Iron Chef Competition: Yams Took the Spotlight

On February 10th, Sentinel’s best student chefs gathered for the intense and highly anticipated Iron Chef Competition, where they were challenged to create both a main course and a dessert featuring a secret ingredient revealed just minutes before the competition began. While they didn’t know the secret ingredient before the competition, they still had to prepare the rest of their ingredients in advance, which was surely a challenge. This year's secret ingredient was… yams! 

Incorporating yams into a main dish seems manageable - but dessert? That seems pretty difficult. However, the competitors rose to the challenge! They created unique meals that showcased yams in unexpected ways.  

The first group I interviewed - Darya, Bryan, and Nico - prepared vodka pasta with parmesan, yams, and roasted zucchini. For dessert, they made chocolate chip cookies with a yam filling in the centre of each one. It’s not something you see everyday, but I can confirm: they were surprisingly delicious!

Next, Saymen and Giby presented a beautifully plated salmon dish, topped with yams, olives, lemons, mint, and more. For dessert, they made carlotta de limon, a Mexican dessert featuring layers of Maria cookies. Their presentation was creative and visually appealing!

Another team - Viona, Ava, Parham, and Kian - prepared Cheesy Chicken Alfredo Pasta topped with yams, parsley, and cheese. For dessert, they made a Chocolate Mug Cake. Their dishes looked comforting, flavourful, and well made. 

Diana, Paran, Bella, and Anita impressed everyone with stunning fusion tacos served alongside crispy yam fries. For dessert, they made mango mochi with pistachio topping. Their presentation was especially eye catching, and their dishes looked just as good!

The final team I interviewed - Jasper, Tyler, Daren, and Kevin - prepared chicken stuffed with yam and butternut squash, along with yam crepes for dessert. Their crepes were an especially creative use of the secret ingredient!

After hearing about all this food, you’re probably hungry, but also eager to know the winners. The judges Ms. Kennedy and Mr. Demers carefully tasted each dish, evaluating not only flavour, but also how effectively teams incorporated the secret ingredient. 

In third place was Diana, Paran, Bella, and Anita’s team. While their fusion tacos were flavourful and absolutely beautiful, the judges pointed out that their integration of yams was slightly less prominent, costing them a few points. 

In second place was Jasper, Tyler, Daren, and Kevin. Their stuffed chicken and yam crepes impressed the judges with both taste and excellent integration of the secret ingredient. 

And finally, in first place, was Darya, Bryan, and Nico! Their vodka pasta topped with zucchini and yams impressed the judges, and the creative integration of yams into chocolate chip cookies truly stood out. 

The winning teams received Canadian-made cooking utensils and some chocolates as prizes. The first place winners also received Park Royal gift cards.

Overall, The Iron Chef Competition was exciting and interesting, and showcased Sentinel’s impressive culinary talent. For anyone interested in cooking, this competition is an excellent way to put your culinary skills to the test. I highly recommend participating next year!