Young chefs from across Europe will gather in Galway this weekend for the final of the European Young Chef Award 2018, and for the second year in a row, a Galway chef is representing Ireland.
Final year student in the GMIT Culinary Arts programme, Andrew Ishmael, mentored by Sadie Davoren will hope to follow in the footsteps of fellow Galway chef Aisling Rock who took home the prestigious title in Barcelona last year
Chefs will gather in Galway on 25 November, and then on day two – the 26th – the competition will kick off when the chefs are tasked with creating an innovative version of a dish which is traditional to their region.
A panel comprised of leading chefs and international experts will judge the dishes based on their innovation, taste, presentation and cleanliness.
For Andrew’s signature dish, he will serve beetroot-cured mackerel with horseradish panna cotta, pickled shallot and fennel, which is a twist on the classic combination of mackerel with horseradish cream.
Andrew Ishmael said: “Mackerel was the first ingredient I fell in love with as a child so it felt natural for the classic combination of mackerel and horseradish cream to be the inspiration for my dish.
“I am very proud to be representing Ireland, and the West of Ireland in particular, in the European Young Chef Award and to have the opportunity to showcase the quality produce and rich food culture we have here in Ireland. I am looking forward to introducing this to the other contestants, as well as learning about their food traditions.”
The European Young Chef Award aims to strengthen the links between European gastronomic regions, and provide young chefs with the opportunity to learn about the gastronomic heritage of different regions and establish a professional network.
