Denise Reid, Gleaner Writer

Sadia Henry, a student of Chang's Catering School, emerged the winnner of The Gleaner-sponsored cook-off competition with spicy coconut lemon grass seafood with roast breadfruit. - Photo by Denise Reid

Besides the delicious array of seafood offered at the Bigga Little Ochie Seafood Carnival, in Manchester, on Sunday, the highlight of the day could well have been the scintillating cook-off.

On the black-sand beaches of Alligator Pond, four students from various institutions across the island displayed their culinary skills, exciting the gathering.

The judges - The Gleaner's Lifestyle Editor Barbara Ellington and and Elegant Weddings and Catering's Lorraine Ross-Clunie - were looking for presentation, creativity, texture, taste and the 'want-more' factor.

Excitement

The excitement and anticipation in the atmosphere were almost palpable as the young chefs moved from their work areas to the stoves, frying, cutting and decorating under the watchful eyes of the judges.

Tahanee Simons from Russea's High School, prepared Zoe's freplalic by the sea, Gareth Taylor from the Runaway Bay HEART Institute, made a jerk seafood fettucini, while Sadia Henry from Chang's Catering School prepared a spicy coconut lemongrass seafood with roast breadfruit, and Roxann Smickle of the University of the West Indies, made yardy shrimp fritters with curried shrimp chutney.

Taylor was a favourite among the onlookers. He received multiple offers for assistance from the eager women who felt he would not complete his dish in time.

When he put the last bit of garnish on the meal, there were resounding cheers from a section of the crowd.

Before announcing the winners, judges emphasised some important factors that must always be taken into consideration in the cooking process, such as proper preparation which includes having the correct utensils and attire (for Ross-Clunie, white clothing in the kitchen is a must).

Close competition

Sadia Henry, winner of The Gleaner-sponsored seafood cook-off competition prepares shrimp to deep fry her shrimp. Henry won $50,000 at the 10th annual Bigga Little Ochie Seafood Carnival. - Photos by Denise Reid

The competition between first and second place contestants was quite close, with Taylor losing points crucial to his victory in his presentation. One judge told The Gleaner, that Henry's entry was delicious.

"She seemed to know the exact length of time that that shrimp took to cook, they were not overdone. While other contestants became flustered, she utilised her time wisely by going ahead with other processes in her preparation," said the judge.

The judges were also impressed by her presentation which was simple, effective and creative.

It was a surprised but elated Sadia Henry, who emerged the winner of the competition. Henry revealed that she had been nervous during the competition as a result of the large crowd that had gathered.

The 25 year-old wanted to be a chef since she could remember. She told The Gleaner that it took her about six months to come up with her winning recipe. "I've always been writing recipes and always played around with flavours. So it was just seeing how all the flavours could blend to make the dish go well," she said.