Team Namibia – Plate of Namibia 2014 Winners

NAMIBIAN SEAFOOD MASTERPIECES UNVEILED BY FINALISTS IN LIVE COOK-OFF 

Twenty-two-year-old artist and event manager from Windhoek, Heidi Sudwischer, 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 4th April.

Winners:
Heidi Sudwischer and Jocelyn Fordred

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 & vegetable’ short course at the Polytechnic Hotel School plus an N$ 1,500 voucher from yuppiechef.com (now distributing to Namibia).

The ‘Green Team’ was mentored by Chef Uwe Hanssen from Tug Restaurant, Swakopmund, and they prepared the following scrumptious three-course seafood menu:

Starter:
Trio a la Mare de Namibe

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.

Main course:
Ragout le Conquilages en Poisson avec, Quenelles de Pesto

Ragout le Conquilages en Poisson avec Quenelles de Pesto

Mussel ragout crowned by grilled hake fillet, accompanied by maize pesto gnocchi and vegetable kebabs on fresh Namibian rocket.

Dessert of winning Team: “Green Team”
Souflé en Compléteé Namballs de Chocolate, avec Caramelises de Mango

Souflé en Complétée Namballs de Chocolat, avec Caramelises de Mango

Buttermilk soufflé complimented by chocolate Nam-balls served with caramelised Namibian mango filets.

The runners-up “Yellow Team”
Chef Rhona Strauss (Mentor Chef), Raj Rallan, Chantel Kesslau

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, 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 – N/a’an ku sê Lodge. Their prizes include N$ 3,500 from Standard Bank; a stay for two at the Olive Grove Guesthouse; ‘bakery & dessert’ course at Polytechnic of Namibia and N$ 800 voucher from yuppiechef.com

Third place winners-“Red Team”
Meraai Kruger, Chef Gustav Uaeta(Mentor Chef), Ndapewa Ithana

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 Pilcard 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$ 1,500 from Standard Bank; a four-course dinner for two at The Olive Restaurant; a menu course at Polytechnic of Nam 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. 

The winners – The green team

Lizette Foot, CEO of Team Namibia re-iterated the purpose of the competition as incorporating more local ingredients in everyday food, not only to make a positive impact on Namibia’s food industry and economy, but also to create our Nation’s identity.

Other entertainment at the Team Namibia stand included a competition to open a record number of oysters within a minute, a photo-booth where visitors could take pictures with Namibian products and a Team Namibia seafood quiz to win vouchers worth N$ 1,000 from Pick n Pay Namibia.