Seafood competition launched to promote sustainable home cooking

Chefs have been challenged to come up with the nation’s best sustainable fish recipe in a competition designed to highlight how tasty cooking with a conscience can be.

The contest has been launched by the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) which operates one of the world’s most prestigious eco-labelling schemes for seafood.

The winner will be decided in a “cook-off” between the three finalists who will not just be expected to provide “an exciting and inspirational” dish but to devise one that can be prepared by an experienced home cook within an hour.

As well as providing an opportunity for chefs to showcase their skills in the kitchen the competition is intended to encourage people to make sustainable choices when eating in restaurants or when choosing ingredients for home.

Chefs hoping to win the inaugural crown for best certified sustainable seafood recipe must be from a restaurant or caterer with MSC chain of custody certification and the ingredients in the dishes must be “readily available” to UK shoppers.

Hannah Arcaro, who is organising the contest for the MCS, said that with more than 120 fisheries certified and thousands of chefs using sustainable seafood every day there should be a wealth of mouthwatering recipes.

She said: “The winner won’t necessarily be a fine dining fish dish but one that can be cooked at home.”

Three chefs will be chosen to take part in the final in November and the best will win a trip for two to visit the shellfish fishery on the Shetland Islands. Entries must be received by the MSC by October 14. The judging panel is yet to be announced.