LACA South West School Chef of the Year 2019, Dave Leeper, has worked with Young’s Foodservice to develop a range of cost effective and simple to produce recipes utilising Young’s Foodservice Alaska Pollock and Pink Salmon pieces. All of the recipes have been created to comply with the latest school food standards, and all count as being an oily fish menu item, which is required to be on menus, once every three weeks.
Dave Leeper, employed and based at The Trafalgar School at Downton, is passionate about thinking outside of the box when it comes to school meals and is a great advocate for broadening children’s tastes and ensuring they receive a varied diet at school. To do this, he needs versatile products that have been developed specifically for the education sector, such as the Alaska Pollock and Pink Salmon mix.
The mix of diced Pink Salmon and Wild Alaska Pollock pieces is a firm staple in Dave’s kitchen due to its fantastic versatility as an ingredient in a whole host of different dishes. What’s more, it ticks all the right boxes for creating school meals because it is Sustainably sourced to Young’s award winning Fish for Life sustainability programme and is MSC Certified.
One of Dave’s favourite ways to use the Wild Alaska Pollock and Pink Salmon pieces is in delicious Asian-style ramen dishes served with broth, noodles and plenty of vegetables. Dave is full of tips and tricks for creating nutritious, affordable, yet delicious meals and his Gluten Free Cornflake Crumb Fish Bites are exactly that. Offering an original twist on a classic kids’ favourite, the Fishbites have a moreish, crunchy coating which is made from cornflakes and gluten free flour for a simple to prepare dish that is suitable for gluten-free diets.
The pink salmon provides children with a source of Omega 3 which is essential for supporting a healthy heart and brain function whilst the Wild Alaska Pollock provides vitamins B12, B6 and B3 to support healthy skin, teeth and bones.
Dave Leeper, LACA South West School Chef of the Year 2019 explains the benefits of using Alaska Pollock and Pink Salmon pieces across school menus:
“Although there’s always room for traditional dishes on school menus, it’s important that children are given a wider choice to keep their diets varied and ensure they are receiving the right nutrients that their bodies need. This can be very challenging due to tight budgets, therefore products such as Young’s Alaska Pollock and Pink Salmon pieces are extremely useful. The mix can be used to create familiar favourites like my Cornflake Crumb Fish Bites, as well as more adventurous dishes like the Asian Ramen broth. Therefore, it’s perfect for school caterers who are keen to include more seafood on menus but want the flexibility of an ingredient that can be cooked conveniently from frozen within an endless number of recipes.”
You can find the recipes below: