The search begins to find the Young Scottish Seafood Chef of the Year

The competition is in its second year and has been organised as part of a wider package of measures designed to encourage greater domestic consumption of Scottish seafood. Chefs must submit recipes for two portions of a starter and a main dish, using aquaculture species for one course (salmon, Gigha halibut and mussels) and wild caught for the other course (mackerel, haddock, langoustine). Judges will be looking for competitors to show imagination in their choice of recipe ingredients, for use of seasonal Scottish produce, and for skill in preparation, cooking and presentation. The recipes will be paper judged by a panel from the Federation of Chefs Scotland, who will choose six finalists to take part in a cook-off at the end of June. To give finalists a greater understanding of the seafood industry, they will be invited to join a trip to the northeast of Scotland, to experience markets, vessels and processors in action. Prizes for the winner include a specially commissioned trophy; a visit to Lyons in January 2011 to attend the final of the Bocuse d'Or competition – a cook off between the world's greatest chefs, which is featuring Scottish crab, monkfish and langoustine; a week's work experience at Ondine under the tutelage of top seafood chef Roy Brett; plus the opportunity to cook the winning dishes at a Ministerial dinner. The deadline for submission of entries is Friday 30th April, and full details and an entry form can be downloaded from the SFS website, www.seafoodscotland.org or from the Federation of Chefs Scotland website, www.scottishchefs.com. Rural Affairs and Environment Secretary Richard Lochhead said: "Last year's Young Seafood Chef of the Year attracted significant interest from all over Scotland. The competition forms part of our campaign to get more people eating fish as part of a balanced diet – it's tasty, sustainable and delivers major health benefits. "The competition also recognises and encourages the skill, talent and innovation which we have in our hospitality sector. Our restaurants, hotels and cafes are an integral part of our drive to further improve our international reputation as a land of food and drink."