Monday 18 April 2011
Inaugurated last year during the Truffl e Festival in Sarlat, the Jean RougiéTrophy has already shown that it's one of the great culinary eventsof the year! Aimed at showcasing the talents of tomorrow's great chefs onthe theme of foie gras and truffl es, this year's edition took on the dimensionsof a veritable “mini-Bocuse d'Or.” Guaranteed suspense and emotion underthe watchful eyes of the exceptional jury, the press, and the growing crowd!
Sponsored jointly by the city of Sarlat, Rougié, for the foie gras, and Pébeyre for the truffl es, this 2nd edition of the Jean Rougié Trophy this past January 13 brilliantly kept its promises in shining spotlights on the creativity and talent of 8 students in Bac Pro or BTS cuisine, all fi nalists of a selection made from over 30 cooking schools and CFA* in France. To further spice up the suspense of the contest and foster teamwork, the 2011 Trophy brought two new elements: a “surprise” basket containing ingredients to include in the hot foie gras recipe, and the format of student/professor duos during the challenge. A VERY GOOD YEAR The general consensus: the candidates of the 2011 edition were dazzling. So much so that the jury took extra time deliberating over the three fi nalists, Lexine Hepworth, Frédéric Anade, and Loic Petri...As to the 12-member jury, their remarks were ecstatic. “This is a veritable mini-Bocuse d'Or that we're seeing,” they exclaimed. The compression of foie gras created by top winner Lexine Hepworth, thrilled the President of the Jury, Régis Marcon: “This is magnifi cent, it was like tasting a pastry, excellent balance!” DAY OF GLORY FOR LEXINE HEPWORTH AND HER PROFESSOR! The awarding of the trophy and of numerous prizes in the presence of Jean Rougié was an emotional moment, followed by long applause. As to the winner, Lexine Hepworth, student at the CFA Quercy-Périgord de Souillac in Lot, she radiated pure joy. “This is truly a great day for me. I thank my professor, Fabrice Cambonie, for having encouraged me to attempt this contest. When I got here this morning, I saw this immense and magnifi cent room. Then fi nding myself facing the jury and the audience was terrifying. I needed to remain extremely focused! For the warm foie gras recipe, my professor was a great help. When he saw the ingredients of the “surprise” basket, he simply said, “Since you're English, make a fruit chutney,” and it worked. The announcement of the winner, taking that fi rst step onto the podium...it was unforgettable...I'm very happy and very proud to bring the trophy back to my school, as thanks for all the help I've gotten from all.” It was also gratifying for Fabrice Cambonie: “Lexine is a student that I appreciate for her seriousness, her energy, her desire to always push further. Since last November, she worked hard on getting ready for this. As for the contest itself, I like this idea of associating a student with a professor. We really worked as a team on that day just as we often do at school. I think I was probably as happy as she was as she reached the top of the podium!” FAULTLESS ORGANIZATION... AND AN EXCEPTIONAL JURY It is Jean-Luc Danjou, Meilleur Ouvrier de France and Technical Director of the Rougié School of Foie Gras that we owe the spotless organization of this new edition of the Jean Rougié Trophy. As for the jury, presided over by Régis Marcon, there were François Adamski, Vincent Arnould, Daniel Chambon, Yannick Delpech, Fabrice Desvignes, Maxime Lebrun, Vincent Lucas, Roland Mazère, Eric Samson, Yves Thuriés and Fabrice Prochasson. You can watch highlights from the contest on:ac-foiegras-truffe.com
