TWO budding chefs from Seton College, at Mt Gravatt East in Brisbane, won silver in the schools section of the recent Chefs of the Future Cultural Cookery Challenge in Brisbane.
After weeks of intensive training under the watchful eyes of visiting chef David Mydlowski, teachers Kathleen Dunnett and Bev Fairweather, and support staff Debbie Brennan and Chris Stout, the two students Zach Maclean, Year 11, and Joshua O’Donnell, Year 12, perfected their hot main course and cooked dessert in the college kitchen before attempting it at the competition.
Undaunted by the huge Brisbane Exhibition and Convention Centre venue and a line-up of 27 competing high school teams from around south-east Queensland, Josh and Zach faced the challenge of preparing, cooking and presenting the two courses in the hour-and-a-half allocated.
The two aspiring chefs were a picture of concentration and teamwork as they chopped, filleted, peeled, sautéed and baked their way into medal contention.
Their main course of barramundi had a slightly Asian influence with a touch of chilli and lime and, for dessert, Zach and Josh created a pear tart on a raspberry coulis topped with a filigree of delicate toffee praline.
The competition, held over four days, was open to chefs of all levels.
A group of highly qualified international chefs judged the dishes.
In the schools section the students’ creations were judged on rigorous international standards with no room for error and perfect timing of extreme importance.
Seton College, with an enrolment of only 220 students, competed against larger schools such as eventual gold winners, Runcorn State High School, which has 1350 students and a fully equipped industry-standard kitchen and restaurant.
Zach, a passionate “foodie” competing in his first cooking competition, said next year it would be “gold”.
Josh, who is already working part-time at a local restaurant, said he hoped to start an apprenticeship as a chef after he finished high school.
