America’s chicken producers are inviting home cooks nationwide to share their best recipes in the 45th National Chicken Cooking Contest. The top prize isn’t chicken feed – it’s $25,000 cash!
A finalist winner from each state and the District of Columbia will receive an expense-paid trip to Baltimore, Maryland, for the National Cook-Off on May 30, 2003. In addition to the $25,000 first prize, the contest offers $11,000 in runner-up prizes. The contest is sponsored by the National Chicken Council and the U.S. Poultry & Egg Association.
“The contest is an exciting and rewarding experience for every participant regardless of whether he or she wins a prize,” said contest director Nancy Tringali. “And there is always a chance of walking off with enough money for a new kitchen!”
Cooks may enter the contest through the web site www.eatchicken.com; by fax to (202) 293-4005; or by regular mail at Chicken Contest, P.O. Box 28158, Washington, DC 20038-8158. Complete contest rules and official entry blanks are available on the web site or by request to the same address.
A contestant may enter as many recipes as he or she wishes, but each recipe should be on a separate sheet of paper with the contestant’s name, address and phone number for contact purposes. Entries are due by October 15, 2002.
Chicken is the only required ingredient for recipes, and it can be prepared whole, in parts or in any combination of parts. Recipes using marinated chicken, cooked chicken and ground chicken are also allowed. All recipes must be original (which means not previously published in the same, or substantially the same, form), make 4-8 servings and take no more than 3 hours to prepare twice – one for judging and once for display. And, because of fire regulations, no grilling recipes are allowed.
Those who appreciate the flavor of leg meat have a chance to win additional prize money. Any of the top five winners whose recipe uses leg meat (leg, thigh and/or drumstick) predominantly will win a bonus prize of $1,000 on top of the regular prize. The chicken industry added the bonus to help promote the usage of leg meat.
Selection of state finalists is the responsibility of an independent recipe-judging panel selected by the National Chicken Council. Judging at the National Cook-Off is done by a panel of newspaper and magazine food writers.
