The Dénia Red Prawn International Creative Cooking Contest takes another step in its 9th edition and has already published the names of the chefs who will participate in its final phase next Tuesday, April XNUMX, as well as the composition of the jury that will decide the winning recipe.
The 2024 edition of the renowned contest that aims to praise with unique recipes the unique values of the red shrimp from Dénia has had, once again, a notable success in the call, since up to a total of 64 recognized chefs and novice cooks registered from both national and international geography, have sent their proposals to be part of the final selection.
The eight finalists chosen are: Víctor Suárez, Haydée restaurant (Orotava, Tenerife); César Mogollón, Ambivium restaurant (Peñafiel, Valladolid); Ariel Mungia, Raza restaurant (Valladolid); Federico Guajardo, El Carreter restaurant (Dénia, Alicante); Martín Comamala, restaurant 539 Plats Forts (Puigcerdá, Gerona); Ignacio Carballo, Kitchen Club restaurant (Madrid); Eugenio González, Kanaloa restaurant (Marbella) and Cristina Gómez, Fierro restaurant (Valencia).
The selection process for the final of the competition has been carried out by a panel of gastronomic professionals made up of Emmanuelle Baron, head chef of the Casa Pepa restaurant in Valencia, with one Michelin star and two Repsol soles; Sergio Boix, from the La Perla restaurant in Jávea, recommended by the Michelin Guide and holder of a Repsol sun; José Manuel López, chef of the Peix & Brases restaurant in Dénia, awarded with a Michelin star; Evarist Miralles, chef of the Alicante restaurant El Nou Cavall Verd, finalist of the Bocuse d'or 2012 and chef trainer of the CdT of Dénia; Ausiàs Signes, chef at the Alicante establishment Ausiàs Restaurant, and Diego Mena, owner of the restaurant Mena de Dénia, vice president of restaurants at AEHTMA and who has acted as secretary of minutes. These experts have evaluated the proposals presented and have selected the most outstanding ones to compete in the final of the competition, which will take place on April 9 at the Mercat Municipal de Dénia.
Once again, Dénia will become a great festival of gastronomy with its red shrimp as the epicenter in a unique day that will bring together participants, professionals and cooking fans to enjoy the ingenuity in the kitchens of the finalist chefs and see live his mastery. All under an exceptional ingredient such as the red shrimp from Dénia, which will be provided courtesy of the Fishermen's Guild of the capital of the Marina Alta to prepare the portions of your recipe necessary for the evaluation of each member of the jury.
A top-level jury
As it cannot be otherwise, extraordinary raw materials and high-level participants demand the presence of a jury up to the task and this 12th edition of the competition more than meets this expectation, as it will be made up of culinary experts, chefs and renowned food critics.
The jury will be made up of Carolina Álvarez, head chef of Quique Dacosta Restaurant (Dénia, Alicante); the gastroinfluencer Pablo Cabezali; the gastronomic critic Igor Cubillo; the three-star chef Quique Dacosta, from Quique Dacosta Restaurante (Dénia, Alicante); Óscar García, chef of the Baluarte restaurant (Soria); Álvaro Garrido, chef at the Mina restaurant (Bilbao); Andreu Genestra, chef of the Andreu Genestra restaurant (Mallorca); María Gómez, chef at the Magoga restaurant (Cartagena, Murcia); Óscar Molina, chef of the restaurant La Gaia by Óscar Molina (Ibiza) and María Ritter, director of the Repsol Guide.
Based on their demanding palates and their professionalism, the jury will assess the presence, prominence and accompaniment of the red prawn in the dishes to finally determine the winners of the three prizes that are awarded and who will receive 2.500 euros, the first, 1.500, the second, and 1.000, the third, in addition to a sculpture by the artist Toni Marí for each of the winners.
The twelfth edition of this event, organized by the Marina Alta Hospitality and Tourism Association (AEHTMA) in collaboration with the Department of Tourism of the Dénia City Council, highlights the great relevance of this event within the national gastronomic calendar and its It is committed to the projection of both established and new chefs, who take on the challenge of covering with taste and originality an exquisite gourmet product such as the red shrimp from Dénia.
