Mount Bistro owner and chef Stephen Barry has once again been named a national finalist in the annual Monteith's Beer and Wild Food Challenge.
His seafood creation, entitled Two Tales from the Sea, pairs snapper mousseline studded with crayfish and rubbed with wasabi fuikake seasoning with Monteith's Single Source beer.
It hadfeatured on the Mount Bistro menu for four weeks in the lead-up to the first round of the competition last month.
"Then we got into the semi-finals so I put it back on for another two weeks to enable the chief judge to come and have a taste and now I have put it back on the menu until the final," Mr Barry said.
The trick of the challenge was to create a dish using "wild" meat and match the dish with a Monteith's beer.
Mr Barry said he chose Monteith's Single Source because it was delicate enough to match the flavours of crayfish and fresh snapper.
Making use of seafood was a nod to living in a coastal community.
"My last winning dish was the Sword and Saucery. It was also an award winner."
The 2008 dish remains a menu favourite for customers.
"Living and being in a coastal city, I think we should support the local seafood industry," Mr Barry said.
Mr Barry was a finalist last year and in 2009. He won the challenge in 2007.
He will now compete in a live cook-off against the six other finalists on August 8. They are from The White Swan Hotel in Greytown, Pepper Tree Restaurant and Bar in Coromandel town, Plateau Restaurant and Bar in Taupo, Victoria Street Bistro in Hamilton, Ribier Restaurant in West Auckland and Ambrosia Restaurant in Rotorua. The finalists will be competing for $10,000 in prize money.
The 2011 Monteith's Beer and Wild Food Challenge is being filmed for a television show which will screen later this year. The winner will be announced when the final episode isshown.
