The new series of Battle of the Food Trucks is off to a blazing start, as the first episode saw the chefs bringing their A-game to the semicircle of trucks. Their cooking skills were put to the ultimate test, with the judges looking for the chefs' most perfect version of their signature dish.
In the mix, we had a mouthwatering selection on our screens. A Japanese fried chicken burger, Mexican street corn, Indian chicken tikka, a veggie bowl and some Filipino inihaw na manok were all served up, much to the judges’ delight.
Unfortunately, it was mum-of-three Louise’s prawn sushi burrito rolls that failed to live up to expectations, and saw her being sent home first.
In the second episode, the five remaining chefs are tasked with serving up a sweet treat for the judges. Whether it’s a sweet flavour in a savoury dish or dessert, that’s entirely up to the food truck chefs and their extensive knowledge of nibbles that frequently delight their customers.
Judges Gráinne and Eric’s requirements for greatness are quite reasonable, as they inform us that they’re looking for something "super tasty". But as we’ve learned from last week’s mistakes, there’s a lot that can go wrong in the 60 minute timeframe the chefs have to produce something special.
Originally from Goa in India, Chris from Spice Genie was previously a pastry chef in the Castlemartyr Resort, so the odds are in his favour when it comes to perfecting the art of a delicious dessert. It was thanks to his brother's help that Chris was able to buy his food truck and bring the delicious flavours of Spice Genie to the people of Cork.
For the challenge, he’s doing a chocolate mousse with raspberry consomme, cashew nut brittle and a crispy mint leaf on top. It’s a wedding special he used to serve up, but surprisingly doesn’t include pastry.
A smoked treacle tart with barbecued pineapple and vanilla creme fraîche is what’s on the menu from Nathan in Ginger’s BBQ truck. To prove his prowess as a barbecue connoisseur, Nathan’s going to bake the tart in the smoker.
It’s a risky move as the baking process takes 30 minutes once it reaches the smoker, and as we learned from Richie’s blunder last week, timekeeping skills are essential in this competition.
Prosperous man Caomhán is hoping to prosper with his dessert offerings for the judges. The Salt Project’s chef is dishing up a rye, rhubarb and custard waffle with a birch tree syrup. His truck is nomadic, so he’s constantly travelling up and down the country creating new menus that represent the local food and its producers. But can his sweet treat sway our judges into letting him through to the next round?
In the truck next door, Bahay’s Richie is attempting the only savoury dish from the line-up. He’s cooking kinilaw, which is made using cured fish and often considered to be the Filipino version of ceviche. To add a sweet element, he’s serving it with sweet peas, grilled peas, candied jalapeños and a broth made with cherry blossom vinegar, rhubarb juice and rapeseed oil.
It’s an ambitious effort that’s jam-packed with flavour. Learning from last week’s mistakes where he under-delivered due to time constraints, Richie promises to pay special attention to his stopwatch, and we can only hope that it all goes to plan.
Scott from Los Chicanos has some traditional Mexican churros up his sleeve for the judges. He’s serving them with strawberries and cajeta cream, alongside a tascalate drink. Having worked in kitchens in London, Australia and America, Scott landed on authentic Mexican cuisine as the perfect match for his food truck, as he spent quite a bit of time travelling around the country researching and cooking in different kitchens.
Scott hopes his unique combination of flavours and authenticity will see him being crowned as the winner of Battle of the Food Trucks 2022.
With a delicious menu of sweet treats promised to be delivered, the judges are keen to see some new ideas being presented, hoping the chefs make something unique that incorporates their own style of cooking. So, who can nail Eric’s 3 Ts (technique, timing and temperature)?
Who’s going to impress Gráinne’s sweet-treat-enthused palate? Who’s going to be sent home during the second week of Battle of the Food Trucks? You’ll have to tune in to find out.
7UP Free are proud partners of the Battle of the Food Trucks, inspiring the country with many delicious dishes from incredibly talented chefs - exclusively on RTÉ Player. The ingredients to many a great moment are simply good friends and good food; made all the tastier with a 7UP Free.
Join James Patrice and Justine Stafford as things heat up in the battle to crown Ireland's best food truck. Watch it here on RTÉ Player.
