Chance of success cooked by mystery ingredient

A mystery box containing an unfamiliar ingredient didn’t stop Sgt Lee Kemp securing ninth place at the Australian Professional Chef of the Year competition.

It was ox tongue, which he served as an entrée alongside a couscous salad, crispy kale and a red wine and blueberry jus.

“I’d never cooked it before, so I boiled it, sliced it and then panfried it,” Sgt Kemp said.

“That’s where I lost a lot of my points. If I’d known how to cook it better, I would have finished a lot higher.

“Finishing top 10 at that level of competition was a great result, something I’m really proud of.”

Competing against 24 other chefs selected from more than 200 applicants, he was required to create restaurant-quality dishes from the mystery-box ingredients while cooking live in front of judges and an audience.

The executive chef to the Chief of Army also prepared a main meal under strict time limits.

Sgt Kemp's main dish featured Asian-style pork belly with a burnt honey sticky glaze, fondant potato, glazed carrots and a fennel and veal jus.

The competition challenged chefs to think on their feet and adapt to unfamiliar ingredients.

“You don’t know what meat you’re going to get, so it’s really hard to actually practise,” he said.

Chefs were judged on their cooking technique, presentation, preparation, cleanliness and use of ingredients.

“I wanted to push myself, experience something new and represent the Army,” Sgt Kemp said.

He said cooking live in front of a crowd was intense and unlike anything he had experienced before.

“With the training and pressure we get through military life, I think that helped me,” Sgt Kemp said.

Many chefs he competed against were executive and head chefs from Australia’s most iconic and luxury hotels.

“One competitor regularly represents Australia on the international stage as a member of the Australian national culinary team,” he said.

Sgt Kemp he hoped his performance would encourage other Defence chefs to test themselves on a national stage.

“Keep learning, keep pushing yourself to new achievements. Even if you don’t get the results that you want, just keep going,” he said.

Having spent more than 20 years as a military chef, including service in the British Army before transferring to Australia, Sgt Kemp said versatility was one of the biggest strengths military chefs brought to the kitchen.

“Being more versatile, overcoming problems and walking into things that you’re not expecting – the unknown really,” he said.

Sgt Kemp plans to return to the competition next year and hopes more Defence chefs will join him.