Student's Signature Range Steals Show
Otago Polytechnic professional cookery students left their mark at the Katrina Gordon Food Show competition at the town hall last night.
Three level four catering students - Scotty Anderson, Tessa Sole and Jesse Jackson - walked away with first, second and third place in the ‘Signature Dish’ category.
First place gold-medal winner, Scotty Anderson impressed the judges winning dinner and accommodation for two at a top hotel for his unique Espresso Bouillabaisse seafood soup creation.
Award-winning professional cookery lecturer Adrian Woodhouse who helped prepare students for the competition said, “What makes this soup so amazing is that is made in a coffee peculator with stock instead of water and aromatic spices and herbs instead of ground coffee.”
Contestants had just 30 minutes to cook two portions of a main dish themed ‘Signature Dish’, present it to the panel of judges and choose the best wine to match from a selection of wines.
A wonton sandwich with pickled vegetables and a hoisin dressing won Tessa Sole second place and Jesse Jackson’s prawn hot and sour Pho took third.
“It’s fantastic to see our students succeeding not only inside of the classroom but outside as well,” Adrian Woodhouse said.
The competition was open to people from across the hospitality industry students from other tertiary institutions. Otago Polytechnic professional cookery students have been entering the competition for many years to challenge themselves by competing against the best.