Harvey Mudd College’s version of the popular FoodNetwork television show “The Next Iron Chef” made its debut on campus in November and the result was nothing short of tantalizing.

The event, dubbed “Copper Chef,” featured four teams of amateur chefs, each facing unusual challenges. First and foremost was the requirement that dishes be prepared using an ingredient—ostrich meat—that many people have neither seen nor tasted.

Winning the competition and Best Overall Team honors by virtue of a tasty ostrich slider deconstruction appetizer and tropical shrimp entrée was Team Chef Allison, with Allison Russell, Jonny Simkin and Jake Feldman. Also honored were Team West Dorm, comprised of Singer Ma, Betsy Ellis and Mary Moore-Simmons, earning second place and Best Cooking Techniques/Most Creativity honors for seafood pasta with veggies, and an ostrich tart with cranberry sorbet.

Rounding out the competition were Team Chef Benyue, with Jessica Witt, Benyue Liu, Steven Ning and Jason Wang, which won Best Presentation for drunken ostrich fried rice and succulent shrimp tacos; and Team Adjective Plural Noun, with Anne Clark, Dietrich Langenbach, Maria Morabe and Josh Oratz, which prepared pasta primavera shrimp and ostrich cakes to win Best Taste.

The event was moderated by District Chef Stein Amland of the dining services company Sodexo, who has hosted similar events at Pomona College’s Frank and Frary dining halls over the past decade. He was thrilled by the newly discovered talent at Mudd.

“The food was good, and I am so happy for the students,” he said. “They are the best I have seen so far.”

Amland was impressed by the students’ preparation of the secret ingredient. “Ostrich meat is not often used—it is rich and very lean,” he said.

Students had to decide what dishes to cook using the unusual meat, determine how to prepare dishes without using a written recipe for reference and guidance, and choose how to prepare the ostrich.

“I had cooked ostrich before and found it similar to chicken,” said Singer. “To cook it this time I just thought about what would go well with chicken.”

She and the others clearly succeeded, and in the end everything turned out tasty, according to the judges. The panel consisted of President Maria Klawe; Andrew Dorantes, vice-president for administration and finance/treasurer; Cynthia Beckwith, director of human resources; Guy Gerbick, associate dean of students/dean of residential life; and Chris Sundberg, associate dean of students/director of student activities.

“I was very impressed with the professionalism of each of the students,” Dorantes said. “They seemed very focused on the task at hand. I was very pleased with the performances of all the teams and with the presentation and quality of the food.”

Beckwith agreed. “I felt honored to be asked to judge the competition, and when I observed our student chefs in action and tasted the incredibly delicious dishes they prepared, I realized how much of an honor it was. Each team was creative in developing their recipes, cooking methods and presentation. They all looked like they were having fun—I know I had a great time.”

Gerbick also found much to applaud about each of the teams and their food preparations. “I was impressed that Team West Dorm created fresh noodles for their seafood pasta dish, and that Team Benyue made fresh tortillas for their really great shrimp tacos,” he said.

So wonderful was Copper Chef that Klawe suggested it just might become an annual event.

“The food was truly amazing—delicious, beautifully presented, and with very creative combinations of ingredients,” she said.