Meet the teams of Northwell’s 2020 Chefs Challenge

You might not typically associate healthcare with culinary careers, but Northwell Health’s culinary teams are dedicated to providing delicious and nutritious food to help heal our patients. They also are no strangers to some friendly competition within our organization and will be competing again in Northwell’s Chefs Challenge.

Teams from five Northwell hospitals are competing for a chance to be named the winner of the 2020 Chefs Challenge on July 30. Tasked with cooking a healthy and nutritious meal, each team will have 90 minutes to prepare a one-of-a-kind meal using wild sea bass as an appetizer, Long Island duck as an entrée, and a strawberry dessert. Each team includes three chefs/cooks and one certified dietitian, working together to prepare five dishes of each course for the guest judges. Meet the teams competing at the 2020 Chefs Challenge below!

Their Menu:

• Appetizer: Pan Seared Wild Sea Bass w/ a Citrus Avocado Mignonette
• Main Entrée: Crispy Confit Duck Ramen in a Pho Broth
• Dessert: Strawberry Shortcake, Orange Scented Cake w/ Lemon Curd and Lemon Basil Marscarpone

What’s the most exciting thing your team has done in culinary in the past year?

In 2019, we received the 2019 Press Ganey “Quality of Food” award and sustained being number one in the system through hard work and dedication. We’ve also created a new patient menu to be executed later this year.

What makes Huntington Hospital the team to beat in the 2020 Chefs Challenge?

At Huntington, we strive to give our patients the best product and culinary experience possible. We are one single unit, a team with the same common goal of delivering our craft to our patients. We are proud of the product we serve and continue to push ourselves to the next level. This year’s competition will show our confidence, talent and dedication and to our patients, but is only a taste of the Huntington team’s capabilities.

Their Menu:

• Appetizer: Herb Roasted Wild Stripped Atlantic Sea Bass, Salad of Hearts of Palm and Asparagus, Sweet Carrot Puree
• Maine Entrée: Braised Long Island Duck Leg and Mushroom Raviolis, English Pea Puree, Radish Lamels, Beechwood Mushrooms, Pea Tendrils, Parmesan Reggiano
• Dessert: Greek Yogurt and Clover Honey Blanc Manger, Red Wine Stewed Strawberries, Curly Tuile.

What’s the most exciting thing your team has done in culinary in the past year?

The most exciting thing that we have done this year is change the patient menu with seasonal offerings. Seasonal menus for our patients will not only introduce new choices for our guests but will offer fresh seasonal and healthier choices.

What makes Northern Westchester Hospital the team to beat in the 2020 Chefs Challenge?

We feel that our presentation is a creative way to utilize the ingredients that we had to incorporate into each category.

Their Menu:

• Appetizer: Wild seabass over a carrot Ginger Puree and Yuzu Glaze
• Main Entrée: Duck Kaiseki ( Duck Sashimi, Duck Nigiri and Duck Udon )
• Dessert: Strawberry Mochi

What’s the most exciting thing your team has done in culinary in the past year?

The launch of our Marra Forni Pizza kitchen.

Why is your team convinced they’ll win this year?

We love what we do. We have so much passion for cooking and being creative. We are always finding ways to think outside the box and present a dish using traditional culinary techniques with modern new trends.

Their Menu:

• Appetizer: Wild Atlantic Stripped Sea Bass Ceviche, Watermelon Radish, Blood Orange, Scallion, Guajillo Pepper Emulsion
• Main Entrée: Roasted Long Island Duck Breast, Farro, Spring Vegetables, English Pea Puree, Pickled Granny Smith Apples
• Dessert: Vanilla Panna Cotta, Balsamic Macerated Strawberries, Crystalized Mint, Lemon

What’s the most exciting thing your team has done in culinary in the past year?

The most exciting thing is the changing of the menus according to season. This has never been seen before in a hospital. We have also enhanced our cafeteria menu so our fellow colleagues and visiting guests get to experience exciting offerings in the cafeteria to purchase.

What makes Phelps Hospital the team to beat in the 2020 Chefs Challenge?

Our presentations are well thought out and each plate has a balance. People tend to eat with their eyes first and these dishes are inviting and fresh and represent what we want to see in all hospitals.

Their Menu:

• Appetizer: Spiced Pan Seared Sea Bass over Lentil & Cauliflower Salad with Lemon-Truffle Vinaigrette
• Main Entrée: Five Spice Duck Breast with Gingered Sweet Potato Puree, Napa Cabbage, Grilled Pineapple
• Dessert: Strawberries n’ Cream Trifle with Aged Balsamic

What’s the most exciting thing your team has done in culinary in the past year?

Our culinary team was very excited this year to roll out our new Spring/Summer menu on June 29. We tried to take advantage of seasonal vegetables, while preparing them in different and unique ways for our patients. Using the season’s bounty to your advantage can allow you to create wonderful classics such as our caprese salad with local heirloom, vine ripened tomatoes, as well as fresh asparagus for our new grilled asparagus-beet salad. Hospital patients usually could never tell what was going on outside their room’s window, so with our seasonal menu we tried to bring a little taste of the summer season inside and onto their plates.

What makes Southside Hospital the team to beat in the 2020 Chefs Challenge?

We are returning with our core team from last year so that gives us an advantage for having experience within the competition. We also have been practicing very diligently and have become tighter as a unit because of it. All of the teams competing are strong candidates to win, but we think we have the right mix of talent, fortitude, energy and desire to bring home the win to Southside Hospital this year.

Check back in early August to see the results!