Nine chefs in one kitchen at Culinary Olympics preview

Too many cooks did not spoil the broth or the Sea Bass St. Augustine with Lemon Sauice, at the special preview dinner by the US Culinary Olympic team at Leow's L'Enfant Plaza Hotel.

Nine master chefs is one kitchen may sound like trouble, but this team of experts turned out a double menu with little fuss or fury.

the dishes, chosen to be the US entries in worldwide competition next month are a break from the continental way of preparing food. They indicate that to be gastronomically corrrect, it is no longer necessary to copy fancy French recipes or serve course after course of rich foods.

The 1980 team feels that in presenting the best of American know-how with American ingredients, cost should be a definite factor along with a large measure of creativity. Emphasis is on natural shapes, natural colors, and economy.

Cooperation in the kitchen is obviously another requirement. Nine members of the 1980 team were in the hotel reporters, a crew of television cameramen, a photographer, and the coach for the culinary team, Baron Galand. All was calm and efficiency, at least while I was there.

One chef was pouring huge baskets of golden brown croutons into pans for colling. Another was carefully inspecting some beautiful little Seckel pears, filling a hollowed out section of each with cranberry relish.

A huge tray of chocolate mousse slices went by me into a walk-in refrigerator. Two chefs were examining a dinner plate with a nest of julienne vegetables with three pearl onions in the center.

In the other end of the kitchen I could see Chef Lyde Buchtenkirch, instructor at the Culinary Institute, Hyde Park, N.Y., the only woman on the team, and Chef Ryo Sato of Davre's, Los Angeles, Calif.

Chef Roland Schaeffer was preparing a huge pan of the new, white enoki mushrooms called Cloud Mushrooms. These were for the salad, to round out the evening's dinner, but not to be served in Germany.

The dinner was a combination of two menus and it was served to a select group including food press and members of the Confrerie de la Chaine des Rotisseurs and International Food & Wine Society.

The sea bass and Turkey Breast Oklahoma were the two main dishes. The bass, served first as an appetizer, was delicious. A raspberry ice, to cleanse the palate, and a chocolate mousse wit marzipan were added to round out the evening's dinner.

Here are the official menus which may still be changed or improved slightly before the contest. Menu 1 Black Sea Bass St. Augustine with Lemon Saucee Sauteed Pea Pods with tomatoes New Potatoes Baked with Cheese Menu 2 Turkey Breast Oklahoma Mushroom-Shaped Potatoes Pearl Onions in Vegetable Nest Cranberry Relish in seckel pear

The chefs, from all areas of the United States were chosen by the American Culinary Federation through regional competitions and reviews of past accomplishments. The team is sponsored by Kraft Foodservice.

Although there are other groups of American chefs who will complete for individual gold and silver medals in Germany, this team is called the official team because it was chosen by the culinary federation to represent the United States as a team.

Four members of the team are called the national team. They are Klaus Friedenreich, Daytona Beach, Fla.; Gerhard Grimeissen, Sacramento, Calif.; Klaus Loos, San Francisco; and Richard Schneider, Clementon, N.J.

Others called alternates or regional team members include these on the Western team: Sture Anderson, Birmingham, Mich.; Helmut Loibl, St. Louis; and Ryo Sato, Los Angeles.

On the central team are Marcus Bosiger, Houston; Gunther F. Heiland, Philadelphia; and Roland Schaeffer, Pittsburgh.

Eastern regional team members are Daniel Hugelier of Detroit, Mich.; Gale O'Malley, New York; and Lyde Buchtenkirch, Hyde Park, N.Y.

In Frankfurt at the IKA competitions with 20 other countries, the team will plate 100 portions of each menu and serve them not only to the judges but also to partrons of a public restaurant at the Messegelaende, or exhibition hall on the fairgrounds in Frankfurt, Germany, where the chefs will compete.

Here is the recipe for one of the entrees, Turkey Breast Oklahoma. Turkey Breast Oklahoma Forced Meat 1 1/2 pounds white turkey meat 4 ounces fat back 1 egg Salt and pepper, to taste 5 ounces dark turkey meat, julienned Stuffing 3/4 cup chopped onions 2 cloves garlic, minced 3/4 cup diced carrots 1/2 cup diced parsley stems 1/3 cup butter 1/2 pound mushrooms, diced 3 ounces diced Virginia ham 3 green onions, sliced Sage, to taste Thyme, to taste Cooked and diced liver and giblets from turkey, about 3 ounces 2 egg yolks 1 1/2 cups coarse breadcrumbs Salt and pepper, to taste

Grind white meat and fat back in food processor. Blend egg, salt and pepper into ground meat. By hand, fold in dark meat.

Saute onions, garlic, carrots, and parsley stems in butter. Add mushrooms, Virginia ham, green onions, sage and thyme and continue to saute. Add cooked diced liver and giblets and heat thoroughly. Remove from heat and add egg yolks and breadcrumbs. Blend and season with salt and pepper. Cool before spreading on turkey.

To make roll, spread meat on plastic wrap in layer approximately 1/4 inch thick. Then spread 1/4-inch layer of stuffing on top of meat. Roll up in jelly roll fashion and detach plastic wrap. Smooth together edges and pat top with water to round.

Bake at 375 degrees F. for 1 to 1 1/2 hours in roasting pan, basting 4 times with butter and drippings. Slice into individual portions for serving. Makes 6 servings.