Chenel Robey of Walmer Downs secures spot in the semifinals
AN INTENSE fourth and penultimate round of the Walmer Park Shopping Centre Kitchen Maestro competition saw 34-year-old Chenel Robey of Walmer Downs in Port Elizabeth securing her spot in the semifinals. Robey, a Sharepoint developer contracted to the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University, is no stranger to the Kitchen Maestro competition, having previously entered last year.
The contestants had the challenge of producing grilled kingklip with saffron potato cakes and a tomato confit served with lemon butter prawns and finished off with a white wine sauce – a recipe devised by chef Shaunne Cordier, of Hacklewood Hill Country House in Walmer.
Audience members egged on their favourites last Saturday as the contestants chopped, sliced and sauteed under the watchful gaze of the judges – chef Dewald Hurter from Chez Patrick in Port St Francis, Rene de Lauwere from Adel Kitchens and Cabinets and Shaunne himself.
A thrilled Chenel emerged as the victor and was quickt to congratulate fellow cooking contenders Morne du Preez, 42, from Despatch; Dallas Land, 39, from Jeffreys Bay; Michelle Foot, 21, from Walmer and Casey Oelofse 24, from Broadwood.
With one spot left to fill for the semifinals, she joins previous weeks’ winners Heidi Reid, Martinette Magee and Berita Chigome. The semifinal challenge will take place next Saturday November 16 in the Walmer Park promotions arena and is open to the public to attend. The top two winners in the semifinal will proceed to the finals on November 23 where the overall winner will be named in a back-to-back, three-course meal cook-off.
This is the final week of cook-offs and the last semifinalist will be announced during cook-off number five starting at 11am today (Saturday November 9) in the Walmer Park promotions arena.
The winner of Kitchen Maestro 2013 – held in collaboration with Weekend Post – will receive a kitchen makeover from Adel Kitchens and Cabinets, appliances from Rafi’s Appliances and Mattresses, R5000 shopping vouchers from Walmer Park, a R2000 voucher from Pick n Pay and a R5000 gold medallion from Scoin, among other prizes, adding to a total prize package valued at more than R50000.
RECIPE:
RECIPE: Grilled kingklip with saffron potato cakes and a tomato confit, served with lemon-butter prawns and finished with a white wine and lemon sauce
INGREDIENTS
1 x 200g portion of kingklip per person
Salt and pepper to season
50g butter
2 x prawns ( heads on) per person
1 fresh lemon
50g parsley
For the saffron potato cake (enough for four):
250g butter
4 saffron strands
4 potatoes, peeled
Salt pepper to taste
For the confit of tomatoes:
For each person you’ll need:
6 cherry tomatoes
1 sprig of rosemary
50ml olive oil
PLUS: 1 cucumber cut into julienne strips (enough for 4 servings)
For the white wine and lemon sauce (for four servings):
1 T olive oil
1 shallot, rough chopped
½ cup dry white wine
2 T butter
2 t fresh grated lemon peel
Juice of one lemon
1 t Italian parsley, finely chopped
PREPARATIONS:
For the kingklip
Season the fish and seal in a hot pan with half the butter. Transfer to a roasting pan. Roast in a preheated oven for six min.
For the prawns
Cut along the spine of each prawn and remove the vein. In a non-stick pan fry off remaining butter and prawns. Add parsley and lemon juice. Cook till firm.
For the saffron potato stack:
Melt the butter over low heat; remove when melted; add saffron and let stand. In the meantime, cut potatoes into equal size and place in a sauce pot with water. Boil and cook until just soft. Drain and place potatoes on a roasting pan and roast at 180°C for 10 min. Mix the potatoes with saffron butter. Salt and pepper to taste and spoon 150g into a ring mould. Press down firmly.
For the cucumber:
Place cucumber strips in boiling water until warmed through. Strain and season.
For the tomato confit:
Wrap the tomatoes in foil and rosemary with a little bit of olive oil. Season to taste and bake at 180°C for six to eight min.
For the white wine and lemon sauce:
Saute shallot in the olive oil until soft, about 1½ min. Add white wine and bring to a boil. Boil for three to five min, until reduced by half. Strain shallot from the wine and return the wine to pan.
Add the butter to the white wine reduction, and cook over medium-low heat until butter melts. Remove from heat.
Whisk in lemon peel, juice and parsley. Set aside and keep warm till use.
TO PLATE:
Place potato cake in centre of plate, arrange tomatoes around this and place nine strips of cucumber on top of cake. Drizzle sauce around plate and place fish on top of cucumber. Place prawns on top of fish.