It was almost a week ago when the final of the battle for Top Chef Dubai happened (see Part I here). Me and the other competitor had 2 hours time and two mystery boxes (thanks to Market and Platters) to execute one main course and one dessert. Considering that every day in the grocery is a mystery challenge I wrote down few ideas of what to cook and how to structure my meals, along with time management.

The mystery boxes was loaded with fresh veggies, fruits, dairy products and three types of proteins – salmon, beef steak and duck breast. I chose to cook the duck breast. Even though it can be a tricky choice ( it can go really dry if you are not careful) I took the risk. I prepared it with tomato marmalade, balsamic asparagus, potato chips, blueberry and basil sauce and cucumber and lime salad. For dessert I prepared Lemon drizzle cake but in its orange version and decorated with chocolate strawberries.

The judges were  FooDiva, chef Hedrien, the founder of Top Chef Studio Dubai Nadira Benaissa and Jasmine Bandali Gourmet Editor at Gourmet magazine. Their role was probably the most difficult as both of us served really good food. Of course there is only one winner and I am beyond happy to announce  that it is Me!

It feels good when people appreciate your effort and reward you for it. This first place motivated me more than ever to continue cooking and blogging. I hope you all enjoy the photos I post here and try my recipes at home. Big love xxx