PARIS, Feb 19 — A national cooking contest in France has announced the finalists who will go on to seek culinary glory in March. L’Académie culinaire de France hosts its 48th annual Trophée national de cuisine (cooking) et de patisserie (baking) in Paris March 5, where six professional candidates will have 5 hours to prepare a set two course meal. 

For the main dish, candidates must interpret the traditional French dish “lièvre à la Royale” or stuffed hare which usually takes up to two days to prepare and dates back to the reign of Louis XIV. 

The dish must feed 12 people and be accompanied by three sides that use apples, cabbage and root vegetables. Ingredients can include everything from foie gras, truffles and rabbit’s blood while the stuffing is usually pork-based. 

The theme for the dessert is ‘one fruit and one vegetable’ and must use premium chocolate brand Valrhona and Grand Marnier liqueur. 

The dessert must also feed 12 people. The competition takes place March 5 in Paris. Meanwhile, the international cooking competition known as the Olympics of the food world, the Bocuse d’Or takes place in Lyon next year. 

Here are the six finalists and their respective restaurants: - 

Romain Aubineau — Chef, Domaine de Brandois (La Mothe-Achard)  

Guillaume Guyot — Chef, Lycée professionnel Vauban (Auxerre)  

Mickael Landaud — Chef, Restaurant Le Beauvoir (Bourges) 

Damine Lanier — Chef, Pavillon Ledoyen (Paris)  

Olivier Pereira — Chef, Hôtel de la Préfecture de l’Yonne (Auxerre)

Fabien Pierret — Chef, Restaurant Michel Béjeannin (Marseilles). — Afp-Relaxnews