Australian chef John McFadden has defended his World Seafood Championship crown at the World Food Championships held in Las Vegas this month.
The former Pittwater RSL executive chef fused Australian and Texan flavours to create the winning dish titled “Salmon, Crab and Lemon Mosaic”.
McFadden told Club Management winning the title for a second year in a row has made him very proud.
“When you set a benchmark the target is huge,” he said.
“Yes, there was a sense of pressure, however I was pretty thrilled with the execution of the dish.
“I wanted to create a dish that showed great technique along with highlighting the infused ingredients being lemon seasoning and crab which worked well with the mosaic of salmon.”
The World Food Championships are a global celebration of culinary excellence which attracts hundreds of chefs and culinary artists from around the world to win big money in prizes.
The next competition for John will be to defend his World Food Champion title in May 2024 for a chance to win $US150,000.
“At the final table we all cook to the brief we are given,” he said.
“Shortly the other category winners will be invited to meetings to understand the program.”
McFadden has had a varied career from Pittwater RSL to working at Hayman Island, The Windsor Hotel in Melbourne and the Hyatt Regency Sydney. One consistent theme is looking to highlight how amazing Australian cuisine is.
“Everyone has loved what I have presented so far and the discussions are robust around our diverse cuisine,” he said.
“It’s not everyday you say you have represented your country and hold three world titles, I find it pretty humbling to be honest.”
While his culinary journey began strolling around fish markets, McFadden said he has always been inspired by fresh Australian seafood, which is always in abundance at this time of year. So what is on his plate come Christmas lunch?
“My wife is English, so we have the best of both worlds,” he said.
“Seafood on Christmas Day and traditional roast, Yorkshire puddings and all the trimmings on Boxing Day.”