Chef Anthony Miller, at work on a cliff in Saltstraumen, Norway, plays for the camera while toiling away in sub-zero temperatures. - Photo by Robert Lalah

Neither rain, nor snow, nor sleet, nor hail can slow chefs Anthony Miller and Colin Hylton down when they're fixing to prepare a meal.

Miller, the culinary master of Couples Swept Away in Negril, was in Norway last week with Hylton of St Andrew's Guilt Trip, as part of their prize package for winning the Seafood from Norway Culinary Challenge 2009.

The trip involved tours of fish farms and processing plants all across Norway, which currently exports about 80 per cent of the saithe fish (popularly known as saltfish) to Jamaica.

But, being the consummate professionals, the duo would not leave Norway without first preparing a feast for their hosts.

So, on a frigid, rainy day on a cliff in a village called Saltstraumen, the two fired up a grill and got to work. It's important to note that there was no shelter on that cliff, so Miller and Hylton were forced to take the elements head-on. The goal, to prepare a mouth-watering meal of freshly caught cod simmered in a light beer and champagne sauce with flavourful cous-cous with apricots and fresh veggies on the side.

Strongest tidal current

The chefs had, that morning, spent a couple hours at sea fishing for the cod, so it was as fresh as you could get. The fishing experience is something the two will not soon forget.

"It was really scary at times. There was a whirlpool near to us and we aren't that experienced with boats, so we were worried that something might go wrong but, in the end, it turned out OK," said Hylton.

Saltsraumen is known for having the world's strongest tidal current, which occurs every six hours, so their fears were no joke. But, despite that, the two toughed it out like true Jamaicans and got their catch, cleaned it and then started doing what they do best.

You could see Hylton and Miller's eyes light up as they got to work. It was like the cold had disappeared and the icy rain blowing in their faces was only a lukewarm mist as they sliced, diced and sautéed their way into history (we made no official checks, but we're pretty sure no other Jamaican chefs have cooked on that island in the freezing rain in Norway).

At the end, even though the weather didn't allow the meal to stay hot very long, the feast was specta-cular. It was like you had stepped into grandma's kitchen when the smell of the peppers, spices and coconut milk took hold of you.

Lifetime opportunity

Later, the two champion chefs reflected on the experience.

"Man, at first we were thinking that it was crazy to be out here in the cold doing this, but as we got into it, our love for cooking just took us over and at the end we're really proud. I mean, how many people can say they've done what we've done?" said Miller.

"It really is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and we think we did really well. The fish was as fresh as you'll ever find. It was just breaking apart on the grill. A fantastic experience," added Hylton.

It's hard to disagree with the men. After all, you would never have been able to tell that they were from the tropics as the chefs gleefully made their way around the makeshift kitchen in sub-zero conditions. It was all worth it as the two created a masterpiece and all present dined like kings in the land of Vikings, trolls and the midnight sun.

(Read the Food section next week for recipes and send us your favourite recipe and win cookbooks courtesy of the Norwegian Seafood Export Council).

Chef Colin Hylton's cod with citrus sauce.

Chef Anthony Miller's poached cod infused with aromatics, surrounded by other tempting fish dishes. - Contributed

Colin Hylton shops for fresh fruits to include in the meal. - Photo by Robert Lalah