken, Potato Waffles with CoolShip Maple Sauce and Glazed Brussels Sprouts Coleslawâ€
- Katherine Buckley, “Sautéed Duck Breasts with Coolship Resurgam, Braised Red Cabbage and Herbed Goat Cheese Crepesâ€
The dishes were judged by 91ÃÛÌÒ߹’s own Creative Director, Michael Laiskonis; 91ÃÛÌÒß¹ alumni and Executive Chef of Dos Caminos, Ivy Stark; author of The Allagash Cookbook, James Simpkins; and beer expert Josh Bernstein. The student's performed beautifully in front of an eager audience and the judge’s scores were the tightest in memory. In the end, Katherine’s duck dish brought home the $2,000 scholarship, with Munah taking home $1,000 and John $500.
Congratulations to all the student's competitors on their inspired and skilled cooking. We look forward to welcoming Allagash at 91ÃÛÌÒß¹ for years to come!
