Congratulations to the winners of the The Regional Flavors, Endless Summer Mayo Contest! We challenged chefs from across the country to create a summery dish that represents their unique US region – either North, South, East, West, or Midwest – utilizing free samples of Hellmann’s Mayonnaise and Best Foods Mayonnaise. We received hundreds of outstanding entries that expertly utilized mayo while showcasing incredible skill and culinary creativity, but ultimately these 8 chefs blew our judges away. Check out the winning dishes below and see who will be taking home some incredible cash prizes and epic knives from Meglio!
GRAND PRIZE WINNER
will receive a $3,000 cash prize and an 8″ Meglio Gyuto knife
Chef Janet Waters – West
Summer Sweet Corn Ice Cream
This recipe is an excellent way to use our Summer sweet corn that is grown in the in the Western Region. The ice cream can be used in molds, scooped, as a popsicle with an Elote (Mexican Street Corn) presentation, or even in a savory plate application. The corn kernels are steeped in the cream overnight to capture their full flavor. The Hellmann’s mayonnaise gives the ice cream a creamy texture with a little ‘zing’. The dish is surprisingly good and creates memories of warm summer nights for months to come.
2ND PLACE WINNER
will receive a $2,000 cash prize and an 8″ Meglio Gyuto knife
Chef Fumiko Sogi – South
Lemon Mayo Panna Cotta, Avo Mayo Mousse, Mango Purée, & Cajun Mayo Cheese Fried Shrimp
This dish uses Hellmann’s Mayonnaise in three ways: Setting with gelatin making the Lemon Mayo Panna Cotta refreshing yet rich; in the Avocado Mayo Mousse making it very creamy and smooth; and deep-frying the Cajun Mayo Cheese Fried Shrimp making it crispy and juicy. The mango puree is made with watermelon juice for a refreshing sweetness, giving it a summery taste and appearance. The summer cocktail dip transforms fried shrimp into an even more surprising flavor making it delicious and fun.
3RD PLACE WINNER
will receive a $1,000 cash prize and an 8″ Meglio Gyuto knife
Chef Brianna Welk – Midwest
Rustic Compressed Tomato Tart
The dish I created is a Rustic Tomato Tart, featuring a pie crust made with Hellmann’s Mayo, heirloom grape tomatoes that I compressed with Hellmann’s Mayo, fresh herbs, and garlic – as well as farmers market mustard greens fried with Hellmann’s Mayo, garlic, & onion. The tart is paired with a Lemon, Herb & Peppercorn whipped Mascarpone and Hellmann’s Mayo spread, placed atop breadcrumbs toasted with Hellmann’s Mayo.
This dish pays homage to my home state of Ohio, where tomatoes and Hellmann’s Mayo are king. Being that tomatoes are our state fruit, I grew up watching my family eat sliced tomatoes from our garden, seasoned with salt and pepper, on a simple slice of bread with Hellmann’s. That is the epitome of the Ohio summer sandwich, and that’s what sparked this idea. When you live in rural Ohio as a kid, the first thing you get taught to make is pie crust. We used to pick elderberries on the side of the road for pie every summer. So I wanted to honor the people that I have fond memories of doing both of those things with, my Aunt Liz and Uncle Bill. This tart is simple, fresh, and is truly Ohio on a plate.
5 RUNNER UP WINNERS
will receive an 8″ Meglio Gyuto knife
Chef Andrea Suarez – West
Smoked Tuna Mousse with Caviar, Masago and Chives
In this dish, mayo is the star. When combined with the smoked tuna and its other ingredients a velvety mousse is created. It’s simple and perfect for summer gatherings. Among its ingredients are Hellmann’s Mayo, red onions, parsley, smoked canned tuna in oil, unflavored gelatin, cilantro, black pepper, Serrano pepper, and chicken bullion. The combination of all these easily accessible ingredients creates an explosion of flavors that manifest as a delicious summer snack. It’s versatile as it can be enjoyed many ways; with crackers, as a filling for the best tuna sandwich, or as an elevated Canape for parties.
Chef Zoë Adelstein – North
Creamy Blueberry and Lemon Zest Icebox Tart
Every summer, we go blueberry picking at one of the many blueberry farms in Rhode Island. This blueberry icebox pie is based off those experiences using fresh organic blueberries. The mayonnaise is added to the creamy filling to add silkiness and a nice mouth feel along with sweetened condensed milk and fresh whipped cream. And with this excessive heat, this lightly sweet, cold treat will cool you right off in the most refreshing way.
Chef Carlos Perez – North
Lobster & Summer Corn Cake
This is a New England lobster and summer corn cake, a spin on a crab cake, featuring a preserved lemon aioli & corn salsa. Hellmann’s Mayo was used in the cake itself to bind the ingredients, as well as in the lemon aioli. New England is known for its lobster it the summer months, from bakes to boils, and corn on the cob is always accompanied as a side. This dish combines the two with with the star of the show Hellmann’s Mayo for a perfect appetizer.
Chef Jackie Alpers – South
“The Elote Dog” – Sonoran Style Street Corn Hot Dogs
Tucson snack shops and street vendors sell “elote en vaso,” roasted corn kernels in a creamy, cheesy sauce seasoned with chile and lime. I made an extra-cheesy, rich and creamy version of the dish with Best Foods Mayonnaise as the foundation for The Elote Hot Dogs: bacon-wrapped hot dogs topped with my special elote recipe, seasoned with chile and lime and served in a Southwestern bolillo roll. This recipe is inspired by the Sonoran desert region of the American Southwest specific to Southern Arizona.
Chef Tomas Garrido – North
Grilled Prawns Avocado Salad Corn Tostada
Grilled prawn salad with avocado and Hellmann’s Mayo, red jalapeño, charred local corn, roasted pepitas, pickled onions, radishes, cilantro leaves and charred lime w/ pickled red onion juice mayo crema and mayo cilantro lime crema. This dish represent a local grown vegetables and mastering the grill during summer time.
Thank you so much to everyone who participated in this contest!
