Hungarian team wins bronze medal at Bocuse d’Or Grand Final in Lyon
The Hungarian team won the bronze medal at the Bocuse D'Or Grand Final, held in Lyon on January 23.
Our magazine also reported on the Bocuse d'Or European finals, held last year in Budapest, where the Hungarian team finished second, qualifying with this result for the 2023 Lyon Grand Final.
The Hungarian team of Bence Dalnoki (chef), Patrik Nyikos (commis), and Tamás Széll (coach) had to compete with 23 other teams in the finals. Bence Dalnoki is the sous chef at the Stand restaurant in Budapest, while Tamás Széll and Szabina Szulló, who both took part in the coaching, are the chefs and co-owners of the two-Michelin starred restaurant.
Results of the 2023 Bocuse D'Or Grand Final
Gold: Denmark
Silver: Norway
Bronze: Hungary
In addition to the top 3 prizes, other awards were also presented. Sweden received the special award for the best platter, the French team won the prize for the best "Feed the Kids" menu, Norway took home the best commis award, and Mexico received the social commitment prize. The kids' jury's special prize was awarded to team Japan.
Competition themes
Teams had to compete with two themes at the Grand Final in Lyon: the 3-course "Feed the Kids" menu and the platter theme.
For the latter, teams had to prepare a seafood platter which had to include two monkfish, scallops, two vegetable garnishes placed on the tray, and one ragout-type garnish presented in a separate vegetable dish, showcasing a legume from the participating country.
For the kid's menu, chefs had to use pumpkin to prepare a vegetarian cold starter, a hot dish with egg, and a restaurant-style dessert.
The competing platter theme of the Dalnoki-Nyikos-Széll team consisted of:
Monkfish with lightly smoked scallops, dark seaweed, and lemon sourdough croutons
Roses made from pickled root vegetables, liquid potato, ramson, herbs, and aged cheese
Beetroot and Tokaj wine jelly, soft onion with black pepper and thyme, crispy Jerusalem artichoke
"Hungarian feast" tortellini with mussels and goulash spices, blue mussels sauce flavored with mild horseradish and chives, seasonal Hungarian vegetables from the forest and the fields
Grilled monkfish sauce with brown butter and Tokaj wine pearls
"Feed the Kids" menu of the Hungarian team:
Cold pumpkin broth, cucumber stuffed with pumpkin and parsley, whipped oat cream with mild horseradish, green peas marinated with smoked oil
Pan-fried egg with mushrooms, pickled pumpkin, lemon thyme, and creamy egg yolk
Aged cheese sauce, with pumpkin and pumpkin oil
Yogurt foam with liquid pumpkin, vanilla, apple, and raspberry, pumpkin cake
Crispy "earth" surprise, with chocolate, hazelnuts, and lemon verbena
Hungary has been taking part in the world's most prestigious cooking competition since 2013. The first Hungarian success came in 2016 when Tamás Széll won the European finals. There were several great results throughout the years but this is the first time that a Hungarian team finishes on the podium of the Bocuse D'Or Grand Final.
All images via Bocuse d'Or Facebook page
