Example Entry

To help you understand what a strong National Chef of the Year entry looks like, our current winner, Danny Young, has kindly agreed to share his original entry. This sample entry of his starter showcases the level of detail, creativity and clarity that judges typically look for, giving you a feel for how successful competitors present their ideas.

Please note, this is not a template or an exact requirement, it’s simply a useful reference to inspire your own personal approach as you develop a menu that reflects your skills and style.

Danny's Starter

Loch Torridon Lobster, Yuzu Beurre Blanc, N25 Caviar

Butter-poached lobster tail glazed in lobster butter, served with a yuzu beurre blanc split with dill oil, lobster custard topped with jelly, yuzu gel knuckle meat, and N25 caviar, finished with a crisp tempura lobster claw.

Ingredients

LOBSTER & CUSTARD
1 x 500g Lobster 
100g Carrot 
100g Celery 
100g Onion 
3 Bay Leaves 
100ml Pernod 
2 litres Fish Stock 
2 Eggs 
300g Cream 
50g Crème Fraîche
80g Butter 
30g Lobster Glace 
20g N25 Caviar 
6g Veggie Gel 
Picked Dill 
Picked Sweet Cicely & Flowers 
 
BEURRE BLANC
125g Sliced Shallot 
150g White Wine 
250g Butter 
100g Crème Fraîche
175g Fish Stock 
100g Yuzu Sake 
DILL OIL
l00g Dill 
200g Sunflower Oil 
 
YUZU GEL
200g Yuzu 
100g Water 
50g Sugar 
8g Agar Agar 
 
TEMPURA BATTER
80g Potato Starch 
80g GF Self-Raising Flour 
80g Cornflour 
5g Salt 
Sparkling Water 
 
 
 

Working Methods

Prepping and Cooking of the Lobster
Start by removing the head, the claw and the tail of the lobster, reserve the head for the stock. In a pan, bring to the boil salted water and place the claws and tail into the water and simmer for 2 minutes, then remove the tail and place into ice water, allow another 2 minutes cooking for the claws, repeat the process. Once chilled remove from the shell and reserve the meat for later and any remaining shell keep for the sauce. For the tail, place into a Vac Pac bag making sure to keep it as straight as possible, use a wooden skewer to help. Poaching the tail, make a small butter, a lobster emulsion using butter and lobster paste and add the vacuum bag before sealing, seal the bag and poach in a water bath at 55° for 8 minutes.
 
With the knuckle meat, carefully chop down and mix with crème fraiche and chopped dill, keep to one side to finish the custard with. To cook the claw, you will need to mix together the cornflour, potato starch, self-raising flour and bind together with ice cold sparkling water. Dust the claw with flour and coat lightly in the batter then fry in oil at 180° till light and crispy.
 
Lobster Stock
In a large pan start caramelising the lobster shells and chopped vegetables, once golden in colour add the Pernod and burn the alcohol off, reduce down to jam like consistency, then add the fish stock and simmer for 20 minutes making sure you don’t boil, the stock needs to be kept clear, remove from the heat and pass. Once passed, pass again using 3 layers of muslin cloth. Reserve for the custard and jelly.
 
Lobster Custard
Mix together 200g lobster stock, 200g cream, 2 eggs and 2g salt, place into small caviar tins and steam till just set, remove from the heat allow to cool. For the jelly, season slightly with dashi vinegar and salt, bring to the boil and add veggie gel then slowly pour over the custards, creating an even layer. Once cooled, carefully using a 32mm cutter, cut the middle of the jelly and the custard out and remove. Using the cutter back into the middle of the custard, then carefully add the knuckle meat then layer a good layer of caviar before removing the cutter. To garnish, add small dots of yuzu gel picked dill and sweet cicely. 
 
Yuzu Gel
Bring all ingredients to the boil and whisk in the agar, making sure once the agar has been added the mix has re-boiled. Leave to set into a tray and once set and cooled, blend to a smooth gel. 
 
Beurre Blanc
In a pan sweat the shallots off in a little olive oil under clingfilm until soft, no colour. Once soft, add the white wine and reduce to a jam like consistency. Add the remaining ingredients, except the yuzu sake, bring to the boil and blend. Pass through a fine sieve and season with salt and finish with the yuzu sake.
 
Dill Oil
In a Thermomix bring the oil to 70°. Once up to temperature, blend in the dill for 5 minutes, pass through a muslin cloth.  

Danny's Main Course

Dry Aged Beef Fillet, Glazed Tongue, Beef Fat Onion, Potato, Truffle

Roasted beef fillet, slow cooked glazed ox tongue, beef fat onion topped with an aged balsamic gel. Beef fat potato confit, finished with crispy potato and fresh truffle, yeast and onion puree. Beef sauce finished with diced aged beef fat and fresh truffle.

Ingredients

BEEF FILLET
200g Angus Pure beef centre fillet 
 
OX TONGUE
1 x Ox Tongue 
2 Litres Water 
200g Salt 
100g Sugar 
10g Pink Pepper 
5g Cloves 
50g Pink Salt 
5 Bay Leaves 
20g Crushed Garlic 
5g Mustard Seeds 
5g Fennel Seeds 
100g Dark Brown Sugar 
 
ONION PUREE
200g Sliced Onion 
100g Butter 
20g Yeast Flakes 
100g Cream 
 
BEEF FAT ONION
2 x Red Grelot Onion 
30g Beef Fat 
2g Salt 
1g Thyme 
50ml Balsamic
Ultratex to thicken
CONFIT POTATO
1 x Medium Potato 
500g Aged Beef Fat Oil 
10g Thyme 
Garnish – Crispy Potato, Fresh Truffle 
 
BEEF SAUCE
200g Onions 
20g Thyme 
10g Rosemary 
10g Tarragon 
2 Bay Leaves 
2g Peppercorns 
100g Red Wine 
100g Port 
1 Litre Beef Stock 
1 Litre Chicken Stock 
100g Beef Fillet Trim 
10g Truffle 
20g Diced Beef Fat 

Working Methods

Prepping Cooking of the Beef 
Start by trimming the beef fillet, carefully tapering it down to keep as round as possible, roll tightly in cling film and tie tightly. Steam at 62° till the core temperature reaches 48°, allow to rest before removing the cling film. Once rested pat dry removing any moisture, season with salt then sear all over in a hot pan till you have a nice caramelisation, place onto a resting rack and glaze slightly with some beef jus. For serving, carve into portions and season with Maldon sea salt. 
 
Ox Tongue
Take all the spices and gently roast them in pan, start by heating up the water and all other ingredients till the sugar and salts have dissolved, allow to cool and place the ox tongue in the brine and leave for 7 days. Once the tongue is ready, wash off and dry well before adding it to a vacuum bag. Once in the bag, add a small amount of chicken stock and seal tightly and steam for 12 hours at 85°, once cooked while still hot remove the skin from the tongue and wrap tightly in cling film and press overnight. After leaving the tongue to set, portion into the desired portion and place into a small tray glazed over with beef sauce. Place into the oven for 8 minutes till soft and fully glazed. 
 
Confit Potato
Peel and slice the potato into 2cm thick slices, place into a pan and gently confit the aged beef fat oil till tender. Remove from the fat when cooked and carefully using a ridged cutter cut small potato fondants. To garnish using any of the potato off-cuts, slice very thinly and slice into very thin chiffonnades, wash in water, dry and fry gently at 170° till crisp. 
 
Beef Fat Onion 
Cut the onion in quarters, season with chopped thyme and salt, place on to greaseproof paper, dress with beef fat and wrap tightly in tin foil, bake in the oven for 15 minutes till soft. To serve, finish with aged balsamic gel and alliums flowers. 
 
Onion Puree 
In a heavy bottom pan, slowly cook down the onions in butter till soft, once soft start to caramelise then add the cream and reduce till the cream split. Blend in a blend adding the yeast flakes and blend again season with salt and pass through a fine sieve.

Beef Sauce
Start by caramelising the onions, beef trim in pan till golden, add the spices and herbs, cook a little further, add the wine and port, reduce right down. Add the stock and reduce by half, pass through a sieve and further reduce till you reach the correct consistency and flavour. Finish with a little sherry vinegar if needed. For serving, finish with chopped truffle and diced aged beef fat. 

Danny's Dessert

Valrhona Chocolate

Chocolate pastry tart case filled with mascarpone & vanilla mousse, rehydrated grapes in Pedro Ximenez topped with a dome of Valrhona Kalingo Cremeux, Jivara & praline mousse filled with verjus and Pedro Ximenez liquid centre sprayed in coco and chocolate for a velvet finish coco nib tuille. Salted almond milk ice cream, garnished with gold leaf and tempered chocolate curl.

Ingredients

TART

150g Sugar
200g Butter
1 Egg
400g Flour
30g Cocoa Powder

VANNILLA & MASCARPONE MOUSSE
250g Mascarpone
65g Water
50g Sugar
1 Vanilla Pod
5g Gelatine
125g Cream

CHOCOLATE CREMEUX
60g Yolk
22g Honey
100g Milk
150g Cream
175g Kalingo Chocolate
4g Maldon

JIVARA & PRALINE MOUSSE
100g Almond Milk
120g Hazelnut Praline
140g Jivara Chocolate
150g Whipped Cream
5g Gelatine
Citric Acid to taste

PEDRO XIMENEZ AND VERJUS REDUCTION
50g Sugar
50g Pedro Ximenez
50g Red Minus 8 Verjus

COCO SPRAY
200g Chocolate
80g Coco Butter

REHYDRATED GRAPES
50g Dried Grapes
20g Pedro Ximenez
5g Hazelnut
5g Almonds

COCO NIB TUILE
50g Caster Sugar
40g Glucose
40g Nibs
5g Butter

ALMOND MILK ICE CREAM
250g Infused Almond Milk
50g Glucose
50g Milk Powder
30g Stab
50g Sugar
2g Salt

CHOCOLATE TEMPER
200g 70% Chocolate

Working Methods

Tart case
Mix the sugar and butter together then beat in the egg, sieve in the cocoa and flour. Leave to set for 1 hour. With a rolling pin, evenly roll out the pastry between greaseproof, needs to be 2mm thick. Cut with the desired cutter to line a 7 cm tart case, place another tart case on top to help cook evenly, place in an oven at 160 ° for 12 minutes. Once cooked gently egg wash and cook for a further 3 minutes.

Mascarpone Mousse
Soak the gelatine in cold water, the water, sugar and vanilla pod gently heat till the sugar has dissolved, add the gelatine and mix well and sieve into the mascarpone. Semi whip the cream then slowly fold in the mascarpone mix. Place into a piping bag.

Cremeux
Melt the chocolate and leave to one side, place all ingredients into the Thermomix and set the speed to 3.5 and heat 80° for minutes till custard is cooked. Once cooked, slowly add the chocolate mix gradually turning up the speed till all chocolate is fully incorporated, then place on setting 10 for 1 minute to fully emulsified, place into a piping bag and half fill the sphere moulds and freeze.

Pedro Ximenez Reduction
Start by making a light caramel, use a brush and water to prevent the side burning, once you have achieved a light caramel add the Pedro Ximenez and verjus and reduce till syrup consistency. When cool add to a piping bag. For the next step of the sphere, with a small Parisienne, scoop around 10/12mm, a small amount of cremeux and fill with Pedro Ximenez and verjus syrup and freeze again.

Chocolate and Praline Mousse
Soak the gelatine in cold water, heat the milk and mix in the chocolate and praline mix to the milk, stir well till fully incorporated. Add the bloomed gelatine and mix well, leave to one side to slightly cool. Semi whip the cream and the carefully fold in the chocolate mix and season with citric acid. Place into a piping bag and then carefully take the half sphere moulds and finish the last layer with the praline mousse, evenly spread to achieve a smooth finish and freeze.

Chocolate and Coco Spray
Gently melt the chocolate and cocoa butter together, whisk together, place into a spray gun. Take the mousses out of the freezer and place on to a rest rack flat side down. From a short distance evenly spray the mousses with the chocolate spray, turn around to coat all sides, once sprayed leave in the fridge to defrost before serving.

Rehydrated Grapes
Mix together all the ingredients, check the taste, adjust with lime juice and zest to balance the sweetness.

Cocoa Nib Tuile
Heat the sugar and the glucose to 150°, add the butter and stir in the cocoa nibs, pour on to Silpat mat and allow to cool. Once cool blend to a powder. Place into a shaker and evenly spread onto a mat and bank for 6 minutes. Remove from the oven and gently cut to the desired discs.

Almond Milk Ice Cream
Heat all the ingredients in a pan then blend with a hand mixer, allow to cool and churn in an ice cream machine. Or place into a paco container and freeze and paco when frozen for serving.

Chocolate Curl
Temper the chocolate, spread along acetate sheets and curl and leave to set.

“This competition continues to be a launchpad for culinary talent. The energy, passion and precision we saw at the 2025 final was inspiring for everyone involved”
David Mulcahy
David MulcahyCompetition director
"It felt a good time in my career to test myself at the highest level and enter National Chef of the Year. I'm delighted I managed to win on my first attempt, especially with such amazing feedback, and now I've joined an illustrious list of winners."
Orry Shand
Orry ShandNCOTY 2025
"It’s been an honour to Chair this competition for the last two years. The high number and standard of entries, dedication and level of cooking I’ve witnessed has been a joy to see and I look forward to following these finalists’ culinary careers."
Matt Abe
Matt AbeChair of Judges 2024 and 2025
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