THE search is under way to find the 2010 Young Scottish Seafood Chef Of The Year.
The competition, which is aimed at increase in consumption of Scottish fish, was launched last year and proved to be a great success. The winner in 2009 was 18 year old Craig McKenzie from the renowned Milton Restaurant at Bacnhory, near Aberdeen.
Would be competitors, who must be aged 23 and under, are being asked to submit recipes for two portions of a starter and a main dish, using aquaculture species for one course (salmon, Gigha halibut and mussels) and wild caught for the other course (mackerel, haddock, langoustine). Judges will be looking for competitors to show imagination in their choice of recipe ingredients, for use of seasonal Scottish produce, and for skill in preparation, cooking and presentation.The recipes will be paper judged by a panel from the Federation of Chefs Scotland, who will choose six finalists to take part in a cook-off in Edinburgh on June 28th.
To give finalists a greater understanding of the seafood industry, they will be invited to join a trip to the northeast of Scotland, to experience markets, vessels and processors in action.
Prizes for the winner include a specially commissioned trophy; a visit to the French gastronomic city of Lyons in January 2011 to attend the final of the Bocuse d'Or competition – a cook off between the world's greatest chefs, which is featuring Scottish crab, monkfish and langoustine; a week's work experience at Ondine under the tutelage of top seafood chef Roy Brett; plus the opportunity to cook the winning dishes at a Ministerial dinner.
The deadline for submission of entries is Friday 30th April, and full details and an entry form can be downloaded from the SFS website, www.seafoodscotland.org or from the Federation of Chefs Scotland website, www.scottishchefs.com.
Should fisheries be closed during breeding time to allow stocks to reach more sustainable levels?
