A deconstructed venison burger, goat ragout, pad thai and Mexican themed dishes are all on the menu in the Marlborough Boys College school cooking competition.
The thirteen students taking part are required to produce two plates of food, showcasing a protein food, fresh herbs and vegetables, all sourced from the Marlborough region.
Local chefs have been advising the senior students and sharing useful tips prior to the competition. The final judging will be by NMIT’s chef tutor Chris Fortune and Marlborough chef Marcel Rood.
Marlborough Boys College teacher, Carolyn Brown says the competition is open to all students and they can earn credits towards their NCEA qualifications, as well as school house points and hospitality industry experience.
“They have to put together recipes, write a description suitable to go on a menu, then create two identical plates of food for marking. The meals need to be suitable for a teenager, consist of protein, carbohydrate and two or more vegetables, and be served up on time,” says Carolyn.
The students also had to research the seasonality of the vegetables in their menus. For instance, choosing to use in-season vegetables such as bok choy, kale and spinach.
She says an important focus of the competition is sustainability and the students had to consider this when they made their menu choices.
“They looked at whether their protein food sources are endemic or introduced—such as goat, venison or rabbits—plus if they chose to use blue cod as their fish, they have to be aware of the legislation relating to fishing methods and sustainable fisheries stocks.”
The recent COVID-19 Alert Level 4 lockdown meant students weren’t able to go out and gather or hunt for their protein food choices but the school has been able to purchase some through a wild game supplier in Marlborough.
NMIT and local producers are sponsoring prizes and some of the ingredients.
Food from the land and sea | Kai mai i te whenua me te moana
Venue: Marlborough Boys College
Date:Thursday 23 September
Time: 12.30pm