Young chefs cook up a storm
MINI masterchefs from King Boys’ Division have been putting their culinary skills to the test by cooking a stylish gala dinner for their parents, teachers and governors.
A team of 25 year 10 boys took to the kitchen after a week-long Master Chef programme run by Chartwell’s which taught them the basics of food technology, preparation and service.
And the boys would certainly give Jamie Oliver a run for his money with the sample of exotic and extra- special treats served up.
The luxury meal included quenelles of smoked mackerel pate, a roulade of chicken breast with a mushroom duxelle stuffing, a wild mushroom stroganoff with a julienne of red pepper served with a melange of steamed vegetables.
Dessert consisted of a baked chocolate mousse with passion fruit cream and key lime pie.
Chartwell’s head chef Martin Embley, from Disley, said: “All the young men have progressed brilliantly during their Food Technology course and were able to put into practice all they had learned under the very real pressure of producing a top quality banquet.”
The kitchen brigade were also helped by frontof-house students who served as waiters, matre ds, sommeliers and meetand-greet teams looking after individual tables of diners.
Chartwell’s catering manager Marley Kyran- tonis said: “The menu covers a wide range of techniques and therefore allowed us to teach the students a full complement of cookery skills.
“I think they have learned that to be a good cook you need to be creative, patient, artistic and, above all, have a lot of stamina.”
Ian Robertson, principal of King’s Boys’ Division, said: “Master Chef has been a superb programme, as well as boosting our young men’s confidence in the kitchen, it also shows them how much fun it can be learning about flavours and textures, nutrition and how to create a balanced meal.”