SASKATOON – Saskatoon chef Trevor Robertson has been named the winner of the Saskatoon Gold Medal Plates competition.
Robertson has worked in the Radisson hotel kitchen for nine years, most recently as executive chef.
His winning dish featured duck pate garnished with pickled shitake mushrooms, foie gras and truffles.
It was served on top of a corn beurre blanc sauce with corn gel, corn sheet, corn paper, corn caviar, duck prosciutto, gastrique and freeze dried crushed blueberry.
The dish was paired with a Nk’Mip Cellars 2011 Pinot Noir from Osoyoos, B.C.
Ten of the best chefs from Saskatoon and Prince Albert poured their hearts and souls into more than 450 dishes for judges and attendees.
“It feels amazing,” said Robertson. “I’ve been in it for three years. First year I got third place, last year I got second place and this year I got gold.”
The veteran cook worked with a local producer to get custom-raised ducks.
“It took us a full year to get this particular dish together with lots of trials and tribulations and literally it was only hours before we actually figured out how we were going to plate it,” said Robertson, 31.
But the stress didn’t stop once the planning was done. Robertson and his team of seven chefs produced 450 plates for a hungry crowd.
“Food is a very subjective sport. When you run a foot race there’s always a winner but when it comes to food; it’s how people are feeling that day and what they want,” Robertson said.
“The pressure is always great but for me, I’m extremely fortunate. I have an amazing culinary team that surrounds me.”
Robertson will represent Saskatoon at the Canadian Culinary Championships in Kelowna, B.C., in February. There he will cross forks with 10 of the country’s best culinary artists in three challenges to claim top prize.
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