Sharihan Mashary, senior student at The Emirates Academy of Hospitality Management, won a local competition to cook beside three michelin-starred chef, Pierre Gagnaire, and be his apprentice for a day.
CLICK HERE TO WATCH SHARIHAN'S WINNING VIDEO ENTRY
The competition, organised by Reflets par Pierre Gagnaire at the InterContinental Dubai Festival City, offered aspiring and ambitious culinary students and foodies the opportunity to put their skills to the test.
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At the start of her working day on January 30, Mashary said: “I’m so excited and am looking forward to today. Not only to learn what goes on in chef Pierre’s kitchen, but also to learn about the attention to detail.
“When you look at the menu you can’t tell all the different elements that go into a dish – there are surprises and elements that you have no idea about. I’m looking forward to seeing how it’s done differently and the layers that are going into a main dish.
She also admitted: “I was probably the least experienced of the contestants”, but organisers insisted Mashary has a natural talent.
In 2011 she led the team from the The Emirates Academy to win a silver medal at the MLA Blackbox Culinary Challenge. The competition was entered into by professional chefs from five-star hotels.
About her success, Mashery said: “It was terrifying. But I think sometimes the need to taste can get overlooked when chefs are trying so hard to impress with techniques and presentation. The main thing is about how you cook and how you taste and a lot of people can forget that.”
To enter the competition, participants had to create a two minute video demonstrating why they should become Pierre Gagnaire’s apprentice for the day. The competition was tough with ambitious entrants from all over the Emirates competing for the exclusive prize.
Three candidates were shortlisted to compete in a mystery box cooking challenge. A mystery box of ingredients was given to each participant. Mashary impressed the judges with her seared scallops and chili butter prawn with spring onion and was announced as the winner.
On January 30, 2011 she spent a day of intense training with the three Michelin-starred chef in the kitchen of Reflets par Pierre Gagnaire, at the InterContinental Dubai Festival City.
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