AN 18-year-old chef from the award winning Milton Restaurant at Banchory, near Aberdeen has won the Young Scottish Seafood Chef of the Year Award. Craig McKenzie, who beat five other finalists to take the title, immediately dedicated his success to the fishermen who supply him with his raw materials.Craig said afterwards: 'I am thrilled because I love creating dishes with seafood, which is so versatile.'
His winning menu included crab bisque with megrim and langoustine tortellini, and smoked Scottish hake, soft polenta with bacon, razor clams and a poached duck egg.
He added: 'I hope the recipes will inspire others to eat more fish - it's healthy, tasty, sustainable and a great way to support our fishermen.'
Craig received a specially commissioned trophy, a bottle of champagne, a week's work experience with top seafood chef Roy Brett, and the opportunity to cook a meal for Scotland's first minister and guests at a seafood celebration dinner.
The competition was launched in May as part of a wider package of measures designed to encourage greater consumption of Scottish seafood, with key messages including healthy eating and responsible fishing. For the final, the chefs used species chosen from a list of Scottish seafood that included hake and herring, along with crab, scallops and langoustines.
Located in a stunning setting on the banks of the River Dee the Milton Restaurant has won a number of awards recently including the Chef of the Year title and the Best Main Course in Scotland title.
Should fisheries be closed during breeding time to allow stocks to reach more sustainable levels?
