Republic of Ireland Competition
Winner Announced!
To enter, chefs needed to create and upload a photo and recipe of their very own mouth-watering dish that showcased our KNORR BLUE DRAGON Pastes or Create More Concentrated Sauces. We had many fantastic entrants and our panel selected their top 5 who were invited to Knorr’s Kitchen in Dublin for a cook-off.
The top 5 battled it out against each other in a show stopping event. The dishes were judged by our expert judges Mark McCarthy, Kevin Hui and Ken McGuire who chose our worthy winner Hugh Hyland.
We had many fantastic entries so we’ve decided to showcase them all – you can view them here.
Our Winner
Hugh Hyland, Roly's Bistro
Oven Roasted Peking Duck Breast with
Butternut Squash and Thai Sweet Chilli Purèe
"I was speechless when my name was called out! I was so proud to know I had won this competition, especially on seeing the fantastic dishes that the other finalists had created. I’m so excited to go to Thailand this summer and can’t wait to start planning the trip. I’m especially excited for the master classes."
The Runners Up
Ciarán Elliott, DIT
Thai Red Curry with Duck and Lychees, Asian Pear Salad
"I was surprised and excited to compete in the final of the KNORR BLUE DRAGON competition. In my dish I used KNORR BLUE DRAGON Thai Red Curry Paste which was easy to work with and allowed me to add additional spices for extra flavour. The competition was a tough but enjoyable experience."
Click here for my recipe
Ben Almond, Castle Leslie Estate
Thai Red Pork Belly and Crispy Squid, Asian Salad,
Mango and Passion Fruit Vinaigrette Thai Red Jus
"I really enjoyed the experience of competing in the KNORR BLUE DRAGON competition, and found it very interesting to see the other chefs and their use of the products. I look forward to trying these different products in the future. The KNORR BLUE DRAGON Thai Red Curry Paste which I used in my dish is a versatile paste to use and cuts out the time in preparing the paste from scratch."
Click here for my recipe
Will Fitzgerald, Kilkenny Springhill Court Hotel
Pan Seared Red Snapper, Crisp Tiger Prawns,
Vegetable Salad, Spiced Tomato Jam with Laksa Foam
"I was delighted to be a finalist in the KNORR BLUE DRAGON Competition. The KNORR BLUE DRAGON Create More Concentrated Sauces which we had to work with were excellent. They are very versatile with lots of scope, and not just for use in traditional curries. All a chef needs is a little bit of imagination!"
Click here for my recipe
Sandeep Pandey, Glenview Hotel
Seared Rare Tuna Yellowfin with Laksa Crust, Fennel Salsa,
Thai Style Cous Cous and Pineapple Salsa
"I thought the competition was very exciting and the equipment provided was spot on. All the KNORR BLUE DRAGON sauces were a good ingredient and gave chefs the chance to work their magic around them. The approach I took was not to create an Oriental dish out of Oriental marinades and sauces but to take a French- Mediterranean dish and use the KNORR BLUE DRAGON products to show that these can be used in any cuisine not just Oriental."
Click here for my recipe
The Judges
Kevin Hui,
Proprietor of China Sichuan Restaurant, Dublin
“I was delighted to be part of this year’s competition and was blown away by the talent that was on show in the kitchen. The standard of finalists we saw here today was exceptional but for me Hugh stood out from the competition right from the start. From the complexity of his recipe and preparation technique to the execution of his dish and presentation, Hugh ticked all the boxes and was a pleasure to watch at work. I wish him all the best in his future career.”
Mark McCarthy,
Business Development Chef,
Unilever Food Solutions
“The Knorr Blue Dragon competition has showcased the incredible talent of Ireland’s chefs. The standard of food in Ireland has been improving year-on-year and, judging by the calibre of chefs here today, the future remains bright. Not only did all five finalists show great creativity, confidence and ability in their cooking, but they also demonstrated a keen appreciation and knowledge of oriental food. All were deserving finalists, but Hugh shone through for a superbly finished and excellently presented dish.”
Ken McGuire,
Any Given Food blogger
“The calibre of the dishes today was very impressive and all five finalists deserve high recognition for their efforts. But Hugh’s dish was absolutely mouth-watering and his attention to detail was second to none. He has won a fantastic trip, and I really hope he enjoys every minute of it.”