Introducing Team USA For Bocuse D'Or 2015
The United States will soon take another stab at a gold medal at the Bocuse d'Or, the biennial world chef championship in Lyon, France. Leading the team will be chef Philip Tessier and his commis Skylar Stover — both of the famed French Laundry in Yountville, California. The pairing was announced this morning, over a year before the final stage of the competition in January 2015.
Often dubbed the "Culinary Olympics," the Bocuse d'Or pits chefs from 24 countries against one another in a five-and-a-half hour cooking challenge, evaluated by a panel of two dozen judges and in front of thousands of fans. Last year's team of chef Richard Rosendale and commis Corey Siegel finished in 7th place, one of the country's strongest showings in years. The head coach of Team USA is Café Boulud's Gavin Kaysen, with Grant Achatz, Daniel Boulud and Thomas Keller among the chefs lending a hand in training.
The United States will certainly be well represented. Tessier currently serves as Executive Sous Chef at The French Laundry, and his impressive resume includes stints at Le Bernardin and Per Se in New York City and Yountville's Bouchon. In his role as Commis – a position for chefs 22 years of age and younger – Stover will draw on his experience as the current Chef de Partie at The French Laundry. Will 2015 be the year that Team USA is finally able to place in the medals and further impact the perception of American chefs worldwide? Only time will tell.
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