Marcus Samuelsson judges hospital food competition

Scalpels down, knives out. 

Three chefs from New York hospitals competed head-to-head in a three-course, “Top Chef”-style cooking competition Wednesday in front of a live audience at the Institute of Culinary Education (ICE) in Lower Manhattan.

The stakes were high. The winner received an all-expenses-paid trip to Napa.

Celebrity chef Marcus Samuelsson — a “Top Chef Masters” winner and owner of Harlem’s Red Rooster and buzzy Chelsea seafood restaurant Hav & Mar — was one of the judges. Jill Kalman, a cardiologist and Northwell’s Chief Medical Officer, and Northwell’s Michelin-starred corporate executive chef Bruno Tison were also on the judging panel.

The competing chefs — who work at Phelps Hospital in Westchester and Lenox Hill, Plainview, and Syosset Hospitals on Long Island — were tasked with cooking delicious meals they might serve to patients. They had 90 minutes to create an appetizer using rainbow beets, an entree with wild monkfish and a dessert with dried prunes.

“They really went for it,” Samuelsson told The Post 

This was the 13th year for the competition, dubbed “Chefs Challenge,” and the first time it was hosted in Manhattan. This year was also the first one to have rigorous nutritional guidelines that toques had to adhere to.

The appetizer had to have no more than 250 calories and 250 milligrams of sodium; the main course was capped at 450 calories and 500 milligrams of sodium and the dessert had a limit of 250 calories and 250 milligrams of sodium. Each course could only have 35% of total calories as fat. 

“We want to raise the bar,” Tison told The Post. “We’re not going to put caviar on our menu because we can’t afford it, but we’re thinking about items that our patients would love and are good for their diet.”

Appetizers instantly wooed the judges. 

Kelly Walker, the 39-year-old executive sous chef at Phelps Hospital and the former executive sous chef at Stowe Mountain Lodge in Vermont, made steamed beet-and-Brussels sprouts potstickers served with raw beets, a beet coulis and a vegan horseradish mouse 

“It’s a stunning dish — you really thought through the texture,” Samuelsson told her after tasting it.

On the entree front, executive chef Marc Bauer and his team at Plainview and Syosset Hospitals, wowed judges with a poached monkfish with cavatelli, fava beans, oven-dried tomato and blackfish broth.

Samuelsson declared it “excellent” and “the most crave able thing I’ve eaten today,” praising the savory balance of garlic and salt.

The celeb chef also loved a pan-roasted monkfish dish with onion puree, chanterelles and chicken jus prepared by Lenox Hill’s Andrew Bennett.

Bennett previously worked at Daniel Boulud’s uptown fine dining institution Daniel, and Samuelsson said it showed.

“Any restaurant that had that dish on the menu would sell out,” he raved, before pleading, “Don’t take my plate!” 

The dessert course took a savory turn. Bennett presented stewed prunes dappled with a Stilton blue cheese mousse and hazelnut crumble. 

“Even being French, I love Stilton,” quipped Tison of the pungent English cheese.

Samuelsson praised the inventiveness of the mousse but offered a slight critique.

“Maybe you could have finished with a little sea salt on top, but, overall, well done,” he said.

Walker presented a Valrhona chocolate-and-prune Napoleon cake with dark-chocolate ganache and cinnamon whipped cream. It was a crowd pleaser.

“It has twist and personality on the plate,” Samuellson said. “It’s fun to bite into it.”

Cardiologist Kalman declared it “a perfect layer cake” that miraculously came in under the calorie limit.

After rigorous deliberation, Walker’s menu was declared the winner.

“It was really ambitious, and really delicious,” Samuelsson said, calling the veggie pot stickers a stand-out. 

“I also liked her dessert – if you open that up as a patient, you’re going to be very happy,” he added.

Phelps Hospital patients will get to taste it all for themselves when Walker’s dishes are added to the menu this spring.

Walker, who is gearing up to celebrate her 40th birthday next week, was thrilled to win the competition, and said that the free trip to California wine country is the icing on the cake.

She exclaimed, “It’s the best birthday gift I could have asked for.”