Chef Rob Curley from Ballymena has been selected as a finalist in the Patatas Bravas world championship, Una De Bravas 2022, taking place in Palencia, Spain, tomorrow, Wednesday 21 September.
The local man will be accompanied by 21 other chefs in the final, all who are from Spain, apart from one chef who hails from Andorra, in a bid to discover the best Patatas Bravas in the world - a classic Spanish tapas dish featuring fried potatoes in a spicy sauce
Looking ahead and hoping for the best, Chef Rob shared:
"My dish is called Son's of Tapa's Patatas Bravas. It's crispy Boxty potato Skulls and bones with Son's of Tapa's Brava Crema (spicy chilli tomato mousse) and Turf Smoked Garlic Mayonnaise.
"All my produce came from Slemish Market Garden - Turf Smoked Garlic, Tomatoes and Chillies, Glens of Antrim potatoes, Burren Balsamics Peat Vinegar and Glenballyeamon Eggs."
Ahead of the Final, the judges of the contest commented:
“The selection of the ‘bravas’ finalists has been a challenging undertaking in which we have discussed and learnt a great deal as a result of the creativity, quality and variety of the creations submitted for the contest. As such, the jury would like to offer its most sincere congratulations to all the chefs who have entered."
Closer to home well-known Rob is better known locally for his Slemish Market Supper Club, a pop up dining experience like no other where the award-winning chef brings to the table a six-course extravaganza featuring the best local seasonal produce including from Slemish Market Garden (based in the Ecos Nature Park), renowned for its extensive range of fresh, flavourful harvests.
Combined with the best other local suppliers, Chef Rob creates dishes for the supper club hallmarked by surprisingly high quality from simple, humble ingredients.
All the best Rob!
The Final streams live tomorrow morning at 9am to 4pm on YouTube at @palenciabrava and @gastropalencia.