Eglin turns up the heat at first annual Gulf Coast Top Chef Challenge

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  • By Story & Photos by Joshua Bausch
  • 96 Services Squadron Marketing
HURLBURT FIELD, Fla. --  On March 10, 2008, the Riptide Dining Facility became a culinary battleground. 

Chefs from three different AF Food Service operations contended for the title of "Top Chef," in what hopes to be the first of many annual competitions. Represented by their best were Hurlburt Field, Tyndall and Eglin Air Force Bases.

"It's a competition somewhat like The Iron Chef," said Staff Sgt. Jean Coleus, one of the event's main organizers. "We take one individual from each base and they prepare a starch, an entrée, and a vegetable."

To keep the challenge interesting, a secret ingredient pulled out of a hat was required to be used somehow in each of the competitor's recipes, and not just as a garnish. That ingredient turned out to be fresh oranges.

"I wished it was something else, but I've got something for it," said Airman First Class Christian Gallagher about the surprise ingredient.

Competing on behalf of Eglin, Airman Gallagher set right to preparing his chicken saltimbocca with a baby vegetable medley and rice pilaf. The aroma and aesthetic of his work brought many an adulation from the crowd of onlookers who gathered to watch the competition unfold.

Elsewhere in the kitchen, Airman First Class Katrin Julian of Hurlburt put great care into every detail of her choice dish--a gorgeous arrangement of lobster tail in a garlic porter sauce with couscous and a cucumber and tomato salad in olive oil¬. And from Tyndall, Senior Airman Brandon Johnson had his spectators salivating as he cooked up a stuffed pork loin with orange-glazed carrots and sautéed red onions and potatoes.

Master Sgt. Jason Hall from The Breeze Dining Facility on Eglin attended the Top Chef Challenge to cheer on Airman Gallagher and mused about the competition's nurturing of out-of-the-box thinking.

"Instead of using the Air Force recipe system, they're allowed to use whatever, whenever, however, as long as they can get the items," Sergeant Hall said. "It gives us a little bit more creative edge than just a number 10 can of peas opened up and put on the line."

As the finished meals began to take shape, it became clear that the competition would be fierce. Confidence, however, was high on all sides.

"I don't even have to go back there," Sergeant Hall said of his faith in Airman Gallagher. "I know he's already tearing it up."

Finally the clock wound down, the bustle of the kitchen came to a halt and the finished meals wheeled out for judging in the dining area. The panel of four judges, made up of Mission Support Group commanders and deputy commanders from the competing bases, had the difficult yet enviable job of tasting each dish and scoring the meals in several categories, from presentation to overall taste.

As the scores were tallied, the judges offered their verbal feedback to the three competitors. Criticisms were few, while words like "delicious" and "awesome" and even "perfection" were well allotted, raising enthusiastic applause from the supportive crowd. In the end, highest marks went to the stuffed pork loin prepared by Tyndall's Airman Johnson, who was awarded a new knife set for himself and the Top Chef trophy for his base, which Tyndall will possess until next year's challenge--when the steam will rise and the spices will fly once again.

As for Airman Gallagher, where did he end up putting that secret ingredient? "In everything," he says with a sportive smirk. "I put orange juice in everything."