Chef Chris Remington from the Hooded Merganser in the Penticton Lakeside Resort took the favourite in food and wine pairing in the Similkameen BBQ King contest on July 16.
Eight chef’s were paired with a winery from the Similkameen Wineries Association (Cerelia, Clos du Soleil, EauVivre, Forbidden Fruit, Orofino, Robin Ridge, Rustic Roots and Seven Stones).
Each chef received an identical basket of locally sourced ingredients and they prepared eight decadent meals that were all different.
Remington was chosen by the media for his pairing of Forbidden Fruit Winery’s Earth Series SauVidal with a barbecue turkey confit, potato salad with apples, chorizo and smoked onions, carrots cooked with Forbidden Fruit wine jellies and a pesto with goat cheese, pumpkin seeds and carrot tops.
SauVidal is described as the perfect union between Sauvignon Blanc and Vidal grape varietals. Made with 100 per cent certified organic grapes and has aromas and flavours of pineapple, apricot and fall apples.
“The main part of your dish has to include the food that was donated, but you are allowed to incorporate other things. So it was just a matter of laying it all out on the table and figuring out what we could do that was easily achievable in one day with a bbq and something that is easy to plate. With 125 people all coming up with a plate within an hour and a bit you have to be able to plate it as well,” said Remington.
After preparing the culinary creations, each guest was able to cast their vote for their favourite chef. Ultimately Chef Chris Van Hooydonk, the Executive Chef from the Sonora Room at the Burrowing Owl was named the 2011 Similkameen BBQ King.
Other competitors were Chef Edison Antejos from Delta Grand Okanagan Resort in Kelowna, Chef Malcolm Gibb from Manteo Resort in Kelowna, Chef Abul Adame from Terra Caliente in Penticton, Chef Greg Fuchs from Gregors Gourmet in Keremeos, Chef Natasha Schooten from Watermark Beach Resort in Osoyoos, and celebrity Chef Dave Mutch from Cerelia in Keremeos.