Jade secures Chef of the Year award
By Maurice Garvey
IT TALLAGHT student Jade Ainscough, was crowned KNORR Student Chef of the Year 2018, after an intense two-hour cook-off at Dundalk IT.
Jade successfully fought off the challenge of seven other young chefs to claim the top prize with her two creations, based on the competition’s theme - a contemporary take on traditional pub dishes.
Jade Ainscough
Students had to prepare, cook and present a vegetarian starter and a main course celebrating sustainable Irish seafood.
Jade impressed the judges with a starter of grilled purple broccoli in harissa butter, mixed radish salad, millet croquette and parmesan shavings.
Her main course consisted of a fillet of seabass, spring vegetable stew, a blanket of white wine jelly and coral crisp.
“I researched typical Irish pub dishes, many of which consist of quick and easy food, full of grease and have very little nutritional value,” said Jade.
“I wanted to carry over many of the same characteristics while adding a new twist. For the starter, I added a millet croquette that is deep fried with broccoli, a dish which is highly nutritional without compromising on taste.
“With my fish dish, I decided to use seabass as it’s a great fish to work with, absorbs flavour easily and is different to what’s normally served in typical pub dishes.
“The dishes took the quick and easy idea, with salt and vinegar and fried elements, but equally are healthy and packed full of flavour, mimicking the classic pub grub style.”
As winner of the award, Jade will dine in Galway’s Michelin starred restaurants, Anair and Loam, and visit the Wild Honey Inn in Clare, Ireland’s first Michelin starred pub.
