It’s been exciting to be a part of the Buy West Eat Best’s WA Signature Dish journey and watch passionate home cooks use Western Australian produce to create amazing dishes. I got in on the behind-the-scenes action and went along to watch WA’s Signature Dish Perth & Surrounds regional finalists - Rhiannon Birch, Wandia Chua-anusorn, Bree Nash and Ron Timmins - battle it out at Fraser’s Functions and Restaurant a couple of Tuesdays ago.
It was a lot of fun watching Western Australia’s own “Masterchef” being filmed for Today Tonight and “feeling the heat” in the kitchen. Here’s a preview of the Perth & Regional Surrounds heat before it airs on Channel 7’s Today Tonight 🙂 I’m told the first segment of a few will be on this week.
Each contestant was given a crate of Buy West Eat Best ingredients to make two of their WA Signature Dishes - one for tasting and one for photographing of course…
Rhiannon Birch, Wandia Chua-anusorn, Rob Broadfield, Bree Nash and Ron Timmins
The West Australian’s food critic and one of WA’s Signature Dish judges, Rob Broadfield officially kicks off the WA Signature Dish Perth & Surrounds region…
Perth Regional & Surrounds finalists Bree, Ron and Rhiannon are ready to cook!
Bree Nash, Ron Timmins and Rhiannon Birch ready to cook!
Each finalist were given one and a half hours to cook their WA Signature Dish in Fraser’s Kitchen. It got pretty intense watching the last 20 minutes 🙂
Rhiannon prepares her Lupin and Za’atar Crumbed Droper Lamb Cutlets with Moroccan Roast Pumpkin and Lupin Salad with a smile…
Old Brewery Chef & WA’s Signature Dish Judge Greg Farnan chats to Bree about her Parmesan Herb Crusted Lamb Rack which had just come out of the oven…
Fraser’s Restaurant & Functions Centre Executive Chef and WA’s Signature Dish judge Chris Taylor chatting to Wandia as she prepares her Sexy Shark Bay prawn salad…
Ron was really focussed! I didn’t get many words out of him as he was cooking his Pan Fried Fish with a Molee sauce…
I found out later that day after several instagram posts that Ron is my friend’s dad’s cousin - what a small Perth!
The one and a half hours flew by and I was super envious of the judges who got to taste each of the WA Signature Dishes. By this stage it was past lunch time and junior burger was starving!
Rhiannon’s WA Signature Dish - Lupin and Za’atar Crumbed Droper Lamb Cutlets with Moroccan Roast Pumpkin and Lupin Salad
Wandia’s WA Signature Dish - Sexy Shark Bay
Bree’s WA Signature Dish - Parmesan Herb Crusted Lamb Rack with Haloumi and Roast Vegetable stack
Ron’s WA Signature Dish - Pan Fried Fish with a Molee Sauce, Served with Seasoned Potato
WA Signature Dish judges deep in concentration as they decide on the winning Perth & Surrounds Regional WA Signature Dish…
WA’s Signature Dish Judges - Fraser’s Functions and Restaurants Executive Chef Chris Taylor, The West Australian food critic Rob Broadfield, and The Old Brewery Chef Greg Farnan.
Congratulations to foodie cravings reader Rhiannon Birch on winning the Perth & Surrounds regional heat with her Lupin and Za’atar Crumbed Droper Lamb Cutlets with Moroccan Roast Pumpkin and Lupin Salad. To find out more about Rhiannon’s dish and love for cooking, read my interview with Rhiannon in the lead up to the Perth & Surrounds regional cook off!
Rhiannon is currently being mentored by Fraser’s Functions and Restaurant’s Executive Chef Chris Taylor to get her ready for the Grand Final which will be held this WA Day June 2 at the Perth Cultural Centre. More details to follow soon!
