Knives and forks at the ready! The Gold Coast Convention and Exhibition Centre (GCCEC) hosted the Great Gold Coast Cook Off with celebrity chefs Manu Feildel and Colin Fassnidge taking on China’s best.
The pair showed off their gastronomy skills when they come up against Master Chefs Wang Haiwei and Li Yongtai as part of the Pan Pacific Pork Expo, which brought together the pig industry.
Manu said hosting the high-profile chefs from the Chinese Cuisine Association helped expose Australian pork to the greater Chinese market.
He and Colin have been long-time supporters of the Australian pork industry’s chef program, PorkStar. They joined the expo after spending time with farmers and the broader industry.
The Channel 7 host of My Kitchen Rules said he was more than up for the challenge of the Cook Off.
“Bring it on!” Manu said.
“This is the perfect opportunity to showcase our beautiful Australian pork. I’m really looking forward to showing how versatile pork is.”
Fellow TV chef Colin was equally eager to get in to the kitchen.
“Creating delicious pork dishes really lets you indulge your imagination. Let’s get some pork on some forks!”
Manu created pork cutlets with a warm fennel and red capsicum jam while Colin’s culinary piece was a miso poached pork fillet with pearl barley and wilted greens.
Manu was caught jokingly feeding Chef Haiwei a morsel of his dish at the Cook Off (pictured above).
Chef Yongtai stuck with a classic – sweet and sour pork, while Chef Haiwei put a Chinese spin on pork balls.
GCCEC’s kitchen team were then challenged to re-create each of the dishes for 500 guests.
GCCEC Executive Chef Garry Kindred said his younger chefs were keen to see the techniques and cooking methods that each of the chefs employed.
“Having chefs from two countries, who are held in such high regard and who are willing to share their methods provides an exciting opportunity for our kitchen team,” he said.
“Our chefs and kitchen hands are enthusiastic and exceptionally creative in their own right, so they really did justice to the dishes.”
Bio info
Chef Wang Haiwei established his first catering enterprise in 1997. He has won the China Golden Chef Award twice. He also plays an active role in the exchange of Chinese culinary art and catering culture with foreign countries.
Chef Haiwei is also an author and Certified Master Chef, Holder of A-level Certificate of Occupational Qualification (Chinese Culinary Category), Senior Level Judge for the China Catering Industry and a member of the Famous Chefs’ Committee of China Cuisine Association, among many other qualifications.
Chef Li Yongtai also has a long list of qualifications that includes Senior Certified Master Chef, Holder of A-level Certificate of Occupational Qualification (Chinese Culinary Category), Senior Examiner of National-level Professional Skills Identification Examination, Senior Judge of National-level Professional Skills Competition (Catering Category), 1st Class National Judge of National Catering Industry, Cantonese Cuisine Master of China, a member of the Famous Chefs’ Committee of China Cuisine Association, Culinary Professor.