Guest chef visit from Wrest Point
The annual guest chef ‘performance’ has become an eagerly anticipated event on the Year 10 Advanced Food Studies calendar. This year we were privileged to have chef de cuisine from Wrest Point, Mr Kent Sullivan, visit us Monday 12 September, to demonstrate the production of a 3-course meal, using a great range of new and familiar ingredients together with cutting edge preparation and cooking techniques.
Over Term 3, the focus of our investigative and practical cooking work has been based around current research which indicates that a diet low in carbohydrate (in particular sugar) is the best way to retain optimal health and avoid most lifestyle diseases. Luckily this is also of particular interest to Kent who selected a menu that shows how low carbohydrate food can be beautifully presented and taste delicious.
Using the mini smoker, immersion cooker, thermomix and spherification syringe as well as equipment more familiar to us, Kent prepared and plated 22 small serves of the following dishes for students to sample:
- Sous vide salmon with horseradish tubular gel and beetroot pearls, crisp skin and lemon curd.
- Duck breast with mandarin, carrot, carrot puree and smoked maple syrup
- Vegan chocolate mousse (containing avocado and olive oil) with mint and coconut.
Kent also gave us a great insight into current food trends and the high standards the industry requires in all areas of food production and service.
We are grateful to Kent (and Wrest Point) for providing the wonderful range of ingredients and for the generous use of his time in prepping ingredients and setting up beforehand, as well as the informative and entertaining 90 minute demonstration.
We look forward to maintaining links with Kent and a possible class visit to the restaurant next term.
Mrs Roslyn Hawkins - Advance Food Studies Teacher
A Catholic School in the Salesian Tradition
