Congratulations to the winners of the The Future Menus Contest: The New Sharing! We received tons of entries showcasing innovative techniques and flavors that promise to create an unforgettable shared dining experience in a single dish – all sponsored by Unilever Food Solutions.
The New Sharing is one of the five trends identified by the Unilever Food Solutions 2024 Future Menus Report. Based off of extensive research and expertise, the report is a rich resource for foodservice professionals looking to ensure their menus are future-ready now! Download the report here.
There were so many incredible entries. Our judges had a truly challenging task to determine the winners, but after careful deliberation, considering presentation, technique, and the stories behind the dishes, the following entries emerged as the winners!
3 GRAND PRIZE WINNERS
Each of these chefs will receive a $4,500 USD cash prize, a $250 gift card to Chef’s Roll Apparel, and a $250 gift card to Korin
Seasonal Snacks
Pan con tomate / Prawns and Pickliz / Onion Buñuelo / Uni and Melon
“Spain, Haiti, Mexico, and Japan. Unique inspirations telling a story of each region. Please enjoy as you discuss amongst yourselves the best part of each bite.”
Featured Product Used: Knorr Professional Liquid Concentrated Base and Hellmann’s Extra Heavy Mayonnaise
Forager & The Hunt
Snack #1: Smoked Duck Meatballs with Evergreen Huckleberry Jelly, Oxalis & Miso Aioli
Snack #2: Venison Tartare Dressed in Horseradish Aioli, Beet Pickled Quails Eggs, Pearl Onion & Miner’s lettuce. Served in a Charcoal Tartelette.
Snack #3: Mushroom Toast featuring a sesame rye cracker topped with a medley of wild, late season mushrooms – matsutake, hedgehog & winter chanterelles, seasoned with sherry & cracked pepper. Topped with goat cheese, marinated sweet pepper and roasted garlic aioli
“Immerse yourself in nature with this snack trio for two to begin your meal. Starting a meal by sharing snacks with someone special is sure to leave a lasting memory with these flavorful delights. These dishes are inspired by Japanese, Mediterranean and Nordic flavors and techniques and are a celebration of the bounty of hunting and foraging here on the west coast. Brought to the table enveloped in smoke, it evokes memories of cooking over a campfire. As the cloche is lifted it reveals a trio of snacks inspired by nature. Served on dishes filled with moss to represent where the ingredients come from. Each snack is enhanced by a different aioli made with Hellmann’s Real Mayonnaise.”
Featured Product Used: Hellmann’s Real Mayonnaise
Oxtail Barbacoa Croquettes
“My dish is a fusion of Mexican flavors wrapped in the crispy comfort of a croquette. These golden, two-bite snacks are filled with slow-cooked oxtail, onion, garlic, spices, and Mexican peppers, creating a smoky, rich flavor. The croquettes are fried to perfection and served with black garlic aioli and pickled red pearl onions.
Though simple in appearance, this dish is packed with layers of flavor. It’s the perfect bar snack to share with friends, bringing people together. Each bite offers a contrast of textures from the crunch of the outer coating to the tender, melt in your mouth filling. The creaminess of the aioli brings the dish together, while the acidity of the pickled onions balances the richness, making every bite a delicious experience.
This dish demonstrates how food can unite different cuisines. It sparks curiosity and excitement, offering a multi sensory experience. As people gather to share it, they connect not only over the food but through the experience of enjoying something both familiar and new. “
Featured Product Used: Knorr Professional Caldo, Knorr Professional Liquid Concentrated Base, and Hellmann’s Real Mayonnaise
10 HONORABLE MENTIONS
Will each receive a $400 gift card to Korin
Gochujang, Parmesan & Garlic Rolls Topped with Dakgangjeong
“This dish made me so happy to both eat and make. A shareable bread dish is always the best, everyone gets to interact with it and they are very fun to rip apart! On top of the bread, you have super crispy chicken, made with glutinous rice flour and mayo, and coated in a spicy and sweet sauce that will blow your mind. Want just bread? You can do that. Want to make a chicken sandwich? You can do that too. The gochujang and the Parmesan together offer multiple levels of umami, while the sticky sweet and spicy sauce is aromatic and will keep you wanting more.“
Featured Product Used: Hellmann’s Real Mayonnaise
Tuna Tacos
“I created a dish that plays on spicy tuna roll, sushi is something that brings people together across the globe as well as tacos, I mean there is a day dedicated to just them: Taco Tuesdays! I wanted to make a version that has a modern twist on both to make the ultimate sharing dish my dish is a spicy tuna taco with wasabi avocado “caviar.” It’s sitting in a crisp wonton shell topped with grapefruit supremes . The spice in the mayo along with the wasabi avocado caviar gives it heat with a nice mild sweet flavor as they burst open in your mouth. The crunch shell gives it a great texture as sometimes sushi is soft and chewy. Finally the grapefruit hits and cleanses the pallet with sweet citrusy flavor! This dish has it all.”
Featured Product Used: Knorr Professional Liquid Concentrated Base and Hellmann’s Extra Heavy Mayonnaise
Oaxacan Mole Lengua Bao Buns
“This dish is a blend of two beautiful cuisines from across the world Latin and Chinese. They are bright full of color and tell a story of food from each culture. 2 day sous vide Oaxacan negro mole lengua//hand made bao buns//sesame, rice wine, Serrano, avocado, tomatillo aioli/red miso, avocado, tomatillo, sesame aioli//Black garlic, el pato glaze// pickled red onions, white daikon//rice wine red & green cabbage// cucumbers, radish & green onions”
Featured Product Used: Hellmann’s Real Mayonnaise
Pecan and Walnut Sheera (baked pudding)
“The term sheera is derived from Sanskrit, meaning & something thick or concentrated, & reflecting its soft and dense consistency. Known as sooji halwa in North India, kesari bhath in Karnataka, and rava kesari in Tamil Nadu, this beloved dessert showcases its rich regional adaptations. At Musaafer, our Thanksgiving Pecan and Walnut Sheera brings a festive twist to this traditional dish. Spiced pecan and walnut sheera is nestled in a delicate pie shell, topped with a turmeric-infused golden milk tourbillon. Accompanied by pumpkin rabdi-filled mini pumpkins, handcrafted chocolate maple leaves, and pumpkin-spiced ice cream, this creation bridges Indian heritage and Thanksgiving traditions in a delightful sharing celebration of flavors. This is a perfect sharing end of the Thanksgiving meal.”
Featured Product Used: Knorr Professional Liquid Concentrated Base
Salt Cod Fritters with Olive Mayo
“Inspired by my avo (grandma) who a always made a homemade olive mayo dipping sauce for salt cod fritters. They are perfect for sharing as small bites and great for parties. Unlike most fried food, they are gluten free. Served with pitted green olive and lemon wedge for the perfect pairing.”
Featured Product Used: Hellmann’s Real Mayonnaise
Crispy Turkey Tender Poutine
Giant Fried Turkey Tenders | Chipperbec Fries | Brown Gravy | Sage | Broiled Jack Cheese
“Thanksgiving is a time where people get together and share a comforting meal. I created this dish with that in mind. When you smell this creation, it is pure Thanksgiving nostalgia and when you taste it your right back at the family table.”
Featured Product Used: Knorr Professional Ultimate Base
Korean Sparerib Wings with Black Garlic Aioli
“This is a unique rendition on a classic, spare ribs are split into lengthwise into sections creating a wing effect, then the wings are marinated with a Korean BBQ blend and Knorr Professional Caldo de Pollo. Braised for 2hrs until soft and tender. then they are split tossed in seasoned Bubu Arare served with a smoked black garlic aioli made with Hellmann’s extra heavy mayonnaise. This dish has multiple tones that delight the senses by introducing various flavors and textures that will have your guest talking all night.”
Featured Product Used: Knorr Professional Caldo and Hellmann’s Extra Heavy Mayonnaise
Ménage à Trois – Smoked Amuse Bouche
From the Sea – Pulpo & Potato Donut
Pommes Dauphine “Donut” – Sous Vide Tender Tentacles – Tarter Sauce made with Knorr Real Mayonnaise – Dill “Seaweed” – Chive Spirals
From the Land – Short Rib Taco
Blue Corn Tortilla – 24 Hour Short Rib – Steak Sauce made with Knorr Professional Liquid Concentrate Base – Avocado Fan – Cotija Cheese – Radish Micro Greens – Pickled Red Onion Pearls
From the Land – Orange Chicken Lollipop
Panko Breaded Fried Tender Chicken Meatball – Sweet & Sour Orange Sauce – Toasted Sesame Seeds – Scallions – Bonito Flakes
“Presenting a shared seductive sensory immersive experience from concept to execution. Arriving hot and interactive, the smoke-filled cloche entices smell and sight! An array of colorful food demanded to be eaten with hands ignites the sense of touch! While distinct flavors and textures play on the trembling palette waiting to enjoy the luxury of flavors spreading across the tastebuds! These 3 divergent cross-cuisine bites create suggestive conversation around the name of the dish as well as the associations between land vs sea! This is a dish meant to be enjoyed and consumed together!
Featured Product Used: Knorr Professional Liquid Concentrated Base and Hellmann’s Real Mayonnaise
Stuffed Serrano Chaat
“This is a new take on the ever popular jalapeno poppers. The filling is Indian spiced Sweet Potato Puree, topped with a chaat inspired tangy crispy garnish and served over a Tamarind Mango Chutney these peppers have it all. Sweet, Spicy, Crunchy, and Bright flavors sure to please everyone. These are vegan and gluten free friendly. Best of all no one cares, because they are so good. I made them for family meal before service today and they were gone in minutes. It was the talk of service, bringing FOH and BOH together!”
Featured Product Used: Knorr Professional Caldo de Vegetales
Butter Candles
“These butter candles (yes, real candles!) are made using sour dairy products for a great flavor. As they melt, so does the butter, which you can scoop up with bread, crackers, radishes, and anything that tastes better with butter, so, everything. These are a lot of fun for a party or shared plate. I used an 8 oz candle mold, but you can make yours in whatever shape and size you like. I also took brown butter solids and mixed it in to create different flavor profiles. The wicks are made from corn on the cob husks.”
Featured Product Used: Hellmann’s Extra Heavy Mayonnaise
Thank you so much to everyone who participated in this contest! Stay tuned for the final 2024 Future Menus contest launching very soon – another chance to win BIG.
