Congratulations to Matthew Dean who won the second round of the Great City Chefs Competition 2019. We caught up with him to discuss his choice of dish.
The aim is for each chef is to provide the judges with a unique, creative dish which demonstrates the use of sustainable methods to match the given brief. Let’s see how Matthew conveyed this through his impeccable dish!
Matthew, what was the aim of your dish?
This dish aimed to use clean, simple flavours which were sourced locally and ethically. All ingredients were utilised to the best of their abilities to minimalise waste material.
How did your dish fit in with the theme of sustainability?
I chose to use all British ingredients. As a chef, I believe it is imperative to know, understand and appreciate where ingredients originate from. Equally, it is my ambition to buy from and support local businesses. Since I used locally sourced ingredients, there was no need for imported goods, which, in turn, reduced the overall environmental impact of the dish.
What were the key elements of your dish?
• The sea trout was MSC certified and caught in British waters. I am a big advocate of using British ingredients where applicable and believe it’s essential to support the British fishing industry
• All parts of the fish were used, including the bones to be used for stock to ensure minimal waste.
• The onions were used in a variety of ways to ensure that there are no waste products involved. They have been sourced from a family farm in Suffolk. All of their crops are grown in seasonal rotation which reduces the need for importation
• The truffles were sourced from Wiltshire from another small, unique family run business.
Congratulations once again to Matthew Dean!
If you would like some further information as to where Matthew sources his ingredients, have a look below:
https://wiltshiretruffles.com/local/
http://www.frederick-hiam.co.uk/produce/
