ARTIST and event manager from Windhoek, Heidi Sudwischer (22), and self-employed Jocelyn Fordred (42) from Brakwater, otherwise known as the ‘Green Team’, were proclaimed as the winners of Plate of Namibia 2014 at the Namibia Food and Wine Festival on 4 April.
After a live cook-off show, the winners each walked away with the following prize packages: N$10 000 from Standard Bank Namibia; an all-inclusive stay for two at the Pelican Point Lodge (near Walvis Bay); a meat and vegetable short course at the Polytechnic Hotel School plus a N$1500 voucher from yuppiechef.com (now distributing to Namibia).
The Green Team was mentored by Chef Uwe Hanssen from the Tug Restaurant in Swakopmund. They prepared the following scrumptious three-course seafood menu: Trio a la Mare de Namibe – a delicious seafood trio incorporating a mouth-watering Thai horse mackerel wrap, gratinated oyster and a crispy pilchard fish-cake. Ragout le Conquilages en Poisson avec Quenelles de Pesto, a Mussel ragout crowned by grilled hake fillet, accompanied by maize pesto gnocchi and vegetable kebabs on fresh Namibian rocket. To end off their menu, a Souflé en Complétée Namballs de Chocolat, avec Caramelises de Mango Buttermilk soufflé complimented by chocolate Nam-balls served with caramelised Namibian mango fillets.
Judge Ralf Herrgott, Chef Lecturer at the Polytechnic of Namibia applauded the finalists for raising the bar in this year’s competition and expressed his confidence in Namibia’s culinary potential.
He was joined by fellow celebrity judges, Fortune Kangueehi, a ‘MasterChef’ South Africa finalist, and David Thomas, three-time Namibia Chef of the Year winner from Lyon des Sables Restaurant, to score the finalists’ efforts.
The runners-up, otherwise known as the Yellow Team, were represented by the youngest and eldest contestants respectively: Chantel Kesslau (18) and Raj Rallan (45), both from Windhoek served baby marrow soup followed by hake fish curry and chocolate tartlets with input from their mentor chef, Chef Rhona Strauss, lodge manager at N/a’an ku sê Lodge. Their prizes include N$3500 from Standard Bank; a stay for two at the Olive Grove Guesthouse; a bakery and dessert course at Polytechnic of Namibia and a N$800 voucher from yuppiechef.com
The third place was taken up by the Red Team, mentored by Chef Gustav Uaeta from Otjimbondona Lodge, for their impressive menu of fresh oysters with chilli pilchard dust; marula tempura buttered hake and bittersweet symphony desert which included coffee chocolate mousse with a shot of Slowtown espresso. Meraai Kruger (27) and Ndapewa Ithana (35) each banked N$1500 from Standard Bank; a four-course dinner for two at The Olive Restaurant; a menu course at Polytechnic of Namibia and N$450 voucher from yuppiechef.com.
Contestants of the Plate of Namibia competition had to prepare authentic Namibian dishes with only Team Namibia ingredients
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