Passionate about cooking
What makes a young person interested in anything, food, textiles or electronics? In this article we talk to Nick Otley who is 13 and passionate about cooking. He goes to William Farr School, near Lincoln and on a Saturday morning works at the Old Bakery Restaurant in Lincoln preparing salads, breads and prepping for the main courses. Nick recently won the Lincolnshire Sausage & Mash competition in a cook-off final held at Lincoln castle in front of a live audience.
We asked Nick to show us examples of the ingredients he likes to cook with and tell us a little about what inspires him.
What foods have you chosen?
Lincolnshire Cottage Pie, Two Counties Toad in the Hole, South Western Fried Corn
Why did you choose them?
I chose the Lincolnshire Cottage Pie because this is my own recipe which is a variation of a classic recipe. It uses local Lincolnshire ingredients and sausage meat instead of beef. The heavy sage flavour in the Lincolnshire sausage goes really well with the garlic mash which uses slow roasted garlic cloves and natural Greek yogurt to make it really smooth and creamy, but still low in fat.
I chose the Two Counties Toad in the Hole because I created it from researching where Yorkshire Pudding came from. I used the oldest known recipe for Yorkshire Pudding as a guideline and then created a variation of it using Lincolnshire sausage with the Yorkshire Pudding, which is why it is called Two Counties.
The South Western Fried Corn has American influence and combines streaky English bacon with fried loose frozen sweet corn, diced onion, and lots of chilli powder, paprika, pepper and parsley. It goes great with meat especially a BBQ.
Nick does work experience at the Old Bakery in Lincoln on a Saturday morning. What types of preparation and cooking do you do at the Old Bakery restaurant?
I do mainly salads and prepping for the main courses. I do make bread when I’m there: brown and white and flat bread. I also love to make desserts, they are very creative at the Old Bakery.
What are your favourite foods at the moment?
I like to try new foods all the time and I am really adventurous but I love Italian food and I am mad on King prawns!
You have a younger sister. What’s her favourite food and do you cook for her?
She really likes Prawns Pil Pil which is a Spanish prawn dish with lots of garlic. She ate that everywhere when we went in Spain! My sister and I usually cook together rather than me cook for her. She likes to be involved.
Which chef do you most admire?
I really like Jamie Oliver. Ivano De Serio, the Head Chef at the Old Bakery is my favourite. He’s Italian and prepares some amazing dishes in the restaurant like slow roasted pork with stir fried garlic potato, smoked pancetta cream and apple & plum jam.
What’s the best thing you have ever cooked?
My Dad and I and my sister got together in the kitchen one day and made our own Jamaican Curry that was chicken on the bone with grilled plantains and rice & peas. It was a hit with the family and everyone loved it. We slow cooked it for the entire day. You didn’t need a knife and fork to eat it because the chicken just dropped off the bone. It was great.
What’s your most treasured possession?
After I came up with my Two Counties toad in the hole recipe and mentioned on the radio that it was inspired by the oldest known recipe from the 1700’s - the radio station got a call from an elderly lady who had the original cookbook in her possession which had the recipe in it! She invited us over and gave me the book! It was very emotional because she had the book in her family for generations. I keep it very safe.
If you had 2 wishes what would they be?
To be Britain’s youngest celebrity chef and inspire other kids my age to get creative in the kitchen.
To help to make people with disabilities aware that they can still get involved in cooking or anything else they want to do and go for their dreams.
You’ve won a cookery competition recently, what did that feel like?
Winning the Lincolnshire sausage & mash competition was very exciting but I was very nervous cooking in front of a live audience and renowned Chef & Judge - Pierre Koffman.
Nick isn’t just your ordinary 13 year old who loves cooking. He was diagnosed with a brain tumour when he was 11 but was determined to follow his dream and become a chef. He has no sight in his right eye and only 20% vision in his left eye but this hasn’t stopped his progress and love of cooking.
His job at the Old Bakery came about when his dad asked owner Alan Ritson if he could give Nick some work experience there. Alan and Head Chef Ivano De Serio gave Nick the opportunity to work in the kitchens and learn from the experts. The Old Bakery is multi-award winning 4 star Silver and 2 AA Rosette restaurant in Lincoln. Head Chef Ivano says “Nick has a passion for cooking and he is a very hard worker. He puts his best into everything he does and seems to have a flair for cooking”
Nick’s cancer is rare - there has only been one other person in Britain with the same condition. When his tumour was diagnosed he had brain surgery but they were unable to remove the tumour. He then had chemotherapy and radiotherapy which shrunk the tumour and since then it has not grown back. It left him diabetic and needing daily hormone injections. Nick uses a white symbol cane to help him get around but none of these things have stopped Nick from starting to realize his ambition of going to college, university and then going on to be a top chef in a restaurant. He recently received a Young Achievers Award.
Active Kids Get Cooking 2009