Simply exotic
Darion Smethurst,Head Chef, De Vere Manor Hotel, Meriden, West Midlands
Winner of the potato category, sponsored by Agrico
Judge Stephen Terry, executive chef at London's Coast, was impressed by the "good, crisp texture" of Darion Smethurst's Cajun spiced potato cakes, entered in the potato category of the Great British Recipe Competition. Terry commented that the avocado used in the dish worked well with the Cajun spices and Smethurst was judged category winner.
The De Vere Manor, with a 100-seat restaurant and 60-seat buffet bar, was recently awarded two AA rosettes. Smethurst, who has been there for 13 years, originally created the recipe for the 1997 Hospitality Week Salon Culinaire at Birmingham NEC in January. The inspiration came from a Cajun chicken dish served at the hotel.
"I wanted to keep the basic idea of guacamole, salsa, and sour cream and chives but interpret it in a different way, so I substituted potato for the chicken."
Although the recipe did not win at the NEC, Smethurst heeded the judges' comments about the dish not being refined enough for a restaurant and worked to improve it.
Simon And Roger Hulstone, Head Chef, Mirabelle Restaurant, De Vere Grand Hotel, Eastbourne, And Executive Chef, Hiltonnational, Coventry
Winners of the pasta and rice category
Last year's baked goods category winners, father and son team Roger and Simon Hulstone, took first place in the pasta and rice category of this year's Great British Recipe Competition.
The judges agreed that the Hulstones' dish of tomato and green onion risotto, with an avocado quesadilla with a lime and tequila dressing,was well presented and judge David Walklate, development chef for Alpha Flight Services, described it as "a very good dish… with good colour, flavour and textures".
"We work well as a team," says Simon who has recently taken on the role of head chef at the 35-seat Mirabelle restaurant at the De Vere Grand Hotel in Eastbourne. "I have the idea for a recipe and he works out the quantities and costing. We never actually practice the recipes."
Roger heads the kitchen at the 170-seat restaurant at the Hilton National, Coventry, and credits Simon as the one with the imagination. "I modify the idea and put it on paper," he says.
The idea for the winning recipe came from Simon's love of Mexican food and risotto. As always, he placed great emphasis on presentation because "you eat first with your eyes".
Caterer directory
These winning recipes were chosen from more than 400 original recipes, all of which will appear in the 1998 Caterer Directory,to be published with the 18 December issue of Caterer.
