Southland Boys' pair hope to win culinary title

BARRY HARCOURT/Southland Times

IT HAS TO WIN: Southland Boys' High School budding chefs Connor Monaghan, left, and Brendon Baucke with the dish they hope will win them the International Secondary School Culinary Challenge, to be held in Tahiti.

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Two budding young Southland chefs leave for Tahiti this week but instead of coming home with a tan and souvenirs they plan to return with an international culinary title on their resume.

Southland Boys' High School students Brendon Baucke and Connor Monaghan, along with catering teacher Scott Richardson, have spent the past couple of months planning and practising to secure New Zealand's first win at the International Secondary School Culinary Challenge.

Southland Boys' has competed in the event, which involves schools from Taipei, Tahiti, New Zealand, Australia, Japan and New Caledonia, each year since it started four years ago.

Last year it came within one point of snatching success from Taipei.

Mr Richardson said yesterday there was no question this time, the team was going to win.

And it was going to do it with a dish that showcases the fruits of the sea – confit of tuna with potato Anna, pumpkin puree, prawn tortellini with sauted courgette and apple, with prawn custard.

With 10 components it was not an easy dish but it was what was needed to win.

"You have to step up. Every year the competition gets harder and harder," Mr Richardson said.

The challenge brings together all the ingredients of pressure cook-ing.

Each team must produce four servings of one main dish, created from a set list of ingredients, in one hour. Each serving must cost no more than A$15 (NZ$18.60).

The Southland Boys' team has practised its dish about 16 times to ensure perfect timing as well as perfect taste.

While the cooking challenge was the focus of the event, it was also about experiencing other cultures and aspects of the food industry, Mr Richardson said.

He said involvement in the challenge went beyond the traditional catering and hospitality curriculum but it had proved an inspiration to his students.

Past team members include Gary Hughes and Ethan Flak, who have gone on to pursue successful careers in the industry, while Zane Neustroski, who was in the team for the past two years, had secured a job at the prestigious Blanket Bay before undertaking chef training in Christchurch next year.

- © Fairfax NZ News

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