Unleash your Peel foodie hero to win big

For the first time, Peel amateur cooks have the opportunity to showcase the region and its produce in the WA's Signature Dish competition for the chance to cook off in front of celebrity chefs at the Margaret River Gourmet Escape in November.

This year, the competition is spreading its catchment area and wants to know what passionate home chefs think Peel's hero ingredient is.

Peel participants are required to showcase at least one of the following ingredients: Peel sea mullet and sand whiting supplied by Wattsie's Place, Baldivis rabbit supplied by Baldivis Fresh Farm Rabbit, Harvey Beef, Borello Cheese or Linley Valley Pork in a dish.

The "hero" can then be supported by the following produce: fresh WA-grown potatoes, certified organic kale, silverbeet and spring onion supplied by Gin Gin Organics, WA lake salt by Western Salt, Fini Olives, lupin flakes by Lupin Foods, Jean Pierre Sancho baguette centernaire, Jingili olive oil or HaVe Harvey Cheese.

Competition mentor and Redmanna Waterfront Restaurant owner and chef Jason Hutchen believed the region had some of the freshest and tastiest produce on offer and was excited to see what entrants would create.

"Local produce might not be the cheapest but it tastes freshest - our ocean is quite clean and our standards of farming are one of the highest in the world," he said.

"If we don't support our local producers, we could lose them."

Mr Hutchen urged budding chefs not to overcomplicate their dish and make the ingredient "shine" and get Peel on the map.

Eight regional semifinalists will compete in an event at Fraser's Restaurant in Perth in October, with four finalists selected to compete in the grand finale in Margaret River.

The winner of WA's Signature Dish will receive a two-day mentorship with Guillaume Brahimi at his restaurant Bistro Guillaume at Crown Perth.

Entries close on September 21. Visit http://www.wasignature dish.com.au.