USask Culinary team finds winning recipe in soup competition

He challenged both himself and the judges with a distinct, eccentric, umami-rich soup that would set him apart from the competition. After winning last year’s competition, Luciano introduced a new concept – a Duck Leek Soba Soup – which earned him a second consecutive win at the festival this February.

The idea of the award-winning soup came to Luciano in late January. From the beginning, he knew he wanted the dish to reflect his Italian background, while still challenging himself creatively.  

“For some reason soba noodles kept popping up in my mind,” said Luciano, adding that soba noodles are traditionally made with buckwheat flour. “I ended up finding the recipe for the soba noodles and for the life of me I couldn’t figure it out. So, I ended up interpreting my own recipe and making it work.”  

The soup proved to be a success at the competition, thanks in part to its umami-forward flavour profile. Although the noodles were a large part of the dish, Luciano also wanted his dish to stand apart visually and experientially.  

“You’re going to have to eat my soup with a fork instead of a spoon,” he joked.  

The protein at the centre of the bowl added more complexity and flavour. Leaning into local sources, Luciano chose duck and prepared it in three styles: sous-vide breast, confit leg, and using the crispy skin to make a homemade furikake.  

The final soup delivered a powerful, bold, and layered profile. 

“It’s very umami-rich – the broth has a lot of duck flavour and the shoyu tare brings this deep savory note,” he said. 

A homemade togarashi oil—a Japanese seven-spice oil —added a surprising final flourish to an already stellar dish. “There’s a numbing spice at the end which lingers in the back of your throat.”  

Crafting the soba noodles proved to be one of the greatest challenges Luciano faced when creating the recipe. Since buckwheat does not generate any gluten, the USask chef spent weeks experimenting with ratios, textures and hydration. In the end, a mixture of buckwheat flour, all-purpose flour, and egg yolks proved to be a winning combination. 

Leading up to the competition day, Luciano was still tweaking and improving upon his recipe.

“I was still testing out a couple of things, whether it would last overnight or if it would need to cook there or whatnot. I was talking to Jesse (Culinary Stores co-ordinator/procurement, Culinary Services) and I said, ‘If this recipe doesn’t turn out, I need you to order me some soba noodles just in case.’”

When the judge’s choice award was announced, Luciano was left speechless, after becoming the first ever to win the competition in consecutive years. 

His victory was supported by the USask Culinary Services team, with Luciano receiving assistance from Executive Sous Chef Alexandar Stephenson, Chef Jose Talabucon, and catering team member Azusa Fedorchuck. 

Adding another feather in his cap, Luciano will continue to develop recipes and serve delicious meals to the USask community at Marquis Culinary Centre.