Bocuse d'Or Culinary Competition Begins in Lyon France

This year, the contestants have been assigned an 11- to 12-pound whole Norwegian cod, 45 hand-picked Norwegian scallops in the shell and six-and-a-half pounds of uncooked whole Norwegian wild prawns for one dish; four-and-a-half to five-and-a-half pounds of Scottish Aberdeen beef filet steak, a whole oxtail, two beef cheeks and three ribs for another. The chefs bring their own kitchen equipment and are allowed to use their own ingredients to make three different garnishes for each dish.

In the previous 11 contests since 1987, a Frenchman has won the gold medal six times, a Norwegian three. Sweden and Luxembourg both won once. The Americans have never even won the silver or bronze; the best an American placed was sixth in 2005.

“I hope they will win because we’d really like this competition to cross the Atlantic,”

Mr. Hollingsworth, who has been on paid leave from the restaurant for more than three months, has been training 40 to 50 hours a week in a replica of the Lyon kitchen cubicle built for him near the French Laundry in the former home of Mr. Keller’s late father. He has his own coach, the chef Roland Henin.

The American team has raised about $500,000 for Mr. Hollingsworth, much of it from corporate sponsors like the equipment companies All-Clad and Enodis, Mr. Boulud said. At one point during the training, Paul Bocuse himself showed up to watch Mr. Hollingsworth cook. The only other chef he visited was the Norwegian, after he won the continental European Bocuse d’Or competition last summer.

The quality of the food determines two-thirds of the score, 40 points; presentation counts for 20 points. If there is a tie, another 20 points will be awarded based on factors like organization, teamwork, cleanliness and a lack of waste.