Finalists for the 2009 Maine Lobster Chef of the Year competition were announced on Thursday.
A panel of judges reviewed the “Fall Harvest”-themed lobster dishes an announced the finalists at a news conference for Harvest on the Harbor.
The three finalists are: Melissa Bouchard, chef at DiMillo’s Floating Restaurant in Portland, for her Maple Butter Poached Lobster Tail with Sweet Potato and Fuji Apple Bisque and Frizzles of Green Onion; Rick Skoglund, chef at the Samoset Resort in Rockport, for his Butternut-Mascarpone Lobster Ravioli with Balsamic Pomegranate Spinach Salad; and Mackenzie Arrington, a Maine student studying at the Culinary Institute of America, for his Roasted Lobster Tail on Braised Cabbage and Cornbread.
This year for the first time the cook-off competition is open to a public vote as part of the Harvest on the Harbor celebration in Portland 22-24 October. The audience will watch a demonstration and taste each before voting.
