Two local cooking apprentices have made their mark at the national cooking competition held in Melbourne, collecting a gold medal and two silvers for their efforts.
Charles Darwin University VET Cookery students Andrew Chan and Tommy Jong competed against nine teams from across Australia to gain a respectable fourth place.
The CDU-trained apprentices competed after winning the regional final in June against nine local teams at the CDU Palmerston campus training kitchen.
Both are employed at the Waterfront Bistro at the Darwin Sailing Club and are completing their Certificate III in Commercial Cookery.
Competitors were challenged to create a three course meal with four portions each course from a mystery box of ingredients. The competitors had one hour to create a menu and four hours to prepare and present all meals.
VET lecturer, Jason Wilkes said the results were extremely pleasing especially with the unfamiliar experience of coping with the stress and scrutiny of a national competition.
“With the high calibre of fellow competitors and the boys’ hectic work schedule in the middle of the dry season, they did an excellent job and I am very proud of them,” he said.
The pair’s mouth-watering menu included a classical Fricassee of veal sweetbreads with an onion and chive Yorkshire pudding as the entree.
The main course was lamb loin pocketed with prawn and crab meat served on lyonnaise potato with baby vegetables and a red wine balsamic glaze. Desert finished the culinary adventure with wicked chocolate tart on an orange semiarid with poached pears and orange coulis.
They follow the recent success of up-and-coming Darwin school students Jeremy Liew and Jessica Cokanauto who collected silver medals at the International Secondary School Challenge cooking competition held at the Gold Coast.
CDU Palmerston campus extends thanks to fellow staff members, Nestlé professional food services, Australian Culinary Federation NT chapter, Australian Culinary Federation National chapter and the employers of the students, Waterfront Bistro at the Darwin Sailing Club.