Norwegian Wins Europe Crown in Cookery 'Olympics'

Norwegian chef Orjan Johannessen was crowned champion in the European leg of the Bocuse d'Or contest, known as the Olympic Games of the food world.

The award was announced late Wednesday after 20 chefs faced off in a two-day cookout in Brussels, ahead of the worldwide Bocuse d'Or competition to be held in the eastern French city of Lyon next January.

Sweden's Adam Dahlberg and the Danish chef Jeppe Foldager took silver and bronze respectively -- an all-Nordic trio of winners, as was the case in the last global edition.

All top 12 contenders in the Europe edition are qualified to run for the global title in Lyon.

Egged on like prize-fighters by their coaches and a cheering crowd, the chefs had five hours and 35 minutes to rustle up two dishes -- a sole with shrimps, and a poultry dish -- with three garnishes each.

Many spend months preparing for the contest, often with the help of sponsors.

Johannessen, 26, took a half-year away from his family inn on the Norwegian coast to work on his winning recipe of sole stuffed with shrimp, black bread and dill, which earned him 12,000 euros (15,800 dollars) in prize money.

Named after French chef Paul Bocuse, one of its founders, the contest is often a launchpad for young chef laureates, such as Yannick Alleno, the 1999 winner, who is now the three-star chef of the Hotel Meurice in Paris.

Brazilian Alex Atala, head chef of the Sao Paulo restaurant D.O.M. who is known for his Amazonian-inspired cuisine, chaired the 20-member jury this year.

The next edition of the Bocuse d'Or Europe will be held in Sweden in 2014, organizers announced.