KC Flavor Champion: Christian Hallowell

A long-time participant in Kitchen Collaborative, Christian Hallowell welcomes the professional tests inherent in the recipe ideation program launched by Flavor & The Menu and Summit F&B in 2020. “Every year presents a different creative challenge,” says Hallowell, senior director of R&D, Bloomin’ Brands. “This year’s competition really encouraged me to think about texture and ingredient performance, not simply about flavor.”

Hallowell applied that exploration around texture with a particularly deft hand in a refined pasta concept: the Al Bronzo Orecchiette with Fennel Lamb, Broccoli Rabe & Parmigiano, which was given top marks by sponsor Barilla for Professionals. The recognition was especially meaningful, he says, because “The dish wasn’t built around flashy ingredients or complicated techniques. Understanding how the Al Bronzo pasta behaved allowed me to build an entire dish around its strengths. It’s a dish focused on balance, craftmanship and allowing a great pasta to be the star.”

The bronze-die extrusion of the Al Bronzo pasta creates a visibly rough surface and the orecchiette boasts a deep cup shape. Both characteristics “naturally improve sauce cling and ingredient capture, allowing a lighter, more refined preparation without relying on heavy cream or tomato,” says Hallowell.

Leaning into the lamb jus was a decision that guided each step, he explains, detailing the actions: “from searing the lamb whole to preserve its texture and dicing it for integration to carefully emulsifying the jus with pasta water to create a glossy finish that would cling to the pasta, while lightly surrounding it on the plate.”

Other components of the build include fennel-rubbed lamb loin, charred broccoli rabe, anchovy, garlic, red pepper flakes and aged Parmigiano Reggiano. The result is savory depth and balanced bitterness in every bite, says Hallowell. “Working with this pasta reinforced how much texture influences flavor delivery.”

Competitions allow me to simply create—experimenting with techniques, flavors and presentations that may eventually influence future menu development. Creativity is a muscle. The more opportunities you have to exercise it, the stronger you become as a chef.

—Christian Hallowell

“This dish evolved naturally from the ingredients I had available. As I started building flavors, everything just seemed to work together,” says Hallowell. “That’s one of my favorite ways to cook. Technique is incredibly important, but great ingredients make the biggest difference. When you allow each to play its role, the dish almost tells you where it wants to go.”

One key insight discovered during testing was the importance of timing at the finish, continues Hallowell. “Adding the lamb at the last moment preserves contrast and structure. Proper emulsification of the sauce ensures it will enhance the pasta, rather than overpower it. The result is balanced, intentional and centered on the performance of the bronze-cut pasta.”

WHY THIS PLATE PREVAILED

Orecchiette pasta hails from Puglia, Italy, and Hallowell’s winning concept reflected an understanding of that provenance. “The chef did a great job honoring the tradition and origin of this pasta shape and giving it a new twist,” says Lorenzo Boni, executive chef for Barilla America, recounting the judging process. “Orecchiette with broccoli rabe and sausage is an iconic dish of the region, and you can see that reference. By using ingredients like fennel and roasted lamb—which would absolutely be at home in a Puglian kitchen—you can see the love for Italian cuisine in the thought process.”

Boni appreciated the sense of craft Hallowell invested in the dish. For example, “The decision to dice the roasted lamb, rather than use a ground lamb or a lamb sausage, was interesting. It made the dish a little more sophisticated, adding texture and providing another element to fill the ‘cups’ of the orecchiette pasta,” he says.

The signature of the Al Bronzo line of pastas from Barilla for Professionals is its facility to hold sauces, enhancing the bite. “This dish uses a brothy, savory sauce from the lamb jus, which highlights that ability and makes full use of the rich starch from the pasta cooking water,” Boni continues. “It’s a great showcase for elevating a simple pasta dish with just a few carefully chosen ingredients and good technique. Bravissimo!”

IMPACT BEYOND EXPECTATION

“Challenges like Kitchen Collaborative often have a bigger impact than people realize,” declares Hallowell, who relishes the opportunity to be pushed “outside my day-to-day operational thinking, which is focused on consistency, execution and scalability at dozens of restaurants.” Hallowell leads culinary R&D at both Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar and Bonefish Grill.

That said, the chef is very aware of the benefits the Kitchen Collaborative program brings to his job. “It exposes me to new ingredients, products and techniques that eventually find their way into my work,” he says. “The ideas don’t stay in the competition. They often become inspiration for real menu innovation. That’s one of the things I value most about these competitions.”

In fact, the 2026 sponsor box introduced Hallowell to a new product from one of his current vendor partners. “I was so impressed that I ended up incorporating it into a summer LTO for one of our brands,” he notes.

The cherry on top, of course, is the opportunity to join the other winning chefs on a culinary expedition of Mendoza, Argentina, led by Flavor & The Menu and Summit F&B. “I’m always inspired by experiencing food and wine in their place of origin,” says Hallowell. “Mendoza has such a rich culinary culture, and I’m excited to learn from local chefs and better understand how traditions, regional ingredients—and wines—influence one another. Those experiences always find their way back into my own creativity.”

MORE INSPIRED TAKES

Two other concepts submitted by Hallowell reflect the craft and creativity that top chefs invest when developing recipes that will surprise and delight restaurant guests.

Honey-Glazed Lobster Spring Roll with Calabrian Chili Pesto

The nostalgia-fueled resurgence of crab Rangoon-inspired entries from multiple Kitchen Collaborative 2026 chef participants, including fellow champion Kevin Ripley. Here, Hallowell’s take is a crispy spring roll filled with a light lobster cream (made with Lobster Sensations from sponsor King & Prince Seafood), lemon, scallion and celery and finished with a subtle honey glaze. Traditionally, a crab Rangoon would be paired with a sweet chile sauce, Hallowell notes, but he chose to sub in the Calabrian Chili Pesto from sponsor Good Foods instead. “The citrus, heat and acidity moves it away from a typical Asian profile but still complements the dish,” he explains.

“I wanted to capture the nostalgic flavors people associate with crab Rangoon, while creating something lighter, crispier and a little more refined,” he continues. “The spring roll wrapper provides a delicate crunch that lets the lobster filling shine, rather than being dominated by a thicker fried wrapper. It allows the filling to stay airy and lobster-forward.”

“Restraint” was the byword that dictated Hallowell’s conception of the dish. This included small additions like celery for texture and citrus for lift. “That helped to balance the richness without overcomplicating the dish,” he says. Similarly, the pesto sauce adds contrast, direction and “restrained heat,” without overpowering the bite. “The pesto product brings heat and herbaceous notes that let the lobster stay the star, instead of coating it with sweetness.”

Fire-Roasted Chocolate Chunk Cookie with Grilled Banana, Brown Butter Ice Cream and Salted Caramel

Inspiration for some menu concepts comes gradually, with plenty of pondering. But it can also be a timely bolt from the blue. “I was grilling steaks for another Kitchen Collaborative submission and started thinking about how the grill develops these wonderful, smoky, caramelized flavors,” recounts Hallowell. “I wondered what would happen if I applied that same thinking to a skillet cookie.”

With the Chocolate Chunk Pizza Cookie from Kitchen Collaborative sponsor Otis Spunkmeyer at the ready, Hallowell put his wonderings to the test. Keeping the cookie in its tin packaging (where it held up well to his nontraditional prep), he discovered that the grill added a subtle smoke and deeper caramelization that was transformative. “It was a simple idea, but it completely changed the personality of the dessert,” he says.

But that was just the beginning of the complex build, one that reinvents the conventional chocolate chip cookie into something considerably more dynamic, while maintaining its comfort-driven appeal. The chef layered more flavor and texture with grilled bananas, brown butter ice cream, smoked sea salt crème fraîche Chantilly, salted caramel, a crisp strawberry croquant and an almond brittle. “Go big, or go home!” quips Hallowell.

“Every component had a purpose,” he notes. The grilled banana reinforced the live fire characteristics of the dish, while adding natural sweetness. The brown butter flavor of the ice cream contributed a toasted, nutty richness that complemented the chocolate. The crème fraiche added lightness, tang and another subtle layer of smoke. Salted caramel lent both sweet and bitter notes. The strawberry croquant introduced acidity and a crispy texture, with added crunch from the almond brittle, which delivered another toasted note.

“The first bite is warm, cool, crunch all at once,” says Hallowell. “You experience the molten chocolate cookie with its caramelized edges, followed by the rich ice cream melting into the salted caramel.” The remaining components contribute other flavor notes and textures for a balanced taste experience, rather than one that wallowed in decadence. “I wanted each bite to evolve, revealing something slightly different with each mouthful.”

There are more creative concepts to discover from this year’s Kitchen Collaborative competition. Flavor & The Menu will continue sharing these throughout 2026.

Kitchen Collaborative Project Management: Summit F&B
Al Bronzo Orecchiette with Fennel Lamb, Broccoli Rabe and Parmigiano photo: Photography: otysonphoto.com // Food Styling: Peg Blackley