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Chef causes a stir with tea and toast pud
THIS unique version of tea and toast – made with liquid nitrogen – has been named as Britain's top pud.
Sean Wilkinson, head chef at Durham City's Gourmet Spot at the Farnley Tower Hotel, wowed judges in the UK's Best Dishes Awards with his surreal rethink of a classic meal.
His tea balloon with toast, jam and biscuits fought off tough opposition to reach the finals of the competition, run by Restaurant Magazine.
It triumphed over dishes from top London eateries the Burlington Club, in Mayfair, and Sketch – named 18th best restaurant in the world last year.
Sean's win was a huge achievement as he has never gained a rosette or Michelin star, which he aims to change.
"I'm going to get Durham as much recognition for food as I possibly can." said the 35-year-old.
"Food should have a wow factor and that is what the Gourmet Spot offers. It is artistic and creative with a hint of madness."
He fills the balloon with gas and injects the Earl Grey tea ice cream filling, before rolling it quickly in liquid nitrogen so it freezes instantly into a perfect sphere.
It is accompanied by brown toast, marmalade puree and his own jammy dodgers made with raspberry jelly and vanilla shortcake.
Sean's triumph has delighted Roopal Naik, who opened Gourmet Spot, on The Avenue, last April.
Self-proclaimed as "Durham's boldest restaurant," Gourmet-Spot has received rave reviews for its imaginative and experimental style, similar to the food science approach of TV chef Heston Blumenthal.
"It's all about twisting and expanding flavours," said head chef Sean, who uses a Durham University laboratory to help develop his dishes.
Gourmet-Spot's surrealism menu includes Deconstructed Bloody Mary, Air of Celery; Temperatures of Fois Gras, Peach Caviar; Red Mullet Sweet Potato and Jasmine, Tartar Tempura, Pillow of Asparagus, Ketchup Foam; and Wood Pigeon, Raspberry Tagliatelle, Balsamic Cloud and Roast Asparagus.
"The competition is really important to chefs, and we receive entries from humble pubs, Michelin-starred celebrity spots and everything in between," said Paul Wootton, editor of Restaurant Magazine, which runs the awards.
lEcho readers can watch Sean cook the country's best dessert, a radical take on his favourite breakfast, on UK TV Food's Market Kitchen on Tuesday, November 27.
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Wednesday 08 February 2012
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