Wirral Life June 2019 | Page 44

THE BUTCHERS CUT BY MUFFS OF BROMBOROUGH WE ARE THE GOLDEN BOYS AGAIN! Entering competitions is part of the job we love! Not only because by nature we are competitive but there is a really good social aspect to it. Going along to various events up and down the country you are always meeting new people and sharing experiences. Seeing old friends in the industry who I only ever seem to see at such events! Catching up and having a good natter about the trials and tribulations of the Butchers life! Sharing ideas and what has been working and what hasn’t with likeminded people is very rewarding. And if you are lucky enough to go home with some silver then all the better! We started the year well by winning the Best Tasting Sausage in Cheshire for the second year running. To win this, competitors must register and produce the samples for the first round of judging. It is a blind tasting session with the judges having no prior knowledge of entrants. After which the finalists go to the next round to be judged by the public at The Chester Food & Drink Festival. The winner is revealed at a glitzy black tie dinner which never fails to be a fun event. In attendance are all the best and brightest from the food and drink scene in Cheshire and surrounding areas. This year, ten of our team went along and we had a ball! I was so glad we won, I really wanted the team to have the opportunity to receive the recognition for all the hard work they put in. Early on in the year we were notified of a new competition by Rob from Dalziel, a company we deal with. It was set to be the biggest single event of its type. It has been billed to be the Oscars of the meat world and is a very fiercely fought trophy -The Golden Cleaver. This was a truly National competition with entries from Scotland to Cornwall and everywhere in-between. The first round of judging was took place at various locations around the country with industry experts in a blind tasting. There were eight categories you could enter including sausages, pies and ready meals among others. After the judging the highest scoring products would go to 44 wirrallife.com PARMESAN CRUSTED CHICKEN WITH MUSTARD CREAM SAUCE the grand finals in Herefordshire. We received confirmation that out of 476 entries we were in the final 3 to win the 'Best Ready Meal' category with our ribs and wedges meal and received an official invite to attend the event. The event itself was fantastic! Even if you had no prior interest in Butchery, I believe you would still have a fantastic time! They had 'the wall of fire!' - a huge BBQ and smoker set up cooking whole lambs, pigs and beef cuts and a free bar!! Need I say more?? There were all sorts of companies from the industry doing demo's and showcasing what they do. There was a young butchers craft Butchery competition where they all get the same ingredients and have two hours to put on the best display they can. Points are scored by innovation, efficiency, good hygiene minimal waste and the end display. It is a huge amount of pressure to put yourself through but a real buzz for them, also great to watch as a spectator. The main live competition was Team GB vs Team Ireland. A craft butchery competition, the same as the young butchers, but they are in teams of six and have three hours to display. These are some of the best butchers in the world and it is a privilege to watch them work. Team Ireland are currently the best in the world while Team GB rank fourth. In 2020 both teams compete in the next world competitions in Sacramento California for the chance to be the best! INGREDIENTS The day ended with the main event, The Golden Cleaver Awards! The three finalists were called to the stage where the winner was announced. Not one for the spotlight I was incredibly nervous but the wife and kids cheering me on helped my confidence! Unbelievably I heard the words the winner is… Muffs of Bromborough!! Needless to say I was over the moon. Shell-shocked I found my way back to the table for lots of celebrating!! 3. Constantly striving for perfection I am now working on new ideas which hopefully may be successful in future competitions. Watch this space! • • • • • • • • • • • 2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breast 1/2 tsp kosher salt 1 1/2 tsp black pepper 1 egg beaten 1 1/2 cups grated parmesan cheese 1 medium onion diced 2 garlic cloves minced 3 tbsp olive oil separated 1 tbsp dijon mustard 1 cup heavy cream 2 tbsp parsley chopped METHOD 1. 2. 4. 5. 6. Season both sides of chicken with salt and 1 tsp of the pepper. Place grated parmesan in a shallow bowl and dredge chicken in egg. Gently shake off excess egg and then place in parmesan bowl, pressing to adhere cheese on both sides. Gently shake off excess and repeat with remaining chicken breasts. Set aside. In a large skillet over medium high heat sauté the onion in one tablespoon of the oil for 2 minutes and add the garlic. Stir and continue to cook on low until onion is soft, 3-5 minutes. Add the mustard and stir to cook for 1 minute. Add the cream, remaining pepper cheese (from dredging) and parsley and stir to combine. Bring to a boil, lower heat and reduce by half. Set aside. Heat oil in a large skillet over high heat. Place chicken in skillet and allow to sauté and get golden, crunchy brown for 3 minutes each side. Carefully turn and cook the other side for 3 minutes or until also golden, crunchy brown. Serve immediately with mustard cream sauce poured over each piece of chicken.