Chefs go head-to-head in Caterer cooking comp
Eight top Dubai chefs went head-to-head last week in brand new cooking competition ‘The Seasonal Challenge’, organised by Caterer Middle East and Nestlé Professional.
Held at the recently-opened Bonnington Jumeirah Lakes Towers, the event saw the group of chefs divided into four teams of two, and given one-and-a-half hours to prepare a main course and dessert using a mystery box of ingredients provided by Nestlé Professional, containing a few special seasonal items.
The teams were then judged on their main course, dessert and hygiene efforts, with two prizes on offer: one for the Best Overall Dishes and one for Best Kitchen Hygiene.
Zain Sidhu, advisory chef with Nestlé Professional and one of the event judges, said the challenge had been a tough one for the chefs.
“They were taken out of their comfort zone, out of their own kitchen environment. The set up with very basic equipment and the idea of ‘getting back to basics’ was challenging in itself — and that’s before you factor in the issue of creating two great original dishes,” he noted.
“But everyone responded very well; they were able to adapt to the new environment quickly and the dishes they created were both very tasty and beautifully presented.
“The competition was very tough and it was so difficult to choose a winner,” he added.
“A lot of thought and careful planning was demonstrated by all the chefs, along with admirable applications of all the seasonal ingredients.
“The final dishes were all an innovative mixture of different flavours.”
Ultimately, the judges selected Antonio Dominicis from Radisson Blu, Dubai Deira Creek and Chrisma Antono from Bonnington Jumeirah Lakes Towers as the winning team, for their stunning two courses of rolled duck breast wrapped with leek served with mushroom risotto, and rice pudding squares with mango salsa.
“The winning team displayed great teamwork,” noted Sidhu. “They were constantly talking to each other and this came through in their final dishes, which were a great fusion of ingredients combining the different flavours perfectly.
“All the teams scored extremely highly, but the winners really expressed themselves through their creations.”
Winners of the prize for hygiene were Christophe Prud'homme, from Al Bustan Rotana, and Kevin Pohl, from The Observatory at the Marriott Harbour Hotel.
Commenting on the decision to launch the magazine’s first live culinary competition, Caterer editor and second event judge Lucy Taylor explained: “The March issue of the magazine features a roundtable discussion on the subject of menu development.
“When we considered at the challenges facing Middle East chefs with regards to menu planning, adhering to seasonality in a region where almost ever ingredient must be imported came through as a key issue.
“There are various factors — from sourcing problems to timely transportation — that can impact what a chef can serve to his guests, so it’s a true testament to their skill that we see so many restaurant menus adhering to a seasonal theme.
“In recognition of this creativity, we thought it would be fun to put it to the test in a live cooking challenge prior to the chefs’ roundtable discussion, and see what our eight participants could come up with,” she said.
“Nestlé Professional was incredibly enthusiastic about the idea, and we are most grateful for their assistance with this event. The company’s expertise in the field of setting up culinary events was a driving force behind marking The Seasonal Challenge a reality.”
Nestlé Professional assistant brand manager Mary-Ann Gardner said that the company had been enthusiastic about the event form the start.
“We believe in the importance of inspiring chefs to get creative,” she explained.
“The Seasonal Challenge is designed to deliver just that: chefs were challenged to innovate and utilise seasonal ingredients, with only a very basic kitchen set-up to help them create inspiring dishes.
“The outcome was spectacular! It gives us great pleasure to ensure the chefs share knowledge and stimulate ideas.”
Gardner added that it had been gratifying to see chefs from different properties and outlets working together so successfully.
“It is always inspiring to see the camaraderie between chefs in the industry, and the teamwork and innovation displayed at this event between chefs that had never met each other before was the icing on the cake for us.
“We salute all the chefs that participated and I think perhaps we will be seeing more seasonal cuisine in menus around Dubai,” she predicted.
Meet the competitors:
• Chrisma Antono, Bonnington Jumeirah Lakes Towers
• Paul Lupton, Rhodes Mezzanine, Grosvenor House Dubai
• Franck Detrait, Traiteurs, Park Hyatt Dubai
• Kevin Pohl, The Observatory, The Marriott Harbour Hotel
• Eicke Christian, Terra Firma, Al Badia Golf Club
• Christophe Prud’homme, Al Bustan Rotana Dubai
• Thushan Don, Dubai Marina Yacht Club
• Antonio Dominicis, Radisson Blu Hotel, Dubai Deira Creek