Long Island student snags National All-Island Senior Young Chef crown

Sat, Apr 6th 2013, 10:16 AM

N.G.M. Major High School student Cordell Wells was crowned the winner of the National All-Island Senior Young Chef Competition.
The 15-year-old 10th grade Long Island student won with his Yuma Pulled Mutton in a Pumpkin Crawfish Rice Mold with Vinaigrette Coleslaw, which was awarded the Best Robin Hood Flour dish, and his Molten Chocolate Fruit Surprise with Coconut Cream Anglaise and Whipped Cream Topping.
He snagged a Lincoln College of Technology scholarship worth $10,000 and a cash prize of $1,500 for his win.
Cordell was the third student from N.G.M. Major to capture the senior title. Denece Adderley took the title in 1998. Rhonda Major took back-to-back honors in 1995 and 1997.
Eight Mile Rock High School's Luciano Simmons was scored in the second spot. The Grand Bahama 11th grade student prepared a Mahi Mahi Rice Patty served with Pumpkin Soup and a Island Savory Cupcake Trio. Simmons also won a scholarship tenable at Lincoln College of Technology valued at $5,000 and a cash prize of $750 from Mahatma Rice and Robin Hood Flour, distributed in The Bahamas by Asa H. Pritchard Ltd.
C.R. Walker Senior High School's Taneisha Rolle cooked her way to a third place showing with her Bahama Chocolate Lava Cake and her Spicy Coconut Conch Jambalaya with Bahama Seafood Sausage which was awarded the Best Mahatma Rice Dish. She walked away with $300.
Helena Hepburn of San Salvador High finished fourth with her Irresistible Tropical Pumpkin Cake with Strawberry Blueberry Cream cheese Sauce and Mouth Watering Rice Bowls with Salmon and Vegetable Stir-fry. Her take home cash prize was $250.
"This year I have seen tremendous improvement in the quality of product produced by all of the students," said Chef Edwin Johnson of Gilgan Holdings who has judged at the competition since its inception 21 years ago. "Good skills were demonstrated as relates to organization, cooking skills, calmness, menu and recipe presentation and compilation with more attention paid to sanitation. We've also seen more use of indigenous products. Items like noni, hibiscus flowers, rice to make drinks and conch made into sausage. More technique and cooking skills are being used to secure the nutritional value of food," he said.
Atlantis executive chef Clement Williams, RIU executive chef Don Ingraham, manager of test kitchens for Mahatma Rice Debbie Wheeler, and Culinary Hospitality Management Institute Chef/Lecturer Eldred Saunders also judged the competition.

Yuma Pulled Mutton in Pumpkin-Crawfish Rice Mold Topped with Vinaigrette Coleslaw

Mutton pre-boil
6 oz fresh Long Island mutton, de-boned
1 tsp Season All
1 bay leaf
1 tsp rosemary
1 tsp sea salt
1 1/2 cups water
1 lime juiced

Mutton-pulled
6 oz Long Island mutton, gravy included
1/4 onion, chopped
Mutton pre-boil method
In a medium sized pot combine 1 cup of water, mutton and half of seasonings. Boil for 15 minutes on medium low heat. Pour off water. Add the other half of ingredients and water and mutton and boil for another 30 minutes. Add an additional teaspoon of salt and 1/4 teaspoon of crushed red pepper flakes. Let cool and refrigerate overnight in juices.

Mutton-pulled method
In a small Pyrex pan combine the mutton and chopped onion. Bake for 20 minutes. Pull mutton and keep warm.
Pumpkin mousse
1/4 cup homegrown pumpkin, roasted and pureed
1/4 tsp ginger
1/4 tsp curry powder
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 tbsp minced onion
1 tbsp butter
1/8 cup heavy cream
1 pinch crushed red pepper flakes
In a medium frying pan combine butter and onion, stir fry until translucent. Add spices and seasonings, cook until spices scent the air. Then add pumpkin puree. Whip cream until stiff. Add pumpkin mixture and fold into cream.

Pumpkin-Crawfish Rice Mold
1/3 cup Mahatma Extra Long Grain Enriched Rice
5 cups of water
2 tbsps salt
In a large pot add water, bring water to a boil. Meanwhile in a colander in a clean drain add rice and rinse thoroughly, let drain. Once water has come to a boil, add rice and salt. Keep boiling for 11 to 12 minutes. Drain and set aside.

Rice mold
1/3 cup rice, cooked
1 small fresh crawfish tail, deveined, boiled and minced
1 tbsp butter
Salt to taste
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 cup fresh pumpkin, roasted in olive oil and pinch of salt

Method
Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease four molds of a muffin tin.
In a medium-sized bowl, add rice and pumpkin. Mash and stir until combined, add crawfish, repeat process. Add other ingredients and stir until combined. Add 2 tablespoons to each mold, press into the bottom and sides making sure the rims of each mold are even. Bake for 20 minutes. When finished, do not allow to cool.

Cole slaw
1/8 cup finely shredded white cabbage
1/8 cup finely shredded red cabbage
1 tbsp finely shredded carrots
2 tbsp white wine vinegar
1 tbsp olive oil
1/8 tsp red pepper flakes
1/2 tbsp soy sauce
1/2 tbsp crushed black pepper
In a small bowl, add vegetables. In an air-tight container, add other ingredients and shake until combined. Add vinaigrette to veggies and toss. Toss and refrigerate.

Spicy tomato glaze
1/4 cup sugar
2 tsp brown sugar
2 tbsp water
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1 tbsp tomato paste
1/8 tsp red pepper flakes
1 cinnamon stick
2 cloves
In a small saucepan, add the first five ingredients until combined. Then add the rest of ingredients and slowly cook on medium heat for 30-35 minutes. Let cool and strain in a squeeze bottle and refrigerate until ready to use. Make sure to take glaze out at least 30 minutes before serving.

Assembly of rice mold
In a medium-sized plate, place a rice mold and add a dollop of the pumpkin mousse. Place a forkful or more of the pulled mutton and a pinch of the vinaigrette coleslaw. Drizzle with spicy tomato glaze.

Molten Chocolate Fruit Surprise with Coconut Cream Anglaise and Whipped Cream Topping

Molten Chocolate Cake
1/3 cup Robin Hood Flor
2 eggs
2 egg yolks
1/3 cup sugar
4 ounces semisweet chocolate
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 tbsp freshly grated coconut
2 tbsps guava, slightly pureed
2 tbsp crushed fresh pineapple
Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
In a large bowl, add all ingredients and whisk thoroughly until combined. Add mix to ramekins by 1/4 cup fills. Bake in a 9-10 inch pan for 12-14 minutes.

Guava-Raspberry Syrup
2 tbsps guava puree, strained
2 tbsps raspberry puree, strained
2 tbsps sugar
4 tbsps water
In a small saucepan, combine all ingredients and whisk together. Cook slowly over a medium-low flame for 20 minutes.

Coconut Creme Anglaise
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/3 cup coconut milk
2 tbsps sugar
2 egg yolks
1 tsp coconut extract
In a medium saucepan, add milk and cream and cook on medium heat until it comes to a light boil. In a small bowl add eggs and sugar and whisk until fluffy and pale. To the milk mixture, add extract. Add some of the hot milk mixture to the egg mixture by tablespoons until mixture is at room temperature whisking after every tablespoon. Return to saucepan and cook on low heat until mixture coats the back of your wooden spoon. Let cool and cover tightly.

Assembly of cake
In a medium-sized plate, ladle a spoonful of the creme anglaise in the center of the plate. Gently spread out the anglaise into a wide circle. Place a cake in the center of the anglaise puddle and top with whipped cream. With a piping bag filled with the guava and raspberry reduction, place sequencing dots of syrup about 1/2 inch apart, then gently with the tip of a knife, starting from any dot, pull knife through all dots until you reach the starting dot.

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