Four teams, representing the NSW Police Shoalhaven Local Area Command, Aunty Jean’s Chronic Care Program, Shoalhaven Jarmbies, the local Aboriginal men’s group and Waminda took part in the third annual challenge.

Hosted by the Heart Foundation, the aim of the cook-off was to find the best cooks on the coast.

Heart Foundation regional health project co-ordinator Andy Mark said each team randomly drew a bag which had all the ingredients and recipes they had to cook.

“We still run cooking programs with Aboriginal communities in the Illawarra-Shoalhaven, and we have lots of people saying we can cook better than you guys, or our pipi curry is the best curry,” he said.

“So we developed a cookbook, Flavours Of the Coast, with the input of the local community members and put on the cook-off as a way to see who is the best.

“It is fierce competition but also lots of fun. It’s also a great opportunity for people to come together.

“The NAIDOC Week event in the Shoalhaven is always a fantastic day.

“There are always big crowds. It is one of the biggest NAIDOCs of the region and it is great to see so many organisations and people here for NAIDOC to celebrate Aboriginal culture.”

Local elders judged the final results and for the record the boys and girl in blue from the Shoalhaven Local Area Command claimed the win with their abalone stir fry and salt and pepper squid.

In a mouth-watering experience, the Waminda team cooked Australian salmon fishcakes, Aunty Jean’s Chronic Care Program a kangaroo red curry and the Shoalhaven Jarmbies created curry jambalaya.