School Chefs Take On A Challenge
The Pick & Pay School Chef’s Challenge hosted at Prue Leith Chefs Academy in August has left us very exited about the future of the industry as it seems that many schools are taking cheffing as seriously as we do.
The competition sponsored by Pick & Pay, Goldcrest and Prue Leith Chefs Academy had some pleasantly surprising results with youngsters quite successfully pulling off advanced molecular gastronomy techniques like cherry caviar.
Maike Böhmer and Meagan Edwards, from Hoërskool Hendrik Verwoerd in Pretoria, were the two pupils who were brave enough to attempt this technique on their dessert plate. Much to our surprise they were not over confident as their naartjie malva pudding with rooibos Anglaise, naartjie wedges, black cherries and cherry caviar turned out to be the best dessert of the day. Maike and Meagan also walked away as the overall winners in the competition, each winning prizes worth R40 000, including a R30 000 bursary to study at Prue Leith Chefs Academy.
The runner up team, each winning prizes worth R10 000, were Rudi Barnard and Larissa Geustyn, also from Hoërskool Hendrik Verwoerd. They also won the prize for the best main course with a creation combining beef fillet, warthog salami, mustard mash potatoes, sweet aniseed carrots and mange tout.
The best starter award went to two very passionate young men, who even brought in their own home made phyllo pastry for the main course. Marius Dodgen and Pieter du Toit from Hoërskool Pietersburg created a delicious snoek and sweet potato ravioli in vanilla burnt butter to walk away with the starter award.
Competitors had to plan, cost and write a modern South African menu. Ten teams went through to the final cook-off where they had to realize their menus. Judges were looking for a well balanced and well cooked meal, that was prepared hygienically and technically correct and displayed some creativity in representing South Africa on a plate.
For the lecturers at the Academy it was very encouraging to see that several schools are already teaching classic French cooking at a high standard. There seems to already be some understanding of heat application, flavour combinations and correct seasoning. With foundations like these already in place when pupils formally train as a chef, we can reach great culinary heights so much faster and ultimately help to improve the standard of the industry faster.
