By Becky Billingsley

Tuesday, Feb. 21, 2012, Myrtle Beach - He's humble and gracious, affable and reserved, yet Chef Kevin Luque of the Hilton Myrtle Beach Resort, who recently earned the title of South Carolina Seafood Chef of the Year, is a meticulous competition strategist.

It was in January when Chef Luque, assisted by Hilton kitchen manager Chad Robey, took first place by one point over Chef Sean Thomas of Capriz Italian Feast in Myrtle Beach. There's irony in that situation - Chef Thomas also took second place in 2011, the state seafood competition's first year.

Twenty two-chef teams competed in the Seafood Challenge held at the Hotel Motel Restaurant Supply Show of the Southeast in the Myrtle Beach Convention Center, and team Luque/Robey prepared Pan Seared Mahi Mahi with Applewood Smoked Bacon, Corn Maque Choux, Spicy Tomato Sauce, Fennel, Onion and Blood Orange Salad. They now move on to represent South Carolina in The Great American Seafood Cook-off on Aug. 11 in New Orleans.

Chef Luque thinks the New Orleans influence he put in the Mahi dish was one of the factors that helped bump him to the win, and he got his New Orleans flair by working there.

The 33-year-old married step-father of three teenagers grew up in New Jersey and took hotel and restaurant management classes - a few of them culinary-related - at Middlesex Community College. He gained his first real-world culinary experience as garde manger at the Hilton Short Hills Hotel between Morristown and Summit, a five-diamond property with a three-star restaurant. He moved to the hot food side at Short Hills before taking a job cooking at a New Jersey seafood restaurant called Cranberry Station, where they turned out 200 covers per night. Next came a stint as the manager of a New Jersey restaurant and catering hall before, in 2003, he took a Cook 1 position at the Renaissance Woodbridge Hotel in Iselin. By 2006, when he was 26 years old, he had worked up to executive sous-chef.

"After Hurricane Katrina, I went to New Orleans," he said on Feb. 16 in the Hilton Myrtle Beach Resort's Cafe Amalfi, with a sweeping mezzanine view of the Atlantic Ocean behind him. "I worked at the W New Orleans Hotel as executive sous-chef, and it was the first place I got exposed to unique and different food items. They actually had foie gras on the menu. I learned how to shuck oysters and tried calf brain."

Between Mardi Gras, the NBA All-Star games, the Essence Music Festival and countless conventions, Chef Luque was exposed to traveling culinary celebrities such as Bobby Flay, Anthony Bourdain and John Besh while learning to keep up with floods of tourists, many with special dietary needs. It's also where he met his mentor.

"I worked with Roberto Bustillo," he said. "He was the best chef I ever worked with."

In 2008 Chef Luque moved to Myrtle Beach to take the executive sous-chef position at the Hilton Myrtle Beach, and in December 2011 was promoted to the position of complex executive sous-chef for the Hilton and the next-door hotel called Kingston Plantation.

The No. 2 man on the team, Chad Robey, is the married father of two young daughters. His experience started at an Uno Chicago Pizza in Maryland before he was sous-chef at the Maryland Club. After the birth of his first daughter six years ago, his family moved to Myrtle Beach and he was a chef at City Bar, and then was the startup chef at Tavern in the Forest when it opened. Next was a stint at owning his own restaurant in Socastee called Atomic Pizza before taking his current job two years ago as kitchen manager at the Hilton.

Neither chef had ever been the lead in a culinary competition, but Chef Luque was the assistant during three gold medal efforts by Chef Roberto Bustillo at American Culinary Federation sanctioned events. Since the national seafood challenge is in New Orleans, and he has experience with its cuisine, Chef Luque decided to impress the South Carolina judges with New Orleans style.

"The Maque Choux - I had seen it all over in New Orleans. The first time I had it, I loved it. On the menu here it's not as spicy, but in the competition it was spicy and the judges loved it. The Mahi - it's one of my favorite fishes. Then the salad - the citrus and fennel flavors pull the whole dish together. I originally [conceived] a smoky tomato sauce where I smoked my own tomatoes, but for the competition I made it spicy with onions, garlic and jalapenos in the marinara...The first words out of one judge's mouth was, 'It's a great dish'."

The judges had a small amount of constructive criticism, such as suggesting the dish could use another color in its presentation, or perhaps a bit more starch than just the corn in the Maque Choux, or maybe the extra piece of bacon atop the Maque Choux was superfluous. But when it came to the chefs' methods, the floor judge awarded them a perfect 100.

"The floor judge gave us our biggest compliment," Chef Luque said. "He said, 'I forgot you guys were here. You hotel chefs - I don't even have to watch what you're doing; I know you'll do it right.' I give half that credit to Chad. I know I was the lead chef, but Chad is equally responsible. I couldn't do it without someone like Chad beside me."

The chef put his money behind that sentiment, and split the $1,000 prize with Chef Robey. The winnings include airfare and hotel expenses for the trip to New Orleans in August, and already the chefs are planning the dish they hope will win them and their state a national culinary title. Both chefs say they're grateful to their employers for supporting them and allowing them time to participate in the competitions.

Chef Luque offers his South Carolina Seafood Dish of the Year for readers' enjoyment.

Pan Seared Mahi Mahi

Applewood Smoked Bacon, Corn Maque Choux

Spicy Tomato Sauce, and Fennel, Onion, Blood Orange Salad

Mahi

    
Season Mahi with salt and pepper on both sides. In a large skillet heat EVOO over medium-high heat. Sear Mahi on both sides until cooked half way. Remove from heat and set aside for later use. Prior to plating, finish mahi in oven, then plate

Applewood Smoked Bacon & Corn Maque Choux

Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees F.

Place 4 slices of bacon on a sheet pan and press down with another sheet pan. Place in oven and cook until done, approximately 12-15 minutes. Remove from pan and save bacon for plating and save fat for later use. Season corn with salt and pepper, then drizzle with EVOO and roast in oven until tender and slightly browned. Remove corn from oven and let sit for 5 minutes. Remove kernels from corn and set aside for later use. In a large skillet heat remaining bacon fat. Dice remaining 3 slices of bacon and add to skillet until crispy. Remove and set aside for later use. In the same pan for diced bacon, sauté onion and pepper until tender then add corn kernels and diced bacon. Season with red fish seasoning, and salt and pepper to taste. Remove from heat and set aside for later use. Prior to plating reheat Maque Choux until hot and plate with a piece of the cooked bacon on top.

Spicy Tomato Sauce
 

In a sauce pan heat EVOO over medium heat. Add chopped garlic, onion and jalapeno and cook until tender and onions are translucent. Add chopped tomatoes and bring to a boil. Reduce to simmer and stir in tomato paste. Simmer for 10 minutes. Add in basil, oregano, sugar and vinegar. With an immersion blender puree until smooth. Season with salt and pepper. Taste sauce for proper heat level and add crushed red pepper as needed. Pass sauce through a china cap and reserve hot for later use.

Fennel, Onion, Blood Orange Salad
 

In a mixing bowl add blood orange, onion and fennel. Squeeze the juice of the lemon and orange on top and toss gently. Set aside for later use.  When plating season salad with salt and pepper to taste and top fish with salad.