Shine OnEditor Tested: President’s Choice Jammin’ Jamaican Lobster Bisque
The third season of the CBC show “Recipe to Riches” is underway and with it a new lineup of delicious eats that will be available through select Loblaw banner stores.
The reality cooking competition sees home cooks pitting their beloved family recipes against one another in five categories for the chance to have their recipe turned into a President’s Choice product, plus a cash prize of $25,000 with a chance at a $250,000 cash prize at the show’s finale.
The second episode was a battle for entrée glory and saw Mississauga, ON resident and Canadian Forces member Winslow Taylor’s Jammin’ Jamaican Lobster Bisque take the title of supreme entrée. Each package is 220 mL and retails for $3.99.
Our editors had the opportunity to taste test his winning recipe ahead of the show’s broadcast. Here’s what we thought.
Hilary: As a fan of seafood, I have to say, I was a little skeptical to try this ready-made soup – but I was pleasantly surprised. The bisque had a spicy kick, but it wasn’t too overpowering. However, I didn’t recall getting a “Jamaican” vibe from the blend – it tasted more Indian-inspired to me. This soup would be yummy as an appetizer or even served over rice. Overall rating: 7/10.
Caitlin: Nothing about this appealed to me when it arrived on our desks. The only seafood you’ll catch me eating is battered and deep-fried halibut. I gave this a go though and found it tasted more like an Indian-style curry than the Jamaican-flavoured dish I was expecting. At this price point it was sorely lacking in lobster quantity and would have been better with a side of rice or noodles to add more substance to the dish. Never mind that one bowl contains more than a third (35%!) of your daily recommended intake of sodium. Definitely not a winner for me. Overall rating: 2/10
Gilean: Holy, scotch bonnet! This lobster bisque is not for dainty taste buds – just one spoonful was enough to have me reaching for a sip of water. This Jamaican twist on classic lobster bisque is certainly creative, but the spiciness was masking the overall lack of flavour in the dish. Long-grain rice and chunks of veggies – not to mention a little more lobster -- would give it much more substance and make it a far better value for the price level. Overall rating: 4/10
You can catch “Recipe to Riches” Wednesday nights on CBC. The show will air for five weeks and after all category winners are chosen, Canadians can vote for their favourite recipe online at www.cbc.ca/recipetoriches/ from 8:00 p.m. ET on Wednesday, March 26, to 11:59 p.m. ET on Sunday, March 30. The finale will air April 2.
You can check out our review of episode one’s winning recipe here.
