MILTON — Santa Rosa County Superintendent of Schools Tim Wyrosdick leaned over the line of plates in front of him and with a shaky hand applied a drizzle of honey just before time ran out.
View a photo gallery from the event >>
The Milton High School cafeteria was full Thursday night as residents watched local officials compete in the first Santa Rosa County Chopped competition.
“We couldn’t prepare too much because there were the secret ingredients we had to work with, and we’re in an unfamiliar environment,” said Sheriff Wendell Hall, the first of the three competitors to be chopped.
Round 1 required Hall, Wyrosdick and state Rep. Doug Broxson to create a delicious and healthy breakfast with oats, honey and blueberries.
The competitors, like on the Food Network show “Chopped,” were timed and given a pantry of items to use for their dish.
Each chef also had a sous chef. Navarre High School senior Jessa Johnson paired with Hall. Jon Giles, sales manager for All-Pro Sound and the chef in his family, partnered with Broxson. Ernest Servantes 2012 champion of “Chopped: Grilled Masters,” cooked with Wyrosdick.
Visitors to the Chopped Competition had to bring at least three canned food items to donate to charities. By the end of the night, more than 800 cans had been collected.
As the time ran out, each station atop the stage finished up their dishes of chicken and waffles, banana bread French toast and deep-fried French toast.
Judges based scores on texture, creativity and taste. They asked questions such as why the waffle had a “green tinge” and how long it took to deep fry the bread to get it crisp.
In the end, Wyrosdick and Servantes were the champions of Chopped.
“We did this as a way to get the community involved,” said Leslie Bell, food services director with the school district. “Our goal is to highlight awareness about the Manna food bank and fight hunger.”
Contact Daily News Staff Writer Angel McCurdy at 850-315-4432 or amccurdy@nwfdailynews.com. Follow her on Twitter @AngelMnwfdn.
