The first two professionals to take part in Street Market Chefs are Robert Ramsden and Stephanie Moon. An executive chef and regular at the York Food and Drink Festival, Robert prides himself on the provenance of the ingredients he uses. “I’m passionate about using local produce and local suppliers,” he says. Stephanie, consultant chef at the award-winning Rudding Park Hotel in Harrogate, is a keen forager, who can often be found searching the woodland of Yorkshire for tasty titbits.
Robert and Stephanie’s challenge is to search York farmer’s market for the best ingredients they can find, then use that produce to create a spectacular two-course meal. But the chefs will not be working from the comfort of their usual kitchens. Instead, they will have to prepare and cook their dishes in an alfresco kitchen in the heart of the town centre, under the watchful eyes of shoppers, traders and the Street Market Chefs judges. This week, the judging panel consists of freelance food writer Mandy Wragg, Neil Barrett, a midfielder for local football team York City, and Frances Atkins, head chef at the Michelin-starred York Arms.
After selecting their raw ingredients, the chefs are given one special element that they must incorporate into one of their dishes. On this occasion, the ingredient is honey. The pair then have half an hour to knock up a starter they think will wow the judges.
Robert pins his hopes of success on a dish of pan-fried goats cheese with red, golden and white beetroot and cracked hazelnuts. Stephanie, meanwhile, plumps for grilled mackerel with gooseberry jelly and fresh pea salad. In the event, both dishes look great as they are presented to the panel. Footballer Neil deems Robert’s cheese “rather nice”, while Mandy describes Stephanie’s mackerel as “a gorgeous-looking plate of food”. But how will the judges score the chefs’ efforts?
With the starter fully digested, the chefs get back to the kitchen to work on their mains. Both cooks have decided to use the honey in this course – Robert in his turbot with clam and cockle citrus butter and honeycomb salad, and Stephanie in her duckling with honey and cherry compote and beetroot fondant. As the pair boil, broil and bake away, a crowd of excited onlookers gathers – despite the inclement Yorkshire weather.
As the final whistle blows, Robert and Stephanie have once again produced very artistic-looking plates of food. “Oh how pretty!” enthuses Amanda. “Both of them are absolutely beautiful.” But good food is way more than just appearance, and the judges have yet to sample the chefs’ creations. With the competition on a knife edge, which cook will be crowned York champion?
Comments (1)
comment is awaiting moderation