10th KL's 2014 Cooking Competition: KL State Boys' Brigade

Report by Corporal Nathan Chan of 10th Kuala Lumpur Company

August 23rd, 2014

CHERAS, KUALA LUMPUR - It began with a surprise announcement but a week before. Each squad was to cook a meal consisting of rice and two dishes. As always, planning was to be done within a single week. And so the hectic preparations started.

All too soon, the day arrived. We all gathered in the hall, clustered in our squads. 8 groups of excited aspiring cooks, each ready to boast of their menu. With mess tins and solid fuel in hand, everyone ~~rushed~~ walked to claim the best spot for their adventure.

Though every single person was eager to get started, there were still preparation to be done. Before starting, each mess tin had to be “fireproofed” with toothpaste to prevent burn marks from being permanent. Even with the slabs of solid fuel, it was not easy to start a decent fire.

The rice was easy to cook, but time consuming. The rice had to be soaked in a appropriate amount of water. At first, too little was added, and the rice as almost crunchy. Then we added water, and the rice became porridge.

Next to enter the flame was the fish. Marinated as the rice was cooking, it entered the butter coated aluminum foil coated “pan” (mess tin) with a loud sizzle. Slowly but surely, the fillet began to release a wonderful aroma.

At the same time, the dessert was prepared. We attempted to roast the marshmallows with a candle, but the wind proved too strong - the marshmallows turned black with soot before turning brown. Eventually, we managed to roast them with the stove. Then the chocolate coated biscuits were smashed, as we tried too hard to make s'mores. We scratched the dessert.

Instead, a salad of cabbage, carrots and raisins was dressed with mayonnaise and served in a bowl which floated in some ice water. Time soon ran short, and meal of rice, grilled fish and salad was served. No winner was announced that day, but everybody was satisfied with what they had achieved.

Page Created: 9th September 2014

Last Updated: 9th September 2014