Co Down chef Chris McClurg saw his dessert selected for the banquet final of Great British Menu.
This year entrants were tasked to prepare dishes that celebrated 100 years of British broadcasting.
The Hillsborough native, who is chef de cuisine at Paul Ainsworth’s No 6 in Padstow, was "thrilled" to see his creation make it to the final stages of the competition.
Read more: Meet the NI chefs facing off in this series of Great British Menu
Chris said: “The competition is a chance for me to cut my teeth amongst some of the UK’s most talented and established chefs and is a great opportunity to share techniques, ideas and stories with both my peers and the viewers.
"I’m delighted that my love of local produce and Northern Ireland has shone through as part of the experience, and I look forward to the feedback from the banquet tonight.”
One of Chef McClurg’s standout dishes was his Derry Girls inspired dessert which uses Copeland Gin from Donaghadee in his home county.
He continued: "My dessert, Trifle Derry Girls, is born of my love for the show and an episode in particular where Ma Mary borrows Michelle’s Aunt Sarah’s “big bowl”.
"This scene really struck a chord with me when I first saw it as the same was a weekly occurrence in my house growing up. My mum and Aunty Karen were constantly sharing each other’s “big bowls” depending on whose house we were going to for tea.
"When I read the brief and realised it was related to broadcasting, I knew my dessert just had to be a trifle of some sort, and no trifle is more classic than a retro sherry trifle.”
However, adding that certain winning something proved difficult until McClurg remembered Copeland’s Navy Strength– an innovative gin rested in bourbon casks for 120 days giving it a caramel colour and a hint of bourbon flavour.
It is then, as luck for Chris would have it, transferred to Oloroso sherry casks to rest for a further 20 days, enhancing the colour and bringing a touch of spice before it is finally bottled at 57 per cent ABV.
"I was searching high and low for a sherry but what I was trying just weren’t quite right I remembered Gareth mentioned a gin that’s aged in oloroso sherry casks. A quick phone call to Gareth and the residual sherry from the casks used for the gin’s ageing process was on its way to me in Padstow.
"I combined the sherry and the gin to make the jelly, and used some more to soak these incredible moelleux raisins and finally the Trifle Derry Girls was born," he explained.
When it comes to sourcing ingredients, Chris is proud to use ingredients from the island of Ireland.
Chris added: "Being a proud Irish man, it's great to see so many incredible producers like Gareth creating truly special food and drink items on home turf.
"I also used a stunning apple ice wine by Mark Jenkinson at Anum Ull in Co. Meath, and I know first-hand that what Peter Hannan of Hannan Meats is doing with his grass-fed Glenarm Shorthorn is nothing short of excellent and deserves the rave reviews it gets.
“I think it’s really important to remember where you came from and at my roots is a great sense of gratefulness and respect for the world class produce that’s available across Northern Ireland. When it comes to running a restaurant it’s important to have that innate awareness though that hospitality is so much more than just the food on the plate."
"The Irish are great hosts and hospitality is in our blood," he continued.
"People might forget what you cooked for them or made them to drink, but nobody will ever forget how you made them feel.”
Founder of The Copeland Distillery, Gareth Irvine, said: "When Chris originally called us, I got to work straight away to bottle and send him the residual sherry from the casks we use to age our gin.
"I couldn’t say no – not only did I want to do all we could to support him on his Great British Menu journey, but our mums know each other well and I’m a big fan of trifle so I couldn’t say no!
"When he explained the concept of his dessert I was really impressed and could see how our sherry casks would be helpful. Our Navy Strength Gin is inspired by US Navy Captain John Paul Jones's victory in the battle of the Copeland Islands and tells a forgotten tale of this part of the world, bringing to life our coastal heritage once again. In addition, the liquid itself is aged in a truly innovative way and is unlike much else on shelves today.
"We’re really pleased to have been part of Chris’s journey and look forward to him continuing to put local produce on the map.
Tune in to see how banquet-goers enjoy Chris’s dessert tonight at 7.30pm on BBC Two.
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