Stacey Chan is one of the hottest young chefs in South Africa. So much so that her signature dishes have earned her critical acclaim and awards even at international cooking competitions, not the least of which is the award for Best Young Chef of the year at the Chaîne des Rôtisseurs held in Helsinki last year.
Speaking on the experience of competing and winning the competition, Chan says that it was a somewhat daunting experience, particularly because of the talents on display, many of whom had extensive experience of celebrated international cuisines.
“There were 22 other chefs from around the world competing. We were given a mystery basket of ingredients, some were mandatory. We then had 30 minutes to come up with a three-course menu and had another three hours to cook the courses,” she says, “I won the gold and was very proud to bring it home to South Africa, for the first time since the Chaîne des Rôtisseurs started in this country years and years ago.”
Although having been born in Cape Town, Chan says that spending time in Durban has had a strong influence on her style of cuisine. She says entering the competition was just another way of taking her skills further. “I had entered the regional round before, when I was still living in Cape Town, but only got through to the national round. I needed to prove a point to myself that I could do it,” she says.
Currently Chan is the brand chef for SMEG and its line of home appliances and ranges. “Last year after the Rôtisseurs Young Chefs competition, in which the prize for the regional round was a SMEG cooker, I learnt more about the products and found out how amazing they are. I decided to offer to do a few demonstrations for the company, one thing led to the other and I started working for them permanently.”
When describing her cooking style, Chan says that it is simple, but is strongly influenced by various South African styles. When getting into the kitchen, she is mindful of current trends: “You have to keep up with the trends internationally,” she says, “you have to use local fresh produce, stay as GREEN as you can; self-sustainable food is the way to go,” she adds.
Speaking on her future plans, Chan says that she is currently involved with young (or make that younger) chefs. “I’m the inaugural chair for the new young chef club that is soon to start,” she says “and I am training for two big competitions happening at the end of the year.”
5 favourite kitchen implements?
- Chef’s knife
- Microplane
- Spoon
- Pestle and mortar
- Non-stick frying pan
5 must have ingredients for the kitchen?
- Lemons
- Mushrooms
- Corn
- Fresh herbs
- Butter