Food
JAM | Apr 25, 2023

Hassane Gordon preparing for JCDC’s “Pan Chicken” Challenge

/ Our Today

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Hassane Gordon of St. Mary displays some of her award-winning jams, wines and sauces in the annual Jamaica Cultural Development Commission (JCDC) Culinary Arts Competition. Also in the picture is her son, Royan Bennett. (Contributed photo)

Port Maria, St. Mary native, Hassane Gordon is going for top honours in the “Pan Chicken” cooking challenge, which is one of three new categories of the annual competition organised by the Jamaica Cultural Development Commission (JCDC) in the 2023 Jamaica Culinary Arts Competition.

The other two new segments are ‘Mystery Basket’ (individual) and ‘Team Challenge’ (group).

For the Pan Chicken challenge, entrants are required to incorporate the versatile coconut in preparing the popular roadside cuisine.

Gordon says that she is trying out various recipes in preparation for the competition, which persons have sampled at various shows and events in the parish, where she often displays her cooking skills.

“I have started working on my recipe and trying out my products. I have tried out two products, which are excellent, so I have about three more and the community will be the judge,” she says.

Gordon has been participating in the Jamaica Culinary Arts Competition since 2004, when she was first introduced to it by a friend.  

Over the years, she has attended workshops put on by the JCDC to fine-tune her skills in the culinary arts in which she has won gold, silver, and bronze medals for her unique dishes. 

My stuff is original. For instance, I did a sweet potato pepper pudding, so I put pepper in the pudding and this gave it a different flavour. It is a gold-medal winner.

Hassane Gordon

Among her gold-medal dishes are a veggie mince pizza, Reggae casserole, and a yellow yam, vegetable and cheese casserole. She also has a jackfruit and red herring dish that was also a winner.

The dishes she makes are all available through her online business, ‘Assaney Foods’. There, she also sells gungo, jet berry (shoebutton) and pimento wines, chips, puddings, cakes, jams and jellies, as well as fruit and vegetable punches.

“My stuff is original. For instance, I did a sweet potato pepper pudding, so I put pepper in the pudding and this gave it a different flavour. It is a gold-medal winner,” she says with pride.

“I am on Facebook and Instagram, and people who want my stuff will call me. Most times I go to the St. Mary Agricultural Expo and other shows and sell my products,” she adds.

Gordon says she is grateful for the JCDC competition, noting that it has enabled her to earn a livelihood. 

“It is good to enter the Culinary Arts Competition. It builds you. I always wanted to be a chef, so entering the culinary arts competition, it made my dreams come true,” she points out. 

Culinary Arts Development Specialist of the JCDC, Jane Jerry, says that Gordon has done well and is a regular participant in the Culinary Arts Competition.

Culinary Arts Development Specialist, Jamaica Cultural Development Commission (JCDC), Jane Jerry. (Contributed photo)

“She has been doing well over a number of years. She has wines and preserves on the markets,” she says.

Jerry says that the JCDC has been incorporating products that are “uniquely Jamaican” into the various categories of the competition to showcase the creativity of participants. 

In 2022, the breadfruit was highlighted, and for this year, participants are required to incorporate coconut in the preparation of pan chicken. 

We want to show versatility in a number of items that we have, because some persons may think that they can only do coconut drops or use it (coconut) in rice and peas or the run-down.

Culinary Arts Development Specialist, Jamaica Cultural Development Commission (JCDC)

“We want to show versatility in a number of items that we have, because some persons may think that they can only do coconut drops or use it (coconut) in rice and peas or the run-down, and they don’t think outside the box,” Jerry points out.

“At the end of their task, they should have prepared the chicken, two side dishes and a sauce,” she says, noting that competitors will be given 70 minutes for preparation and presentation.

Entries for the 2023 Jamaica Culinary Arts Competition close on April 28. 

JCDC’s 60th anniversary Food Bliss of Yesteryear

In addition to the three new segments, persons can enter the competition in the categories of Batters and Doughs, Wedding and Celebration Cakes, Traditional Jamaican Dishes, Knife Skills Technique, Recipe Writing, Preserves and Condiments, Wines and Liquors.

For the JCDC’s 60th anniversary this year, there is a special category titled, ‘Food Bliss of Yesteryear’.

Jerry explains that persons are required to incorporate one of three fruits – the mammee apple, stinking toe or Locust fruit and naseberry – in the preparation of an entrée, a dessert or a signature non-alcoholic beverage. She says that other fruits can be used once they are “special and unique to the particular parish”.

Participants can contact their JCDC’s parish office to verify that the fruits being used are unique to the area.

Persons can register and submit entries online via the JCDC’s website, www.jcdc.gov.jm, or by visiting any of the entity’s 14 parish offices islandwide.

Entrants are vying for gold, silver and bronze medals, merit certificates, cash incentives and trophies.

Connect with Hassane Gordon on Instagram @assaneyfoods

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