Excellence in Food and Drink Awards 2007
Category: Main Courses and Centre of Plate
Winner: The Authentic Food Company Aromatic Thai King Prawn Curry
This hearty and authentic main course from the Far East is a gourmet mix of king prawns cooked in an aromatic Thai sauce with choi sum, spring onions, red peppers and whole lime leaf (for fragrance and authenticity) that is designed for convenience yet still provides the gourmet punch that makes it a contender for upmarket brasseries, lounges and hotel room service as well as more midmarket restaurants and pubs.
Thai is the second-largest emerging ethnic cuisine in the UK, worth an estimated £69m in 2005, and is renowned for its balance of five fundamental flavours (spicy, sour, sweet, salty and bitter) in each dish.
The Authentic Food Company has hit gold with this 350g ready-meal, which is packed in trays of 12. The judges extolled its "nice and spicy" character that provided "good flavours" and a "good combination of vegetables and spices". Its "excellent, home-made look" provided visual appeal, and the judges concluded that it would be "hard to make one as good".
As well as ticking all the right boxes in terms of visual and oral appeal, the curry requires minimal effort on the part of the caterer, who simply needs to heat it from frozen in a microwave for minutes and serve it on a bed of jasmine rice or Singapore noodles.
Shortlisted
Brakes Premiere Smoked Haddock, Crushed Potato and Davidstow Cheddar Tart
The Authentic Food Company Chicken Makhani