THE GREAT PRIORITY COOK-OFF, WEEK SIX MATCH REPORTS
Week Six scored a remarkable first for the Priority kitchens – not one of the dishes featured chili or curry!
This unique state of affairs called for the diners to step up to the plate (pun intended) and discover new subtleties of taste – no longer blitzed by the essential flavourings of South East Asia, the collective palate thrilled to the understated, natural delights of dishes from the Mediterranean and Middle East as well as paying homage to the glories of Cantonese cuisine.
There was a last-minute change in the fixtures, and we were presented with a trio of double duels – Francis was matched with both Constance and Angelia and Angelia took on Constance in an all-girl crowd-pleaser.
The outcome of this complex trifecta was two wins for Angelia, whose tuna, olive and pineapple pie swept the board with Francis’ offering of glutinous rice with shredded omelette as well as with Constance’s cous-cous with chicken schnitzel.
Angelia’s pie, crafted from dolphin- free deep ocean tuna (so she said), dotted with hand-picked black olives from the south-facing slopes of the dusty mountains of Sicily (allegedly) and surprisingly contrasted with the sweet-sour taste of pineapple harvested from her very own Nicaraguan bromeliad plantation (double confirm) was probably destined to score maximum points.
However, Francis, who has remained loyal throughout the competition to his principles of offering rather unexpected dishes of Chinese provenance, finally put points on the board in his match-up with Constance. Yay, Francis! The assembled diners applauded his persistence and commitment; the win for his crunchy, chewy rice contrasted with delicate strips of omelette was richly deserved.
On the downside, poor Constance – one of the hot favourites and boasting a perfect 2 – 0 record going into the arena – ended up with two defeats despite presenting a dish that was perfect in execution. The cous-cous, steamed twice in the Tunisian style, made an ideal accompaniment to the lightly breaded, melt-in-the-mouth chicken schnitzel. The use of chicken, rather than veal or pork, delivers a milder taste, making a perfect match for the subtle flavor of the cous-cous semolina.
Week Seven will see a mid-season break, as the Priority chefs absorb the lessons of the first half of the season, refine their strategies, pore over their recipe books and get ready to dazzle us all with five-star dishes fit not only for Kings but for the discriminating palettes of Priority’s gourmet diners.
Check back soon – the battle resumes in Week Eight!!