Recipe Wins $50,000 Prize

In this episode, Blue Ribbon Hunter traveled west to the San Diego Wine and Food Festival where the winner received a whopping $50,000.00 grand prize. Our very own Blue Ribbon Hunter host, Allison Fishman, was invited to be one of the grand jury judges and tasted all of the top 16 dishes (some of them twice!). The winning dish was pretty extraordinary, and quite honestly, probably not something you would make at home. Nevertheless, the actual recipe is printed below for those of you who are up for the challenge! The winner was Chef Daniel Barron from Blue Point Coastal Cuisine. The dish is Crispy Laughing Bird shrimp with curry-glazed sous vide pork belly, cauliflower polenta*, and roasted ginger and kaffir lime air.

*The recipe below is the original recipe submitted to the judges by Chef Barron.  Please note that some of the recipe below is different than the recipe featured in the video.  Although the recipe includes a cauliflower espuma, Chef Barron decided last minute to make a cauliflower polenta instead and it was described as such to the judges upon their arrival.  Also, in Chef Barron's competitive dish, he used the shrimp shells from the Laughing Bird shrimp in place of the Panko bread crumbs.

$50,000 winning recipe

Crispy shrimp:
2 pounds Laughing Bird shrimp
2 cups flour
1 cup egg yolk
1 cup water
2 cup Panko bread crumbs
Bread the shrimp in the traditional manner and reserve.

Sous vide pork belly:
5 pounds pork belly
1 cup brine (saltwater brine)
vacuum bag

Cook at 60 degrees Celsius for three full days (72 hours) and chill.

Cauliflower espuma:
2 pounds cauliflower
¼ cup truffle oil
1 cup cream
salt and white pepper
1 teaspoon Versawhip
1 tablespoon orange zest
3 ounces butter

Process in a vita-prep until smooth.

Curry glaze:
½ cup red curry paste
1 cup coconut milk
1/8 cup kaffir lime leaves
1/8 cup ginger
¼ cup carrots
1 cup water
1 teaspoon tapioca starch

Simmer all together and thicken with tapioca and strain.

Roasted Ginger and Kaffir lime leaf air:
1 cup milk
½ cup roasted ginger
¼ cup kaffir lime leaves

Simmer together strain and add 1 teaspoon of soy lecithin.

In hot pan sauté a slice of the pork belly and toss with curry glaze. Keep warm. Deep fry the shrimp and reserve on a hot plate. Pump the cauliflower espuma on a plate in a rectangle shape and top with curried pork. On top of the pork place a shrimp and finish with milk air. Garnish with fresh herbs and a nitrogen olive sheet.