A FORMER Jersey head chef has won an international culinary competition with his New Zealand team.
Jersey-born Stephen Le Corre (43) and his team won the Battle for the Dragon trophy after beating the national culinary teams of Wales and Croatia. The team was presented with its trophy at the Welsh International Culinary Championships at Coleg Llandrillo Cymru earlier this month.
Mr Le Corre was educated at De La Salle College and trained as a chef at Highlands College before working at St Brelade’s Bay Hotel and Hotel L’Horizon.
The former St Brelade resident became the head chef at the Pomme d’Or Hotel but moved to New Zealand with his wife, Debbie, and two daughters, Leanne (19) and Cortney (11), in 1998.
He is now teaching at the local college in Timaru, South Island.
Mr Le Corre’s mother and father, Peter and Denize, sister Sandra Wheatley and brother Robert travelled from Jersey to watch him compete.
Robert said: ‘Everyone in the team was very proud of their achievement, having travelled the long distance they were immensely pleased.’ The three countries went to battle in a Restaurant of Nations hot-kitchen competition over three days, each being allocated three hours to produce a mouth-watering three-course meal for 90 people under the supervision of a panel of international judges.
The winning New Zealand menu:
A starter of roasted red mullet with smoked eel, caramelised scallop and soused scampi accompanied by pea puree, bisque mayonnaise and bloody mary sorbet. The main course was roasted Welsh lamb loin with mixed beans, confit Welsh lamb shoulder and braised shortbreads accompanied by celeriac and leek tart, semi-dried tomato and feta and red wine jus. The dessert was vanilla chibouste and poached apple terrine with pistachio sable, rhubarb jelly and apple, ginger and rhubarb sorbet.
• Picture: Stephen Le Corre with the winning New Zealand culinary team
Article posted on 21st March, 2009 - 10.00am
