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Marron masterclass a gourmet treat

Estimated reading time: 2 minutes

The recent visit to the Margaret River campus of renowned local food professionals presented an exceptional learning experience for the cookery apprentices.

Aravina Estate Winery and Restaurant Executive Chef Ben Day and Truffle Hill Head of Global Sales Darian Cheffers hosted a masterclass for the students.

Ben demonstrated the skills to execute a five-star dish, working with new-season Blue Ridge Marron and Truffle Hill black truffle, both outstanding gourmet ingredients from Manjimup.

Ben showed the students how to cook perfect marron. He then paired the marron tail with a classic sauce of rich brown chicken glaze and cream, with the last-minute addition of lashings of black truffle. The dish was finished with freshly foraged mushrooms and nasturtium leaves for a peppery kick.

Following the demonstration, the students replicated the dish.

Prolific local talent in the Margaret River region includes chefs, producers and suppliers, who regularly visit the campus’s restaurant kitchen to teach students about the use of local produce, and with the spotlight more than ever on provenance, the students’ access to this knowledge is invaluable.

Hospitality Lecturer Kelly Dickinson said the hospitality industry in the South West was a fantastic supporter of the students and their education.

“It was terrific having Ben and Darian in our training kitchen,” Kelly said.

“The students were in awe of Ben’s cookery and the dish he presented,” she said.

“We appreciated the time he took out of his kitchen to share his amazing skills with our students.”

The next big event on the agenda is Manjimup’s Truffle Kerfuffle, when the lecturers hit the road again with the cookery students for a weekend of immersion learning at its finest.

Pictured L-R are: Chef Lecturer Kelly Dickinson, Ethan Piggott, Rio Jakovich, Ben Connell, Aravina Estate Winery Executive Chef Ben Day, Truffle Hill Head of Global Sales Darian Cheffers, Brad Adams, Charles King and Noah Stirzaker.