Black Box Challenge Ingredients Tough Ones at the #CCC2019

The second challenge at the Canadian Culinary Championships is the Black Box Challenge, where the chefs are given a box of mystery ingredients, access to the Okanagan College Kitchen pantry and then let loose to create a memorable dish using all the ingredients in the Black Box.

This year’s ingredients were.
Chestnuts – Neighbour Sylvia Koal, Koal Orchards.
Quinces – Mikuni wild harvest of Vancouver.
Saffron – True Saffron Producers Inc from Northumberland County in Ontario.
Sweet Potatoes – Assiniboine Community College.
Lion’s Mane Mushrooms – Gruger Family Fungi in Nisku, Alberta.
Buckwheat Groats – Tony Marshall of Highwood Crossing in High River, Alberta.
Yoghurt – Produced by Shepherd Gourmet Dairy, St Mary’s ON, supplied by Natures Fare West Kelowna

#CCC2019 Black Box Ingredients Chestnuts – Kelowna local produce Quinces – @MikuniWild Saffron – @TrueSaffron Sweet Potatoes – @AgAssiniboine Lion’s Mane Mushrooms – @grugerff Buckwheat Groats – @HighwoodC Yoghurt – @ShepherdGourmet

Here’s a peak behind the scenes during the Black Box Challenge.

Chef Yannick LaSalle’s Black Box dish: sweet potato crusted with buckwheat, quince, lions mane, chestnut sofrito, saffron yoghurt.

Chef Bohati’s Black Box dish: ravioli of saffron dough, yam purée with yoghurt, pickle fried mushroom, quince jam, pickled chestnut.

Chef Katie Hayes’ Black Box dish: sweet potato purée, herb yoghurt, ravioli with chestnuts, fruit butter sauce & crunchy garnish.

Chef Irwin MacKinnon’s Black Box dish: sweet potato yoghurt saffron pureé, crusted mushroom, roasted chestnut, spicy candied fruit.

Chef Takashi Ito’s Black Box dish: Chinese mushroom & grain dumpling, yam & saffron quenelle, stone fruit chutney, chestnut yoghurt pureé.

Chef Thomas Carey’s Black Box dish: brown butter with roasted lion mushroom + grain crust, pureé saffron & quince, lemon lime yoghurt, shaved chestnut salad, sauté sweet potato.

Chef Jason Morris’ Black Box dish: vegetable mille feuille, mushroom chutney, saffron broth.

Chef Jesse Friesen’s Black Box dish: saffron tortellini with fruit & yoghurt, grates chestnuts, sauce fungi and seed seasoned yam fries.

Chef Davina Moraiko’s Black Box dish: pickled quince & saffron gastrique, yam & yoghurt, roasted chestnut, pod crumb, mushroom & oat cake

Chef Elia Herrera’s Black Box dish: saffron risotto, roasted chestnuts, sweet potato glazed quince, roasted mushroom, fresh yoghurt, mint

Chef Chris Hill’s Black Box dish: veggie taco with fried sweet potato, chestnut & seed salsa, saffron & quince jam, jalapeno crema, stewed mushrooms.