An apprentice chef from the Illawarra Master Builders Club has taken out one of the top honours at the club industry's most prestigious cooking competition.
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Summer Carson was recently named this year's Apprentice of the Year at the annual Chef's Table event.
The third-year apprentice joined executive chef Paolo de Luca and battled it out against 86 chefs from 43 clubs in a Masterchef-style cook-off held at Ryde TAFE last month.
The 21-year-old was ecstatic at winning the prestigious award.
"It means so much. To have that title, I'm still speechless," Miss Carson said.
"The competition was tough, especially the Mystery Box. I'd never used some of the ingredients, let alone even heard of some of them.
"It was a real shock to the system and I really didn't know what to do with it....but the fact I was competing against other apprentices spurred me into action and I somehow managed to wow the judges."
The Mystery Box ingredients included - whole corn-fed chicken, chicken liver, chicken hearts, Western Star unsalted butter, Anchor cooking cream, preserved figs, Kohlrabi, cavolo nero, mushrooms (Swiss brown, white cup, white flat and portabella), daikon radish, potato kestrel, Dutch carrots, ruby grapefruit and raspberries.
The chefs from Illawarra Master Builders Club entree dish was mushroom and chicken ravioli served on a fegatini and chicken heart ragu, with a burnt butter and sage sauce - garnished with cavolo nero.
Main was stuffed chicken supreme with figs, served on a bed of Tuscan cabbage, and roasted root vegetables - finished in own jus. Garnished with kohlrabi.
Dessert was white chocolate and raspberry mousse, served with caramelised grapefruit segments.
ClubsNSW CEO Anthony Ball said the quality of the dishes showed that registered clubs are leading the way in dining.