NSU student sharpening skills for competition

If you’re looking for someone who takes the heat and stays in the kitchen, senior Nicholls State University culinary student Paul Terrebonne is your guy.

“You burn your arms, get scratches… you’re trying to be quick around fire, and there’s lots of pressure,” the Larose native said. “It comes with the territory.

After taking top honors at the San Pellegrino Almost Famous Chef Competition regionals in San Antonio, Texas, with a dish of pan roasted red snapper with corn maque choux puree, Jazzmen Rice prepared with Abita Beer and a confetti of pickled vegetables, Terrebonne will next compete at the national competition in Napa Valley, Calif.

“The judges at regionals said my dish was well balanced and well thought out,” Terrebonne said. “They said it had the right mixture of acidy, sweet and spicy flavors and the right colors and textures.”

Terrebonne’s culinary campaign began at the age of 11.

“I started cooking at home, and I was good at it and liked it,” he said. “Both of my grandmothers influence me. One is always having dinner parties and the other cooks lots of gumbos and etouffees and cooks for the holidays.”

Terrebonne’s favorite dish to eat is Shrimp and Avocado Napoleon, which contains tomatoes, avocados, pickled red onions and poached shrimp.

“My favorite foods to cook are always changing, but right now, I’m on a pasta kick, trying out different shapes,” he said. “That’ll probably change soon though.”

After attending different colleges and pursing different majors, Terrebonne came to NSU and has been studying culinary arts for the last three years.

“I’m getting a little nervous about the competition,” he said. “I’ve been working a lot and practicing a lot. There are very few days when I am not cooking.”

Terrebonne said he began practicing for regionals, which were in January, at the end of last September, and he has been practicing every Monday for the last two months in preparation for nationals.

“At the national competition, I will have to prepare a signature dish of 200 portions, and the second task will be a mystery bag – chefs will be required to make eight plates of food using a primary and a secondary protein,” he explained.

At nationals, he will be competing against nine others, eight from United States and one competitor from Canada.

After graduating this May, Terrebonne plans to continue working where he is currently doing his externship – La Petit Grocery on Magazine Street in New Orleans.

“I’m excited to be employed there and will continue to work there,” Terrebonne said.

Paul Terrebonne, culinary senior at Nicholls State University, of Larose, chops bell peppers in preparation for the San Pellegrino Almost Famous Chef competition. Terrebonne was practicing preparing a “signature dish” of hand roasted red snapper and corn moux choux. (Misty Leigh McElroy/Nicholls State University) 2/26/12

Misty Leigh McElroy