New England Culinary Institute Awards $22,500 In Scholarships

Recipe Contest Winner Creates Dish Perfect for Holiday Celebration

New England Culinary Institute (NECI) would like to congratulate the 2005 "Taste of New England Recipe Contest" winners. First place winner John Fairburn of Colchester, Vt. wowed the judges with his recipe for Pan seared Nantucket bay scallops with corn flan and micro arugula drizzled with sherry vinaigrette, earning the culinary arts student a $10,000 NECI scholarship. Second place and a $7,500 scholarship went to Brandon Arms of Madison, Wis., also a culinary arts student, for his Venison chops in red wine with braised spring vegetables. Amelia Hatchard, a Vineyard Haven, Mass., native and student in NECI's Baking & Pastry Arts program placed third and won a $5,000 scholarship for her Apple rosemary brown butter tart with chevre ice cream and maple butter sauce.

Earlier this year, prospective students for NECI's December 2005 semester were invited to submit recipes inspired by local ingredients, and each budding chef cooked up his or her own unique take on the flavors of New England.

"I lived on Nantucket for the past three summers, and working out there was such a great experience that I wanted to incorporate the island's influence into my cooking," says Fairburn. "What better way to do that than with their famous bay scallops? My recipe represents all of the delicious flavors New England has to offer."

The contest was judged by Chef Michel LeBorgne, Mantre Cuisinier de France and NECI's vice president of culinary affairs and co-founder, along with NECI alum Stephen Corry and his wife Michelle, co-owners of Five Fifty Five in Portland, Maine. Recipes were evaluated on their balance of ingredients, originality, use of ingredients native to New England, taste and flavor, presentation, ease of preparation and a minimum 50-word essay on the inspiration of the dish.

"NECI has always emphasized the use of local ingredients," says LeBorgne, "establishing strong connections with Vermont farmers and food producers and bringing students on field trips to where the ingredients are sourced. I was very impressed by the winning recipes' reflection of this philosophy and by the students' creative interpretations of New England cuisine."

Fairburn's winning recipe is included below, and photos of the dish are available upon request. Interested media should contact Jo Lipstadt at 617-577-8098 or jo@civettacom.com.

About New England Culinary Institute
New England Culinary Institute (NECI) was founded in 1980 with a unique educational model featuring "learn-it-by-living-it" training in real-life situations. The school, which has grown to three campuses-two in Vermont and one in Tortola, B.V.I.-produces highly qualified chefs, managers, culinary professionals and industry leaders. Recognized for its innovative immersion style, NECI is known for its low student-to-teacher ratio and for providing personal and focused hands-on education. NECI offers a bachelor's degree in hospitality and restaurant management; associate's degrees in culinary arts, hospitality and restaurant management, and baking and pastry arts; certificates in basic cooking, baking, and pastry arts, as well as a host of non-professional cooking programs. Also known for its fine dining and catering, the school operates diverse food service outlets that serve the public daily. Visit www.neci.edu for more information.

Pan Seared Nantucket Bay Scallops Surrounding a Corn Flan with a Petite Salad of Micro Arugula Drizzled with Sherry Vinaigrette

By John Fairburn of Colchester, Vt.
Associates Degree in the Culinary Arts Candidate
New England Culinary Institute
Winner, 2005 "Taste of New England Recipe Contest"

Ingredients:
1 lb. Nantucket bay scallops with small muscle removed
4 ears of local corn
2 cups