COLUMBUS — The Ohio Poultry Association (OPA) has announced three culinary competitions, centered on eggs and turkey, to take place July 28, at the 2018 Ohio State Fair.
OPA is encouraging Ohioans to submit their best recipes for consideration by June 20.
“Our culinary contests at the Ohio State Fair are the perfect opportunity for aspiring chefs to highlight versatility in everyday meals with Ohio-produced eggs and turkey,” said Jim Chakeres, OPA executive vice president. “Each year, we receive entries from all over Ohio and are consistently amazed by the culinary masterpieces participants create. We are looking forward to seeing what participants submit this year.”
Egg-citing and Devilishly Good
The Egg-citing and Devilishly Good competition will begin at 10:30 a.m. featuring a cook-off for local celebrities, followed by a cook-off for amateur chefs. Contestants will be provided with eight, hard-boiled eggs and will then have 30 minutes to prepare 12 deviled egg halves with their own ingredients, utensils and display items. Amateur chefs, 11 and older, will compete for a cash prize, and local celebrities will compete for the coveted rosette and bragging rights. A New Entrant Award and a $25 prize will be given to the first-time competitor with the best recipe. Also sponsored by the Kroger Co., the competition will reward all participants with a $10 Kroger gift card upon check-in.
Egg-stra, Egg-stra!
In partnership with the American Dairy Association Mideast and the Kroger Co., the Egg-stra, Egg-stra! competition will begin at 12:30 p.m. Open only to amateur chefs 11 and older, participants have the option to create a dish in either the Egg-stra Sweet or Egg-stra Savory class with no more than three distinctively different dishes in each class. Egg-stra Sweet recipes may include, but are not limited to, brownies, cupcakes, cheesecake or cream puffs. Egg-stra Savory recipes may include, but are not limited to, frittatas, tarts or quiches.
In this contest, only real dairy products and eggs may be used. Each serving should be at least half egg and there should be a minimum of six servings per entry. Each contestant will receive a $10 Kroger gift card upon check-in. A $50 First Time Entrant Award will be presented to the first-year competitor with the best entry, and cash prizes will be awarded to first- through fourth-place winners in each class.
Turkey Grilling Cook-Off Competition
Back for the third year, the Turkey Grilling Cook-Off will run from 3 to 4:30 p.m. Contestants will have 30 minutes to grill a provided selection of turkey products and create their own side, garnish or sauce using their own ingredients and supplies. Open to both professional and amateur chefs, the competition will result in a first-, second- and third-place winner with cash prizes for each.
The professional and amateur classes are each limited to the first 20 entries, and contestants must be 21 or older and must present valid IDs to compete.
All three competitions will be judged on taste, creativity and presentation. Winning entries will be displayed the day of the competition and then replaced with a photo of the entry. All other entries will be released immediately after judging.
All participants must be current Ohio residents to compete. For more information and to sign up for a competition, visit http://ohiostatefair.com/culinary/.
