In quiet Hinterthurgau, 50-year-old Irma Schatt cooks three convincing courses for her six fellow contestants. With her exceptional menu, she prevailed against strong competitors.
Isabelle Kamber from Laupersdorf SO took second place, followed by Miriam Knechtle from Enggenhütten AI. The country women evaluate each menu based on seasonality, regionality, presentation, taste and creativity – and Irma was able to impress with all of these elements.
“I want to cook something that no one expects.”
The starter consisted of a fresh salad that Irma had harvested directly from the raised bed on her terrace and a white wine soup with saffron, which was a real hit. “The soup was really great, but I couldn’t have said what was in it,” comments fellow contestant Monika with a laugh.
All the rural women expected that Irma would serve beef from her farm – after all, she has 38 cows there.
But Irma surprised with a game dish: saddle of venison marinated in cognac, thyme, juniper, pepper, red wine and butter. “I wanted to cook something that not everyone makes,” says Irma. It is also not a typical autumn dish, as hunting in Thurgau begins in May.
Daughter Sarah and husband Urs help diligently
She left the presentation of the menu to her youngest daughter Sarah, who set the pace for the serving with creativity and skill. “We don’t always agree, but I can learn a lot from her,” Sarah praised her mother.