Hed Chef: Celeb chef Eric Teo’s fried rice spring rolls

He bagged a gold medal in his first culinary competition back in 1988 and he credited his first mentor for the win.

Celebrity chef Eric Teo said: "Taking part in the competition made me realise how important it is to have a good mentor to set me in the right direction and advise me, especially when I have to make critical decisions."

Mr Teo, 53, is keen to see others benefit from his experience. He shared a recipe for fried rice spring rolls that can be accomplished even by novices.

He also runs his own culinary consultancy company and is a master mentor at the Asian Culinary Institute (ACI), which is holding its inaugural Culinary Star Quest cooking competition come July 8.

Mr Teo is the lead judge in the competition.

The ACI is a joint collaboration between SkillsFuture Singapore, previously known as Workforce Development Agency, and Nanyang Polytechnic.

The competition aims to identify those with culinary passion and are keen to join the food and beverage (F&B) industry.

Mr Tan Jek Min, the director of ACI, said: "The objective of this competition is to discover fresh talents and help them turn their culinary ambitions into reality. The unique point about this competition is, not only do the top three winners walk home with prizes, but all participants will also be matched with potential employers in F&B and get sponsorship for professional structured training here at ACI."

The prizes for the top three winners are worth more than $4,000 in all. The top prize includes a trip to Tokyo for a sushi-making workshop and dining experience featuring Kinmemai rice, and more than $1,000 worth of shopping and dining vouchers.

Participants in the competition will be invited to join the Place and Train Programme (PnT).

Under this programme, participants are offered employment opportunities with F&B companies including The Lo & Behold Group, PastaMania, Elsie's Kitchen and Select Group.

Those who take up the employment offers get sponsored by their employers to attend a series of courses at the ACI to obtain industry-recognised Workforce Skills Qualifications certificates and a diploma in Culinary Arts. The course fees are worth $5,785.80, based on government-subsidised rates.

The skills-based training is supplemented with on-the-job training.

Participants who enter the PnT programme will be mentored by Mr Teo.

Said Mr Teo: "This competition can be a launching pad for those seeking a career in F&B.

• Are you the next culinary star?

  Join the Culinary Star Quest organised by the ACI and you could be on your way to a new career in F&B.

  WHAT Culinary Star Quest

  WHEN July 8 
Registration closes on June 30.

  WHERE Asian Culinary Institute 11 Eunos Road 8, Lifelong Learning Institute #03-01, Lift Lobby A, Singapore 408601

  There is a non-refundable registration fee of $50. Terms and conditions apply.

  For more information, contact Medeline Koh at 6417-3612 or email info@aci.edu.sg To sign up, go to www.aci.edu.sg/culinary-star-quest-competition-2017

"Whether you are young or a mature working adult, it is never too late to follow your culinary passion."

INGREDIENTS

• 250g raw short-grain rice
• 250ml water
• 700ml cooking oil (for deep-frying)
• 1 piece of tau kwa (firm bean curd), cut into small cubes
• 3 tbsp cooking oil (for stir-frying)
• 40g chicken bak kwa, diced
• 20g garlic, chopped
• 30g dried prawns, soaked and chopped
• 50g preserved sweet radish, rinsed
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1 stalk of spring onion, sliced
• ¾ tsp salt
• ½ tsp ground white pepper
• 10 pieces of spring roll pastry skin (215mm by 215mm)
• 1 egg, beaten (for egg wash)

METHOD

1. Rinse the rice and soak for 30 minutes. Discard the soaking water. Place the rice in rice cooker, together with 250ml of water and cook. Allow the rice to rest for at least 15 minutes before frying.

2. Heat 700ml of oil in frying pan over medium heat and deep-fry the tau kwa until golden brown. Set aside.

3. In a non-stick pan, heat one tablespoon of oil. Fry the chicken bak kwa and garlic over medium heat for two minutes until fragrant.

4. Add a tablespoon of oil and dried prawns. Fry for two minutes before adding preserved sweet radish and stir-fry for one minute.

5. Add the cooked rice into the pan, mixing it with the other ingredients.

6. Make a well in the centre of the rice mixture, add a tablespoon of oil and two beaten eggs. Scramble quickly and mix the egg into the rice.

7. Turn up the heat to high and add the spring onion and fried tau kwa. Stir-fry on high heat for 30 seconds.

8. Season with salt and pepper. Stir through and remove from pan.

9. On a clean working surface, place a piece of spring roll skin diagonally. Scoop 80g of the fried rice, placing it slightly below the centre of the skin. Pick up the corner of the skin that is closest to you and roll towards the opposite end to cover the filling.

10. Fold the left and right sides of the spring roll skin towards the centre.

11. Roll the skin forwards, towards the opposite end.

12. Take a brush, dip it in egg wash and dab the end of the skin to seal up the spring roll.

13. In a wok or deep-frying pan, heat the cooking oil to 170 deg C.

14. Deep-fry the spring rolls - up to three at a time - for one to two minutes, until golden brown.

SAUCE INGREDIENTS

• 20g chilli padi
• 40ml thick dark soy sauce
• 20ml tomato ketchup
• 10ml fresh lime juice
• 10g sugar
• Pinch of salt

METHOD

Place all the ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. Keep chilled until ready to serve.

Watch this space next week for another feature on the Asian Culinary Institute and get more details on how you can take part in the Culinary Star Quest.