Recipe Inspiration

Here are some classic South African recipe using some of the products found on our website.  If you would like to be featured on our website by contributing one of your favourite recipes please email us at: info@africanmarketplace.sg

Curried Green Beans

Recipe courtesy Crush Magazine Online

1 kg green beans
2 large onions
¼ C (60 ml) brown sugar
1 tsp (5 ml) salt
2 Tbsp (30 ml) strong curry powder
2 tsp (10 ml) turmeric
2 Tbsp (30 ml) corn flour
a pinch of cumin powder
2 ¾ C (690 ml) white wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar
5 curry leaves
3 – 4 dried chillies
½ C (125 ml) chutney
optional: star anise

Wash and cut the green beans into pieces. Slice the onions into rings.
Place a large saucepan over a medium heat. Add the beans and onions and fill with just enough water to cover. Bring to a simmer and cook for 5 minutes.
Combine the sugar, salt, curry powder, turmeric, cornstarch, and cumin in a separate bowl. Gently add in the vinegar and stir until smooth.
Add this mixture to the beans and onions. Stirring occasionally, cook for a further 5 minutes, and then add the curry leaves, dried chillies and chutney.
Pour into a large sterilised jar. Will keep refrigerated for up to 2 weeks.

Peanut Butter Mallow Egg Cups

Recipe courtesy beacon.co.za

4 slabs (320g) Dark Chocolate
½ cup (125ml) peanut butter
1 Tbsp (15ml) butter, softened
⅓ cup (80ml) icing sugar, sifted
6 mmmMallow Eggs, halved

Melt chocolate over a double boiler on the stove or in a microwave until smooth.
Pour 2 Tbsp (30ml) chocolate into the bases of 12 silicone cupcake moulds. Chill until set.
Whisk peanut butter, butter and icing sugar together until smooth and slightly stiff.
Place 1 Tbsp (15ml) peanut butter mixture in the centre of each chocolate cup, leaving room around the edges.
Pour melted chocolate around the edges, making sure not to cover the peanut butter mixture and leaving some chocolate for the top. Chill until set.
Place egg halves on top of peanut butter mixture and cover with remaining chocolate.
Refrigerate until set and serve.

Air fryer malva pudding with butterscotch sauce

Recipe courtesy food24.com

For the sauce:
375 ml cream
125 g butter
250 ml dark brown sugar
1 ml salt
15 ml Apricot Jam
For the malva pudding:
30 g butter
100 ml dark brown sugar
45 ml Apricot Jam
1 egg
5 ml bicarbonate of soda
125 ml milk
250 ml cake flour
1 ml salt
20 ml vinegar
For the custard
30 ml Vanilla Custard Powder
30 ml sugar
500 ml milk
To make the sauce, place the cream, butter, sugar, salt and Rhodes Quality Apricot Jam in a medium saucepan.
Stirring continually over a high heat, bring the sauce to the boil.
Reduce the heat and simmer for two minutes.
Remove from the heat and keep warm.
Cream the butter and the sugar together until the butter is pale and soft.
Beat in the Apricot Jam.
Beat in the egg.
Dissolve the bicarbonate of soda into the milk.
Sift the cake flour and the salt together and add to the batter, alternating with the milk.
Beat in the vinegar.
Spoon the batter into an air fryer suitable pudding bowl/s that have been sprayed with non-stick spray.
Pour half of the sauce over the batter.
Pre-heat the air fryer on bake to 170°C and bake the pudding for 30 minutes.
Remove from the air fryer and pour over the remaining sauce a little at a time until all the sauce is absorbed by the hot pudding.
To prepare the custard, mix Vanilla Custard powder, sugar and 45 ml (3 Tbsp.) of the milk together.
Bring the remaining milk to the boil in a saucepan.
Pour the custard mix into boiling milk, stirring well until thickened.
Serve the malva pudding warm with the custard

Roosterkoek with Chipotle Butter

Recipe courtesy taste.co.za

Wine Pairing: Warwick First Lady Cabernet Sauvignon

- For the chipotle butter:
100 g butter
Whole dried chipotle
4 T peppers (soaked in boiling water) chopped
2 T coriander, roughly chopped
1 garlic clove, roasted, peeled and bashed
- For the roosterkoek
2 t sugar
150 g flour
Salt a pinch
4 t oil
5 T lukewarm water
1 t instant yeast
To make the chipotle butter, mix all the ingredients and shape the butter into a cylinder. Wrap in clingfilm and secure on both ends. Chill to set.
To make the roosterkoek, mix the yeast and sugar in a small cup and allow to stand until it starts to foam, about 5 minutes.
Mix the flour and salt in a large mixing bowl. Add the oil, water and yeast mixture and mix.
Transfer the mixture to a clean surface and knead for 10–15 minutes, or until elastic. Shape the dough into a ball and place in a greased bowl. Cover with clingfilm and place in a warm spot until doubled in size. This usually takes an hour.
Knock down the dough, roll out and cut into 6–8 equal-sized rounds. Place on a lightly floured tray and gently flatten with your hands. Cover with clingfilm and set aside until doubled in size once more. This takes about 10–15 minutes.
Cook over hot coals for 8–10 minutes on each side. The roosterkoek should sound hollow when tapped. Serve with chipotle butter.

Chakalaka chicken tortillas with fresh slaw

Recipe courtesy food24.com

Wine Pairing: Ernie Els Big Easy Cabernet Sauvignon Rosé

Chakalaka

For the shredded chicken
15 ml olive oil
1 onion — finely chopped
4 garlic cloves — sliced
15 ml tomato paste
5 ml cumin
15 ml paprika
15 ml chipotle spice — optional
400 g tin chopped tomatoes
375 ml water
50 g Chakalaka soup powder
3 cup chicken — cooked and shredded
1 lemon — juiced
2.5 ml  black pepper — or to taste
For the slaw
2 corn cobs
1 cup red cabbage — shredded
3 carrots
50 ml mayonnaise
15 ml lemon juice
To serve
4 large tortillas — or 8 small
1 avocado — sliced

Heat the olive oil in a pot over a medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and sauté until soft. Add the tomato paste, Cumin, Paprika and (optional) chipotle spice. Sauté for a further minute.
Stir in the chopped tomatoes, water and the contents of the sachet of Knorr Chakalaka Soup. Bring to the boil, then turn down the heat and simmer for 15 minutes. Add the shredded chicken and simmer for a further five minutes.
Season to taste with lemon juice and  Black Pepper.
Now make the slaw. Brush the cobs of corn lightly with oil and cook them under a hot grill or in a frying pan until they are tender and lightly charred all over. Cut the kernels off the cobs and place them in a bowl. Add the cabbage, carrots, mayonnaise and lemon juice, and mix well.
To assemble the dish, place the tortillas on a flat surface. Top each one with a spoonful of the chicken tinga, followed by the slaw and slices of avocado. Fold the tortillas in half and serve immediately.

Grilled Zucchini and Corn Salad

Recipe courtesy whatsfordinner.co.za

Wine Pairing: TSW Trizanne Signature Wines Sauvignon Blanc

For the marinade:
80 ml (1 cup) olive oil
60 ml balsamic vinegar
45 ml Dijon Mustard
45 ml honey
15 ml of  Garlic and Herb Seasoning
2.5 ml Black Pepper
For the salad:
250 g of courgettes (zucchini), sliced long ways
250 g of green beans
3 cobs of corn
2 feta rounds, crumbled
250 g of rocket
2 avocados, peeled, seeded and cut into quarters
juice of half a lemon
1 ml Black Pepper
250 ml (1 cup)  Salad Dressing for serving

Combine all the marinade ingredients in a bowl and whisk until smooth.
Place the zucchini, corn and green beans in a large container and pour the marinade over the vegetables. Then gently toss the vegetables to coat with the marinade.
Allow the vegetables to marinate for at least 30 minutes.
Preheat your grill pan to medium heat.
Then grill your vegetables in batches, for 3 - 4 minutes on each side
Slice corn off the cob.
Assemble the salad with the rest of the ingredients, season with Black Pepper and squeeze over fresh lemon juice.

South African Trifle with Amarula

Recipe Courtesy thesouthafrican.com

Wine Pairing: Krone Rose Cuvée Brut 2018


150 ml Amarula Cream Liqueur
250 ml fresh cream
1 packet Boudoir biscuits
1 tin caramel treat (filling and topping)
2 packets jelly powder (different flavours)
fresh fruit of your choice
chopped nuts
1 – 1½ liter custard
Prepare the jelly according to package instructions and allow to set.
Place the boudoir biscuits at the bottom of a deep glass bowl.
Moisten the boudoir biscuits with the Amarula Cream Liqueur.
Spread the Caramel Treat over the biscuits.
Chop up the jelly and add over the caramel-spread biscuits.
Add the fruit and then the custard.
Keep layering until you’ve used all the ingredients.
Cover with whipped cream and decorate with nuts.

Cape Malay Sosaties

Recipe Courtesy crushmag-online.com

Wine Pairing: Thelema Merlot

3 Tbsp (45 ml) butter
3 large onions, sliced
3 Tbsp (45 ml) curry powder
3 Tbsp (45 ml) whole coriander seeds
3 whole all spice
3 Tbsp (45ml) soft brown sugar
Juice of 3 lemons
1 ½ C (375 ml) brown vinegar or tamarind water*
1.5 kg leg of lamb, cut into 5 cm blocks
24 dried peaches or apricots, soaked in warm water
24 fresh lemon leaves
salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
12 bamboo skewers, soaked in water
Heat a large saucepan to medium heat. Melt the butter and fry the onions until soft. Add the curry powder, coriander seeds and all spice. Fry until fragrant. Add the soft brown sugar and fry for another 3 minutes, whilst the sugar caramelises. Add the lemon juice and the vinegar or tamarind water. Simmer for 15 minutes.
Allow to cool.
In the mean time, prepare the meat, removing any sinew and bone. Leave as much fat as you prefer. Skewer the meat, alternating with peaches or apricots and fresh lemon leaves. Season to taste and arrange in one layer preferably, in a glass, plastic or ceramic container.
Once the marinade has cooled, pour over the meat. Marinate in the fridge overnight, turning two or three times. Leave in the marinade up to 3 days for the best flavour. The sosaties also freeze well, uncooked and in the marinade.
Allow to thaw if frozen, and bring to room temperature before braaiing. Braai over moderate coals for about 20 minutes – the meat should be browned on the outside and slightly pink in the middle.
*to make tamarind water, soak 100 g compressed tamarind in 2 C (500 ml) warm water. Once soft, strain through a sieve to remove all of the fibres and seeds.

Granadilla (Passionfruit) Fridge Tart

Wine Paring: Graham Beck Brut NV

1 packet Marie Biscuits / Tennis biscuits / Digestive biscuits
1 packet Lemon Jelly
2 Tins Granadilla Pulp or fresh pulp
125g Butter, melted
1 tin Condensed Milk

Crush the biscuits and mix with the butter. Press this into an 8” pie plate. Mix one packet lemon jelly with 3/4 cup boiling water. Stir well. Add 2 tins granadilla pulp, stir in well, add 1 tin condensed milk and mix well. Pour onto the biscuit biscuit base and chill until set. Serve with fresh cream or a drizzle of granadilla pulp

Chicken Livers with ibhisto

Recipe Courtesy taste.co.za

Wine Pairing: TSW Trizanne Signature Wines Syrah

200 g vine tomatoes
olive oil, for drizzling
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
250 g chicken livers
100 g flour
1 T toasted coriander seeds, crushed
1 T chilli flakes
1 chilli, seeded
1 lemon, zested and juiced
3 T canola oil
2 large onions, finely chopped
3 T butter
½ cup chicken stock
1 x 400 g can chopped tomatoes
3 cloves garlic, crushed
bread, for serving

Preheat the oven to 180°C. Drizzle the tomatoes with olive oil and roast for 20 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
Pat dry the chicken livers using kitchen paper and season with fine salt.
Place the flour, coriander seeds, chilli flakes, chilli, lemon zest and juice and salt in a bowl and mix. Coat the chicken livers in the spiced flour.
Heat the canola oil in a pan over a medium heat, then add the onions and cook until caramelised. In a separate pan, heat the butter and fry the chicken livers until golden brown. Turn the livers and add the chicken stock, onions, tomatoes and garlic. Toss and cook for 10 minutes covered.
Serve with the roast vine tomatoes and bread.

Creamed spinach stuffed butternut squash

Recipe Courtesy taste.co.za

Wine Pairing: Leopard's Leap Unwooded Chardonnay

Spinach and butternut squash are two vegetables that are widely served in South Africa. Most chain restaurants serve these two as their vegetable side dish options

2 butternut squash halved
2 tsp salt
1 cup boiling water
For the creamed spinach
1 onion finely chopped
2 garlic cloves crushed
750 g (1½lbs) baby spinach washed
2 tbsp flour
1 cup milk
½ cup cream
salt and pepper to taste
½ cup mozzarella cheese grated
4 tbsp grated Parmesan cheese

Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F.
Place the halved butternut squash into a deep roasting pan then season with the salt.
Pour the boiling water into the pan and cover with foil.
Place in the oven and allow to roast for 30-45 minutes until soft. Once roasted, scoop out the seeds and some of the flesh. Set aside.
While the butternut is roasting, make the creamed spinach. Saute the onion and garlic in 2 tsp of olive oil until soft and translucent.
Add the spinach and cook until wilted then add the flour and stir into the spinach. Pour in the milk and stir until the sauce is smooth then add the cream. Allow to simmer gently for 7-10 minutes or until the sauce is thick and smooth. Season to taste and remove from the heat. Allow to cool for 10-15 minutes before adding the mozzarella cheese.
Once the butternut is roasted, spoon the creamed spinach into the hollows of each butternut and top with Parmesan cheese.
Place back in the oven and allow to cook until the tops are golden brown, approximately 10 minutes.

Jan Braai’s curry mince braaibroodjie

Recipe Courtesy Jan Braai

Wine Pairing: Warwick The First Lady Cabernet Sauvignon


6 slices of bread
butter — or olive oil, for assembling the braaibroodjies
25 ml olive oil
1 onion — chopped
500 g lean beef mince
1 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper
25 ml medium curry powder
50 g tomato paste
25 ml smooth apricot jam
240 g white cheddar — sliced or grated
In a potjie or pan, fry the onion in 25ml of olive oil for a few minutes.

Add the beef mince and garlic, season with salt and pepper, and fry until the meat is cooked and browned. Use a wooden spoon to break up any lumps of meat.
Now add the curry powder, tomato paste and apricot jam, and continue to stir and fry until you’re happy with what you see, at which point you can remove the potjie or pan from the heat. If you overcooked it and the mince is dry to the point of burning, add a dash of water, wine or beer.
Build the braaibroodjies: Spread butter or olive oil on one side of each slice of bread (these sides will be outward-facing in the assembled braaibroodjie). Pack half these slices buttered-side down and evenly distribute the curry mince and then the grated cheese on these. Close the braaibroodjies with the remaining bread slices, buttered sides facing upwards.
“Braaibroodjies is draaibroodjies” – Braaibroodjies should be turned often and are braaied in a closed, hinged grid. If you don’t have one, buy one – preferably with adjustable heights to compress each unit perfectly. You want medium-paced, gentle heat and the grid should be relatively high.
Your aim is for the cheese to be melted and all other fillings to be completely heated by the time the outsides are golden brown. 

Warm Marmite Cake

Recipe Courtesy snowflake.co.za

Wine Pairing: Diemersfontein Pinotage

A true South African Favourite

125ml (100 g) sugar
250ml (140 g) cake flour
10ml baking powder
2ml salt
125ml milk
30ml butter or margarine
2 extra-large eggs

Topping
60g butter or margarine
45ml Marmite
60ml (25 g) finely grated cheddar cheese

Beat eggs and sugar together until light and creamy.
Sift flour, baking powder and salt together and fold into egg mixture.
Heat milk and butter in a small, heavy-based saucepan. DO not boil; stir until butter is melted. Remove from heat and stir mixture into batter.
Spoon mixture into a greased 23 cm ovenproof tart dish. Bake in a preheated oven at 180 °C for about 40 minutes, or until done. Remove cake from oven. Prick with a fork.
Topping: Melt butter and Marmite together in the microwave and pour over warm cake. Sprinkle with grated cheese and serve warm.

Souskluitjies with guava compote

Recipe Courtesy taste.co.za

One of the most traditional of West Coast desserts, souskluitjies or dumplings can be made quickly and cheaply and taste delicious when topped with any sweet, sticky compote made with seasonal fruit

For the souskluitjies:
250 ml cake flour
10 ml baking powder
2 ml fine salt
15 ml cold butter
1 egg
125 ml milk
750 ml water
For the guava compote:
6 fresh guavas, peeled and halved
100 g sugar
125 ml water

To make the dumplings, combine the flour, baking powder and salt. Using your fingers, rub the butter into the flour until it resembles breadcrumbs.
Beat the egg into the milk and combine with the flour mixture to make a batter.
In a large pot, heat the water with a pinch of salt. Once boiling, drop spoonfuls of batter into the water. Cover the pot with its lid and boil rapidly for 10 minutes. Spoon the cooked dumplings into a warmed dish until ready to serve.
To make the compote, combine the guava halves, sugar and water in a saucepan. Cook the mixture on high heat until the sugar has dissolved and the fruit has broken down into a thick sauce. Leave the compote to cool slightly.
Serve the souskluitjies in warmed bowls, topped with a drizzle of cream, a spoonful of guava compote and a sprinkling of brown sugar

Creamy Biltong, Mushroom & Truffle Tagliatelle

Wine Paring: Groot Constantia Pinotage

1 grated garlic,
350g assorted mushrooms (chanterelle, oyster, button, chestnut etc)
3 tbsp butter
one tsp chopped fresh thyme
50g  Beef biltong 
1 tsp truffle oil
50g fresh Parmesan
100ml white wine
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

Boil water for pasta in a pot
Place pasta in boiling water with salted water
In a pan, heat up butter and sauté mushrooms for 1-2 mins
Add in garlic for 30 seconds, then white wine and a pinch of salt
Drain pasta once ready and reserve some pasta water
Place pasta into pan with mushroom and stir for 1 min
Add a few tbsp of pasta water to the pan to make sauce thick and creamy
Scatter biltong into pan and stir. Then sprinkle thyme and Parmesan on top
Drizzle extra virgin olive oil and truffle oil on top. Add more biltong to your liking

Beer-braised lamb shanks with mieliepap

Recipe Courtesy delicious.com.au

Wine Pairing: Diemersdal Pinotage


1/4 cup (60ml) sunflower oil
4 French-trimmed lamb shanks
1 carrot, chopped
1 onion, chopped
1 celery stalk, chopped
3 garlic cloves, chopped
1 tablespoon chopped thyme
1 tablespoon chopped rosemary
1 bay leaf
1 tablespoon plain flour
1 1/3 cups (330ml) South African Beer
1 cup (250ml) Massel beef stock
2 cups maize meal (see notes)
1/2 cup (125ml) milk
100g unsalted butter, chopped
250g Swiss brown mushrooms, halved
Flat-leaf parsley leaves, to serve

Preheat oven to 140°C. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a roasting pan over medium-high heat. Season lamb, then cook, turning, for 8-10 minutes until browned. Remove from pan.
Add carrot, onion and celery, then cook, stirring, for 3-4 minutes until softened. Add the garlic, thyme, rosemary and bay, then cook for a further 2 minutes or until fragrant. Add flour and cook for 1 minute, then add the beer, scraping the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon. Add stock and bring to a simmer. Return lamb shanks to the pan, then cover with baking paper and foil. Cook in the oven for 2 hours or until tender.
Meanwhile, to make the mieliepap, bring 1L (4 cups) water to the boil in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Add maize meal in a slow steady stream, then reduce heat to low and cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute or until smooth. Cover and cook for 30 minutes – add a little water if too dry. Stir in milk and 75g butter, then season and remove from heat.
Place the remaining 1 tablespoon oil and 25g butter in a frypan over medium-high heat. Add mushroom and cook for 3-4 minutes until golden. Remove from heat.
Transfer lamb to a plate and cover with foil, then strain the liquid into a clean saucepan over medium heat. Cook for 4-5 minutes until reduced by half. Remove from heat and stir in mushroom.
Serve the lamb and mieliepap with the mushroom sauce and garnish with parsley.

Brunchies (aka Breakfast Bars)

Recipe Courtesy taste.co.za

225 g cashews and almonds, chopped
150 g desiccated coconut
3 medium bananas, mashed
10 dates, pitted and finely chopped
½ t bicarbonate of soda
45 g rolled oats
1 T fresh turmeric, grated
For the yoghurt-and-honey drizzle, mix:
½ cup plain yoghurt
2 T honey

Preheat the oven to 180°C and grease a 20 x 20 cm baking tray.
In a large bowl, combine all the ingredients, transfer to the baking tray and press down gently.
Bake for 25 minutes, then allow to cool. Drizzle with the yoghurt mixture and cut into bars before serving.

Braaied tomato-and-bulgur wheat salad

Recipe Courtesy taste.co.za

Wine Pairing: Hamilton Russel Chardonnay

Add a shake or two of  red wine vinegar or white balsamic condiment to the dressing if you like. This salad is delicious served with dollops of plain yoghurt and or crumbled feta and a leg of lamb or crispy lamb chops on the braai
3 whole red and yellow peppers
8 tomatoes, halved
¼ cup olive oil
1 T Woolworths harissa spice (or paprika or steak spice)
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
150 g Woolworths bulgur wheat, uncooked
1 large red onion, thinly sliced
fresh herbs, to garnish
For the dressing, blend:
3 baby spring onions, chopped
1 clove garlic
½ lemon, juiced
3 T olive oil
20 g soft herbs (such as mint, basil or parsley), chopped
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
2 – 3 T water
Bring 2 cups salted water to the boil, add the bulgur wheat and cook for 8–10 minutes until tender, then drain to cool.
Light a braai and, when the coals have started to form, place the whole peppers and the halved tomatoes on the grid to slowly scorch and char, until blackened – don’t be alarmed this adds flavour. They should just give when moved with the tongs but not collapse completely.
Mix the olive oil and harissa spice. Place the warm tomatoes in a large bowl and pour over the oil mixture and marinate while you complete the salad. Place the peppers in a Ziploc bag and seal. Sweat for 10 minutes, then peel off the skin and remove the stem and seeds. Add the peppers to the tomatoes and toss.
Blend the dressing ingredients, adding water to loosen and season to taste.
Add the bulgur wheat to the tomatoes and peppers, toss and serve topped with red onion and the dressing on the side. Garnish with fresh herbs

The chef-style Kota

Recipe Courtesy taste.co.za

Wine Pairing: Roodeberg Classic Red Blend

Kota or a skhambane is a South African street food sandwich popular in all Provinces of South Africa. "Kota” is an approximation of the word “quarter,” for the quarter of the loaf of bread that is the base of the sandwich.

2 x 700 g loaves white bread, quartered
1 x 410g can  tomato-and-onion braai relish
2 T Peppadews sliced
1 x 200 g punnet  Rosa tomatoes
2 sweet red peppers
3 T  jalapeño atchar
3 T  mango atchar
3 medium everyday potatoes, unpeeled
oil, for deep-frying
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
8 smoked Russian sausages (or sausage of your choice)
2 x 150 g packet  sliced mature Cheddar cheese
2 T butter

Remove the inside of the bread and toast the bread (the soft inner part and the crust) in the oven at 180°C for 5–10 minutes.
Simmer the braai relish, Peppadews and tomatoes in a pan over a medium heat for 10–15 minutes, or until thickened. Add the peppers towards the end of the cooking time with 3-4 minutes to go in the cooking process.
Mix the atchars and set aside.
Slice the potatoes into fingers (the thicker, the better) and heat the oil to 180°C. Deep-fry the potatoes until golden, then drain on kitchen paper and toss in salt and pepper.
Roast the sausages in the oven until the skin is crispy. Slice each one lengthways after roasting.
To assemble the kota, start with one sheet cheese on the bottom of each loaf. Follow with a layer of hot chips, top with the sausage, sauce, more cheese and finally the atchar. Add a small handful of microgreens. Use the bread that you cut out to make a “lid” on the kota just before serving.

Creamy Amarula Dom Pedro

Dom Pedro’s always bring back fond memories of family dinners at Spur! Regardless of nostalgia, this is an absolute winner and will definitely impress friends and family at dinner parties!

3 cups vanilla ice cream
¼ cup Amarula
½ cups heavy whipping cream
Peppermint Crisp for topping

Simply scoop your ice cream into a blender, before adding your Amarula and cream.
Blend well and divide into wine glasses.
Grate your chocolate over the top and serve with a short straw.

Bean and smoked pork soup “bunny chow”

Recipe Courtesy taste.co.za

Wine Pairing: Groot Constantia Rood

2 T olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
2 leeks, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 sticks celery, roughly chopped
4 carrots, peeled and roughly chopped
3 sprigs thyme
400 g pork rashers, halved
4 bay leaves
1 T tomato paste
2 T Worcester sauce
4 cups beef stock
1 x 400 g borlotti beans can, drained
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 loaf fresh sourdough bread, hollowed
¼ cup Parmesan grated

Gently fry the onion and leeks in the olive oil until translucent and golden brown. Increase the heat and add the garlic, celery, carrots, thyme and pork rashers. Cook for 5 minutes, or until the pork rashers have coloured.
Add the bay leaves and tomato paste and cook for 1 minute. Add the Worcester sauce and beef stock. Bring to the boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook for 30 minutes or until the pork pulls apart. Add the borlotti beans for the last 5 minutes of cooking time.
Toast the bread in a preheated oven for 5 minutes until slightly golden. Fill with the bean-and-pork soup and sprinkle over the Parmesan.

Papizza

Recipe Courtesy taste.co.za

What on earth is a papizza? It's celebrity chef Siba Mtongana's South African take on an Italian classic: she's replaced the pizza base with pap and added an array of gourmet toppings

Wine Pairing: Vrede en Lust Rose

750 ml water
Salt a pinch
350 g maize meal
1-2 T butter
200 g basil pesto, feta and sundried tomato dip
2 T sweet chilli sauce
225 g chorizo, sliced
½ red onion, sliced
150 g Tenderstem broccoli, blanched
Parmesan, shaved
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Preheat the oven to 220°C.
In a medium-sized saucepan, bring the water and salt to a rapid boil. Add half the maize meal, reduce the heat to medium and cook, covered, for 8 minutes.
Stir the mixture and add the remaining maize meal, a little at a time, stirring and beating it against the sides of the saucepan with the back of the wooden spoon. This should take about 5 minutes.
Reduce the heat further, cover and cook for 10 to 15 minutes. Add the butter and mix. Cool slightly.
Flatten the cooled pap into a pizza pan, creating a thin base. Mix the sundried tomato and feta part of the dip with the sweet chilli sauce and spread over the pap base.
Scatter over the chorizo, onion, broccoli, a spoonful of the basil pesto and the Parmesan.
Season to taste and bake for 10 minutes, or until the cheese has melted. Serve warm.

Telefoon pudding

This is quite a common Afrikaans dessert, and it comes from the days when people had party lines that were connected through the ‘sentrale’ phone system in the platteland, when the recipe would be passed on ‘over the phone’ from cook to cook. A true communal recipe!”

2 T butter
200 g sugar
1 free-range egg
180 g flour
1/2 cup milk
1 t ground ginger
1 t ground mixed spice
1 t ground cinnamon
1 t bicarbonate of soda
1 T apricot jam

Preheat the oven to 180°C. Cream together the butter and sugar. Add the egg, then add the remaining ingredients.
2. Place 3 cups boiling water and 300 g sugar in a 23 x 30 cm ovenproof dish.
Stir until melted.
3. Pour the pudding mixture into the liquid – do not stir. Bake for 1 hour.
4. Serve with custard or butterscotch sauce.

Atchar Malay chicken with tagliatelle

Recipe Courtesy taste.co.za

Wine Pairing: Fat Bastard Chardonnay

500 g dried tagliatelle
100 g butter
½ x 200 g jar atchar
280 g punnets sliced butter-basted, oven-roasted sliced chicken breast
torn coriander, for serving

Cook the  dried tagliatelle in salted boiling water until al dente, then drain. Melt the butter until foamy and just brown, add the atchar to the butter and toss through the butter-basted, oven-roasted sliced chicken breast. Fold through the pasta. Serve at room temperature with torn coriander and season to taste.

Melkkos

This is the original pantry pudding! Add sago or elbow macaroni to bulk it up, if you like.

Melkkos
100 g sugar
1 1/2 t ground cinnamon
90 g cake flour
Salt, a pinch
3 T butter
1 1/2 litres milk
1 cinnamon stick
Mix the sugar and ground cinnamon.
Rub together the flour, salt and butter with your fingers until it is nice and crumbly – the Afrikaans word for this is frummel (verb) or frummels (noun).
Add 3 T cinnamon sugar and continue mixing with your fingers. Pour the milk into a large saucepan and add the cinnamon stick. Bring to the boil. Once the milk is boiling and frothy, reduce the heat and allow to simmer while slowly sprinkling the frummels into the milk, whisking.
Reduce the heat and simmer gently, while whisking continually, for about 10 minutes. Turn off the heat, allow to rest for 5 minutes before serving with a generous sprinkling of cinnamon sugar.
Cook Tips: Do not skimp on the cinnamon sugar – if you are cautious with it, you have no business making and serving melkkos. If you like your melkkos more milky, simply use more milk and less flour.

Dombolo (African Dumplings)

Wine Pairing: Eiekendal Charisma

African dumplings using half mealie meal and half cake flour for texture, but you can use only flour if your prefer.

125 g cake flour
125 g mealie meal
1 t instant dry yeast
4 T sugar
1/2 t salt
250 ml warm water
Mix all the dry ingredients together in a large bowl.
Pour in the water and mix until you have a batter. Mix for 10 minutes to develop the gluten. Place in a lightly oiled bowl or plastic bag and leave in a warm place to rise for about an hour.
Place dollops of the batter on top of your stew, cover the pot and cook for 20 to 30 minutes or until puffed up.
If you want to make steamed bread, leave the batter in the bag, tie the end closed and place it on a trivet or metal vegetable steamer in a pot. Fill the pot about a quarter way up with water, don’t fill it any more otherwise you risk water getting into the bag.
Place the pot over a medium heat and steam for about an hour – keep filling up the pot up with water as necessary. Remove the bread from the bag before serving

Vetkoek and Mince

Wine Pairing: Warwick Cabernet Sauvignon 

If there is anything quintessentially South African it must be vetkoek and curried mince! We challenge you to find a single South African that doesn’t like vetkoek, it is such a versatile vehicle for all kinds of toppings. Curried mince, chicken mayonnaise, golden syrup, strawberry jam…you can just about add anything to vetkoek and it will be delicious.

FOR THE VETKOEK
5 cups all purpose flour (plus additional for dusting)
10ml salt
30ml sugar
7g packet of instant yeast
2 cups lukewarm water
Oil for deep frying
FOR THE CURRIED MINCE
500g minced beef
15ml olive oil
1 large onion diced
3 cloves of garlic finely minced
5ml ground ginger
2.5ml smoked paprika
5ml black pepper
5ml ground coriander
2.5ml ground cumin
15ml mild curry powder
30ml tomato paste
30ml chutney or smooth apricot jam
1/2 cup water
1 medium potato diced
1 cup frozen diced mixed peas and carrots
Salt to taste
FOR THE VETKOEK
Add the flour, sugar, yeast and salt into a bowl
Slowly add the water whilst mixing until you have a shaggy dough
transfer to a floured surface and bring the dough together
No need to knead unless you want to use the dough immediately.
If using the dough on the same day knead briefly for 5 minutes and then cover and let proof for 40 minutes
If leaving overnight, transfer the dough to a bowl and cover with plastic wrap.
Let proof in the fridge overnight
When ready to make the vetkoek pre-heat your oil in a large heavy based pot to 180 degrees c (350 defrees f) divide dough into equal size pieces. I aim for a ball just under a tennis ball size flatten the ball so that when cooking it doesn’t take too long to cook the interior
Place each flattened ball into the oil and cook until golden, flip as needed until each side is golden brown.
Place on a cooling rack and allow any excess oil to drain.

FOR THE CURRIED MINCE
In a medium pot heat oil on high heat
Add the mince and fry until browned (this may take a while)
Add the chopped onions and fry until soft
Add the garlic, ginger, paprika, black pepper, ground coriander, ground cumin and curry powder and cook for 5 minutes stirring constantly
Add the tomato paste and cook for another 2 minutes
Add the chutney or jam and water and lower the heat to low
Add salt to taste Cover and simmer for 30 minutes
Add the potatoes, and mixed veg and mix through.
Cover and cook for an additional 30 minutes
Curry should be thick with very little water left, if not uncover and simmer until you reach the desired consistency
TO SERVE
Cut the vetkoek in half and fill with the slightly cooled curried mince mixture or any savoury mixture of your choice (chicken mayo, ham and cheese) For dessert spread golden syrup or jam onto the vetkoek and enjoy!

 

South African Lamb Curry

Wine Pairing: Boekenhoutskloof The Chocolate Block

South Africa is a blend of cultures and the flavours in this fragrant and aromatic traditional South African curry just gets better with time. Make it a day or two ahead and try to use more flavourful bone-in cuts of meat like a lamb shoulder or shanks.

Lamb Curry
Oil
2 Onions, Finely Sliced
3 Cardamom Pods
2 Cinnamon Sticks
1 Tbles Ginger and Garlic Paste 1 Tsp Turmeric Powder
1 Tsp Chilli Powder
1 Tsp Cumin Powder
1 Tsp Coriander Powder
1 Tsp Garam Masala
1 kg Lamb Pieces
Salt to Taste
1 410gr Tin Chopped Tomatoes 1 Sprig Curry Leaves
4 Potatoes Cubed
Coriander to Garnish

1. Heat the oil in a heavy pot. Add onions, and all the whole spices cook until lightly golden.
2. Add ginger and garlic and cook for a few minutes.
3. Add all the ground spices and stir through for a few more minutes until fragrant.
4. Add the lamb, making sure to mix it properly with the onion mix. Braise for about 20 minutes, adding a bit of
water at a time.
5. Add the crushed tomatoes and curry leaves.
6. Cook on a very low heat until the lamb is almost tender (about 60 minutes).
7. Add more water as needed and add the potatoes and cook for approx another 30 minutes or until the lamb is
completely tender.
8. Check the seasoning, add salt if necessary.
Garnish with fresh coriander and serve with fluffy white rice.

Bertus Basson's tomato bredie samoosas

Wine Pairing: Krone Borealis Vintage Cuvée Brut 

splash of vegetable oil
1 kg beef shin - deboned
1 onion - chopped
2 cloves garlic - chopped
1 chilli - chopped
10 g ginger - chopped
4 whole peppercorns
1 cinnamon stick
3 whole cloves
3 cardamom pods
5 g chilli flakes
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
4 tsp medium curry powder
40 g tomato paste
1 kg fresh tomato juice
500 ml beef stock
salt and pepper samoosa wrappers
For the minted yoghurt: 15 g mint
100 g plain full-fat yoghurt
Heat a little oil in a large pot and seal the beef so it is brown, then remove it from the pot.
Add the onion, garlic, chilli and ginger to the same pot and sweat slowly until translucent.
When the onions are soft add the rest of the spices to sweat for a few minutes.
Add the tomato paste, sweat it out for another 2 mins and then add the tomato juice and beef stock.
Add the browned meat to the pot again and simmer slowly until the beef shin is tender.
Season with salt and pepper to taste.
It should take about 3 hours.
You want the liquid to have evaporated but the mixture must not be dry.
Flake the braised beef into a finer mix and allow to cool completely before making the samoosas.
You can find samosa pastry in most supermarkets these days.
Making them is an exhaustive process, so just buy some.
Wash and strip the mint leaves off their stalks.
Slice into really fine ribbons and mix through the yoghurt with the lemon zest.
Preheat your fryer to 160°C.
Use 30 to 40 g of mixture per samoosa and lay it across one corner of the wrapper.
Fold the flat piece of the pastry with the filling on it diagonally across the strip of wrapper.
Repeat the action in a series of triangular folds until the ribbon of pastry is finished.
Fry until golden brown and serve immediately with the minted yoghurt and cucumber crudites for freshness.
The obvious garnish here is fresh coriander leaves and chopped spring onion.

Lentil frikkadels

Wine Pairing: Vrede en Lust Rose

1 cup brown, dry lentils
3 cup water 1 stock cube/Tbs stock powder 1 onion, chopped
1 baby marrow, grated
1 small green pepper, grated
2 Tbs tomato paste
1 Tbs garlic and ginger paste
1 tsp paprika salt and pepper to taste
1 cup raw oats/breadcrumbs
extra stock/wine/water oil for frying
Rinse the lentils and cook them in the water and stock for about 15 mins until soft.
Puree or mash them until you’re left with a thick paste. It can be really thick.
Fry the onion in the oil until translucent.
Mix the lentil paste with the onions and the rest of the ingredients and incorporate.
Use extra liquid to make the paste more malleable so that you can form it into small balls.
Roll the “mince” into “meat”balls.
Heat about 30ml of oil in a pan. Place the meatballs slowly into the oil and fry.
Fry them just until they are golden brown.

Boerbok rib with tomato bredie

Recipe Courtesy taste.co.za

Wine Pairing: Groot Constantia Pinotage

1.6 kg tomatoes (a mix of salad and cherry), quartered
1 cup olive oil
4 T balsamic vinegar
4 cloves garlic, crushed
a pinch of sugar
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 stick cassia
3 pods cardamom
1.2 kg free-range boerbok rib (or lamb or mutton rib)
1 cup white wine
25 g tomato paste
4 large tomatoes
bietou berries, to garnish
dune spinach, blanched, to garnish
sorrel leaves, to garnish
mangetout, blanched, to garnish
cherry tomatoes, skinned, to garnish
Preheat the oven to 180°C. Arrange the salad and cherry tomatoes in an ovenproof dish, drizzle with the olive oil and vinegar and scatter with the garlic, sugar, salt and pepper. Crush the cassia and cardamom pods using a mortar and pestle and sprinkle over the tomatoes. Roast for 30 minutes, or until softened and starting to caramelise. Remove from the oven and gently squash the tomatoes to release all the juices.
Season the boerbok rib with salt and pepper. Pour half the roast tomato mix over it (chill the remaining mix) and use your hands to squeeze out all the juices and massage them into the meat. Cover with clingfilm and marinate overnight.
Place the remaining squashed roast tomatoes, white wine and tomato paste in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Remove from the heat and blend. Strain and reheat just before serving.
Preheat the oven to 180°C. Score the skins of the large tomatoes and plunge them into hot water for 30 seconds before peeling. Cut the peeled tomatoes in half and scoop out the seeds using a teaspoon (retain the seeds). Arrange on a baking tray and bake, skin side down, fro 2 hours.
Place the whole marinated boerbok rib high over hot coals and grill, turning frequently until crisp on the outside and cooked through.
Serve the grilled rib with the warmed tomato sauce, confit tomato halves and a spoonful of tomato seeds. Garnish with fresh bitou berries, dune spinach, sorrel leaves, mangetout and skinned fresh cherry tomatoes.

The Springbokkie (Peppermint Crisp Trifle)

In honour of Siya, and his fellow bokke, 2019 Rugby World Cup Champions, a new kind of Peppermint Crisp pudding – an extra green-and-gold version, with a base of bright green jelly. 

Siya

2 packets green/cream soda jelly
1½ cups Ayrshire whipping cream
2 x 360 g cans Nestlé Caramel Treat
2 x 200 g packets Bakers Tennis biscuits
2 x 150 g slabs Nestlé Peppermint Crisp, roughly broken into chunk

Prepare the jelly according to package instructions. Pour into a large triffle bowl and chill to set for a few hours. Whip the cream until soft peaks form. Use an electric stand-mixer for about 3 minutes on a medium speed and then speed it up for the last minute. In a separate bowl, beat the Caramel Treat using a fork to loosen and ensure a smooth texture.
Gently fold the caramel into the whipped cream, then add most of the chocolate pieces (set aside a cupful for decoration).
Make a single layer of whole Tennis biscuits on top of the jelly and around the sides of the bowl. Top with layers of the caramel mixture, then add another layer of Tennis biscuits and repeat until the bowl is full.
Sprinkle the remaining Peppermint Crisp over the top. Cover with tin foil and chill for at least 7 hours before serving.

Beef & Pumpkin Potjie with dumplings

This one pot wonder really is an all-in-one meal. The slow cooked beef shin is melt-in-the-mouth.

Wine Pairing: Ernie Els Major Series Cabernet Sauvignon

1.5 kg beef shin (bone-in)
salt and pepper to taste
a splash of oil for frying
1 large onion, chopped
1 Tbsp (15 ml) garlic, finely chopped
2 Tbsp (30 ml) fresh thyme, chopped
2 Tbsp (30 ml) fresh sage, chopped
1 tsp (5 ml) ground cinnamon
1 bottle South African Beer
3 Tbsp (45 ml) beef stock
1 tsp (5 ml) cornflour
¼ C (60 ml) water
1 kg pumpkin, diced
12 baby onions, peeled

Dumplings
500 g cake flour
2 tsp (10 ml) baking powder
1 ½ tsp (7.5 ml) salt
100 g butter
100 g feta, crumbled
1 Tbsp (15 ml) fresh thyme, chopped
1 Tbsp (15 ml) fresh sage, chopped
250 ml cold water
Season your meat with salt and black pepper, then brown over a smoking hot fire to seal. Once the meat has cooled enough to work with, cut it into bite-size chunks. Keep the bones with the marrow for extra flavour in the pot. Heat a splash of olive oil in a cast iron pot and fry the sliced onion until golden. Add the garlic, thyme, sage and cinnamon, and fry for another minute. Add the meat and bones to the pot, and then pour in the pumpkin ale and the stock. Simmer with the lid on for 1 hour. Mix the cornflour with the water then add it to the pot, along with the pumpkin and baby onions. Stir to combine – ensure you combine it well, as this is the last time you are going to stir it. Cook with the lid on for another 45 minutes. In the meanwhile prepare the dumpling dough.
Dumplings -Sift the flour, baking powder and salt together. Rub in the butter with your fingertips, then add the feta and herbs. Add the cold water and mix until you have a soft dough. Break off golf ball-sized pieces and place them in the pot, on top of the liquid. Cook for 30 minutes with the lid on, until the dumplings are ready.To get some colour on the dumplings, put some coals on top of the lid, or alternatively use the grill in the oven to toast them up.

Isijingi (Pumpkin Pudding)

Recipe Courtesy Nompumelelo Mqwebu

400 g pumpkin or butternut, peeled and cubed
120 g maize meal
1 T butter
½ t ground cinnamon
1 cup cream
150 g sugar or honey (if the pumpkin is sweet, leave out the sugar)
Mixed berries, to garnish
Mint, to garnish

Boil the pumpkin in enough water to cover it until soft enough to mash. Strain, reserving the water.
Purée the pumpkin in a blender, gradually adding the reserved cooking water.
Bring the purée to a boil in a saucepan over a medium heat, then whisk in the maize meal. Add the butter and cinnamon, and slowly stir in the cream. Add the sugar and cook for 15 minutes, or until cooked to your liking.
Divide between ramekins and garnish with fresh mixed berries. You could also add a sprig of mint for colour.
Cook's note: "Isijingi is a dish my grandmother used to cook for us, especially on cold days. Traditionally it’s not a dessert, but this is my take on it as a chef.” – Nompumelelo Mqwebu

Tomato bredie with chicken

Recipe Courtesy Bo-Kaap Kitchen (Quivertree), Shireen Narkedien

Wine Pairing: Cederberg Merlot Shiraz 

1 kg free-range chicken pieces
2 medium onions, chopped
1½ t salt
2 kg ripe tomatoes, peeled and chopped
sugar
2 red chillies, finely sliced (or 1 t crushed dried chilli)
1 t garlic, crushed
1 x 70 g can tomato paste
fresh coriander, a handful, to garnish
rice and sambals, for serving

Braise the chicken pieces, onions and salt in a little water over a high heat until browned. Add the tomatoes and cook until the tomato is the consistency of a paste.

Add the sugar, chillies and garlic, and cook over a medium heat until most of the liquid is reduced. Taste and add more sugar, if necessary, to give it more tang.
Stir the tomato paste into 1 cup water, then add to the pan. Cook for 10 minutes then serve with the rice and sambals, and garnish with coriander.

Pinotage and goji berry chutney

Recipe Courtesy winemag.co.za

A light-bodied Pinotage makes an ideal match for a languorous afternoon of gossip garnished with crusty bread, cheese and chutney. Whether you are wishing to bring out the inherent sweetness in a tart mature cheddar, the creamy consistency of a blue cheese or the gentle nuttiness of an Emmenthal, a well-chosen Pinotage is the way to go.

700g apples, peeled, cored and cubed
200g red grapes, pitted 
1 onion, finely chopped
150g currants
a fistful of goji berries 
350g brown sugar
150ml Pinotage
200ml balsamic vinegar
juice and zest of one lemon
juice and zest of one orange
pinch of salt
10ml mustard seeds
10ml all spice

Combine all the ingredients in a large heavy-based saucepan. Bring the mixture to the boil and then simmer uncovered until the mixture is thick and pulp for approximately 45 minutes. 2. Remove from the heat, leave the mixture to cool and transfer into a sterilised, clean, dry jar. 3. The chutney will be at its best if the flavours are left to blend for a few weeks.

Biltong & Butternut Salad with Rooibos Vinaigrette

Biltong is frequently used in salads in South Africa and this particular recipe also features other staple ingredients of South African cuisine, including butternut, avocado and the world famous Rooibos tea

Wine Pairing: Cederberg Chenin Blanc

Salad

80-100g Beef Biltong
200g Butternut squash
100g cherry tomatoes
30-40g Feta cheese
Handful of toasted pumpkin seeds, lightly toasted in dry pan over low-medium heat (take care not to burn)
30g rocket
1 ripe avocado
2 tablespoon crushed coriander seeds
Dried chili to taste (optional)

Rooibos Vinaigrette (makes roughly one cup)
1/3 cup wine or sherry vinegar
1/3 cup olive oil
1/3 cup rooibos tea
1 tablespoon honey (or brown sugar)
sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
quarter garlic clove (optional)
pinch of dried chili (optional)
Mix ingredients together well and let sit for about 15 minutes before use to let the flavours blend

Cut the butternut squash into 2-3cm chunks, drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast for around 30 minutes at 200c until just starting to turn dark at the edges. Once cooked add to a serving bowl.
Combine the main salad ingredients, biltong and toasted pumpkin seeds giving them a good mix before crumbling over the Feta. Finally drizzle over the Rooibos Vinaigrette and toss again before serving.

Braai mealies with 3 different toppings (BBQ Corn)

Recipe courtesy foodandhome.co.a

Braai mealies with 3 different toppings are a sure way to wow your guests with some interesting and punchy flavours.

Wine Pairing: Groot Constantia Sauvignon Blanc 

To prepare your mealies for the braai, steam or boil them whole in salted water, 10 – 15 minutes. Drain them on paper towel and char lightly over the braai.

Cashew Dukkah and coriander
100g cashews
30ml (2 tbsp) flaked almonds
60ml (¼ cup) sesame seeds
60ml (¼ cup) coriander seeds
45ml (3 tbsp) cumin seeds
30ml (2 tbsp) aniseed
5ml (1 tsp) salt
5ml (1 tsp) ground cinnamon
80g butter, melted
60ml (¼ cup) fresh coriander leaves

Sun-dried tomato and chilli butter with Parmesan
100g soft butter
15ml (1 tbsp) sun-dried tomatoes, chopped
1 or 2 small bird’s eye chillies (red), chopped
60g Parmesan, finely grated

Crème fraîche and chorizo
150g chorizo sausage
3 fat garlic cloves, peeled and sliced
180ml (¾ cup) crème fraîche or fresh cultured cream
small handful fresh basil leaves, torn

For the cashew dukkah and coriander topping, add the cashews, almonds and sesame seeds to a dry pan over medium heat and toast until golden, 1 minute. Stir in the coriander, cumin, aniseed and salt, and toast for another minute. Stir in the cinnamon. Place the mixture in a food processer or spice grinder and blend until fine. Brush each cooked mealie with the warm, melted butter, sprinkle over some dukkah and top with fresh coriander.
For the sun-dried tomato and chilli butter with Parmesan topping, place the butter, sun-dried tomatoes and chillies in a food processor and blend until fine. Add a dollop of the mixture onto warm, cooked mealies and scatter Parmesan on top.
For the crème fraîche and chorizo topping, heat a dry pan over medium heat. Slice the chorizo into bite-sized chunks, add to the pan and fry, 3 – 4 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook for another minute. Allow to cool slightly before placing in a food processor and blending until fine – it should resemble coarse breadcrumbs. Add a dollop of crème fraîche to the warm, cooked mealies, scatter some chorizo crumbs on top and add a few basil leaves.

 

Crumbed biltong and ricotta fritters

Recipe Courtesy food24.com

These fritters are great to send around while standing at the fire, soft and tender on the inside due to the sliced biltong and creamy ricotta. They are crumbed in some Panko crumbs

Wine Pairing: Warwick Sauvignon Blanc

Dipping sauce:
375ml (1 ½ cup) Greek yoghurt
45ml (3tbsp) wholegrain mustard
zest of ½ lemon
Fritters:
230g (1 cup) ricotta
pinch of cayenne pepper
100g (1 cup) sliced biltong, roughly chopped
1 spring onion, finely chopped
15ml (1Tbsp) chives, finely chopped
2.5ml (½ tsp) fine salt
1 egg
45ml (3tsbp) cake flour
375ml (1 ½ cups) panko crumbs
Vegetable oil, for deep-frying

For the dipping sauce, stir everything together and keep it in the fridge until ready to use.
For the fritters, combine the ricotta, cayenne pepper, biltong, spring onion, chives and salt together. Lightly whisk the egg with a fork and stir it into the mixture. Stir in the flour.
Form it into 12 balls and roll it in the panko crumbs.
Heat the oil until it reaches 180°C. Fry the fritters off in batches and drain them on some paper towel. Serve it with the dipping sauce on the side.

Indian Chicken and Prawn Curry

Recipe Courtesy Oyster Box Hotel

Wine Pairing: Babylonstoren Chenin Blanc 

5 medium cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
One 2-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and coarsely chopped
1⁄2 medium white onion, coarsely chopped
2 medium tomatoes
6 oz. (1 1⁄2 sticks) unsalted butter
1 tbsp. plus 1 tsp. ground turmeric
1⁄2 cup mild curry powder
1 1⁄4 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into 1-inch cubes
1 1⁄2 tsp. kosher salt, divided, plus more as needed
1 1⁄4 lb. large prawns shelled and deveined
2 tbsp. plus 1 tsp. ground cumin
2 tbsp. plus 1 tsp. ground fennel seed
1 tbsp. plus 1 tsp. ground cardamom
1⁄4 cup honey
1⁄2 cup plus 2 Tbsp. heavy cream
2⁄3 cup unsweetened coconut cream
2 tbsp. chopped fresh cilantro leaves, plus more for garnishing

2 tbsp. finely chopped fresh curry leaves

In a small food processor or mortar and pestle, add the garlic and ginger and pulse or pound until a paste forms. Transfer to a small bowl, then repeat the process with the onion. Transfer the onion paste to a separate small bowl. Add the tomatoes to the food processor (no need to clean out the bowl) and process well. Strain through a sieve and reserve the juices (discard the pulp). You should have about 3⁄4 cup juices.

In a large Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the onion paste and cook, stirring occasionally, for 2 minutes. Add 3 tablespoons of the ginger and garlic paste and cook, stirring occasionally, 4 minutes (reserve any remaining paste for another use). Stir in the turmeric, curry powder, chicken, and 3⁄4 teaspoon salt and let cook 5 minutes. Stir in the prawns and tomato juice and simmer 4 minutes. Stir in the cumin, ground fennel, and cardamom and cook, stirring occasionally, 5 minutes. Stir in the heavy cream and coconut cream and bring to a simmer; let cook, uncovered, 5 minutes. Stir in the honey, cilantro, curry leaves, and remaining 3⁄4 teaspoon salt. Cover and let cook until the prawns are pink and firm, about 3 minutes.
Garnish with cilantro leaves, and serve with a side of rice if desired.

Smoked free range Pork Belly and ribs

Recipe courtesy La Motte Winelands Recipe Book

Wine Pairing: The full-bodied character of the La Motte Syrah harmonises perfectly with rich, flavourful dishes and grills, such as barbecued meat in a sticky, sweet sauce, stewed fruit and sweet aromatic spices. 

1 kg smoked Pork belly and 2 pork rib slabs
½ C (125 ml) golden sugar
2 C (500 m) House Braai Sauce
1 Tbsp (15 ml) oak smoked paprika
1 Tbsp (15 ml) garlic, finely chopped
1 Tbsp (15 ml) honey
1 tsp (5 ml) ground fenugreek
1 Tbsp (15 ml) rosemary, chopped

House Braai Sauce
2 Tbsp ( 30 ml) coconut oil
1 C (250 ml) red onion, diced
2 Tbsp (30 ml) soy sauce
4 cloves of garlic, minced
1 tsp (5 ml) ground cumin
1 tsp (5ml), wholegrain mustard
1 Tbsp (15 ml) oregano, chopped
1 handful chopped basil
½ tsp (2.5 ml) cayenne pepper
300 ml tomato paste
1 ½ C (375 ml) beef stock (homemade if possible)
2 Tbsp (30 ml) apple cider vinegar
2 Tbsp (30 ml) honey
1 shot espresso coffee

Pre-heat the oven to 160 °C.
In a small bowl mix together the sugar with all of the spices and herbs.
Prepare the ribs by removing the tough membrane.
Place a large piece of heavy foil onto a baking tray, rub both sides of the ribs and the belly with the sugar spice mix. Cover with another layer of foil making a pocket
Place in the oven for 3-4 hours until soft and almost falling apart and the meat is tender.
House Braai Sauce
Heat a heavy-based saucepan and add the coconut oil and onion. Fry until translucent and then add all the rest of the ingredients. Cook over a low heat until thick and glossy.
Once the meat is cooked and your barbeque sauce is ready you can glaze the belly and ribs on both sides and put back in the oven, uncovered, for an additional 10 minutes. Repeat this process twice.

Five Bean Salad

Wine Pairing: Cavalli Filly Chenin Blanc

Five bean salad

150 g edamame beans, cooked
250 g green beans, sliced and blanched
1 x 400 g can chickpeas, rinsed
1 x 400 g can butter beans, rinsed
1 x 400 g can cannellini beans, rinsed
150 g radishes, finely sliced
a handful parsley, chopped
1 red onion, finely sliced (or pickled red onions)

For the dressing:
1⁄4 cup olive oil
1 T Dijon mustard
1 garlic clove, crushed
1⁄4 cup red wine vinegar
1 T maple syrup
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Combine all the salad ingredients.
Combine all the dressing ingredients and pour over the salad. Mix well, cover and marinate in the fridge for a few hours. Season with salt and pepper to taste and serve chilled.

Rooibos and Ricotta Mousse

Recipe Courtesy food24.com

Wine Pairing: Warwick the White Lady Chardonnay

Ever cooked with Rooibos? If not, now is the time to start. Not only does it provide a unique herby flavour, the health benefits are endless!

Mousse

2 rooibos tea bags
125 ml boiling water
250 ml ricotta
125 ml coconut cream or regular cream
60 ml xylitol granules
seeds from ½ vanilla pod
zest of 1 orange
180 ml cream
orange zest, to garnish (optional) mint leaves, to garnish (optional)

Steep the tea bags in the boiling water for 5 minutes. Remove the tea bags and allow the mixture to cool down for 10 minutes.
Add the tea to a food processor together with the ricotta, cream, xylitol and vanilla seeds. Blend until smooth. Stir in the orange zest.
Whip the cream until stiff. Fold this into the ricotta mixture. You can either set the mousse in a serving dish and spoon it up once it has set or you can set each portion in a small glass.
Place it in the fridge for at least 4 hours or overnight. Garnish with orange zest and mint leaves, if you prefer.

Biltong and cauliflower tart

Recipe Courtesy food24.com

Wine Pairing: Raka Biography Shiraz 

400 g short crust pastry
15 ml oil
200 g cauliflower
250 g biltong
250 ml cream
4 eggs
salt and pepper
150 g blue cheese, crumbled
30 ml honey

Preheat the oven to 180 °C and grease a 20 cm round baking dish.
On a floured surface, roll out the dough and line the baking dish with it. Prick a few times with a fork and blind bake for 10 minutes or until golden.
Filling Reduce the heat of the oven to 160 °C. In a pan over medium heat, heat the oil and fry the cauliflower until golden. Arrange the biltong and cauliflower in the pastry case.
Mix the cream and eggs and pour over the biltong and cauliflower. Bake for 30 minutes or until set and slightly golden. Sprinkle the crumbled blue cheese over and finish with a drizzle of honey.

Stewed Eggplant with South African Braai Spice Rub

Simple no fuss stewed eggplant dish seasoned with South African flavors

Wine Pairing: Springfield Estate Life From Stone Sauvignon Blanc 

Eggplant

1/4 cup olive oil
1 small sweet onion chopped
1 eggplant peeled and cut into 1 inch cubes
1 teaspoon fresh oregano
1 teaspoon fresh thyme
1 tablespoon Braai Spice Rub

Place eggplant in a bowl and sprinkle with salt to draw out excess moisture for about 30 minutes.
Rinse in a colander with cold water and pat dry.
Heat olive oil in saucepan on medium low heat.
Add eggplant, oregano, thyme and spice rub
Cover and simmer over low heat stirring frequently for 45-60 minutes.

 

Soetkoekies (Traditional South African Biscuits) 

Recipe courtesy Melkos & Merlot Blog

Soetkoekies

6 cups cake flour
5 tsp baking powder
1 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp fine cloves
1 tsp powdered cinnamon
¼ tsp salt
2 cups white sugar
3 cups cold salted butter
4 jumbo free range eggs
1 egg, whisked with 2 tbs water or milk

Sieve together the dry ingredients. Rub in the butter until it disappears in the flour. (You could blitz it in your food processor if preferred) Whisk the four eggs and add to the flour. Knead until it comes together. It will initially look too dry but it all works out, so don’t be tempted to add liquid

If it’s a very hot day and it looks like the dough will be difficult to work with, wrap it in cling film and pop it in the fridge for half an hour to firm up. Dust your working surface with a bit of flour, roll the dough out to about 4mm and use a cookie press to shape the biscuits. Place them on a baking tray prepared with some non-stick baking spray and paint them lightly with the egg wash. Bake in a preheated 200 degree Celsius oven for 10-15 minutes until light gold. These biscuits will of course be soft when they come out of the oven but will become hard as they cool down. Keep in an airtight container. This recipe makes 140 biscuits. 

Chicken Liver Peri-Peri Gatsby

Local is lekker… a Cape Town original vamped up with South African-Potruguese spiciness. Recipe courtesy Crush Mag Online

Wine Pairing: Tokara Cabernet Sauvignon

Gatsby

400 g chicken livers, cleaned and soaked in milk for 1 hour

1⁄3 C (80 ml) Peri-Peri oil
200 g onions, chopped
6 garlic cloves, crushed
8 chillies, sliced
2 bay leaves
6 thyme sprigs
1 clove
2⁄5 C (100 ml) white wine
1⁄3 C (80 ml) white wine vinegar
1.2 kg tomatoes, chopped
2 Tbsp (30 ml) tomato paste
juice of 1 lemon
1 C (250 ml) chicken stock
2 tsp (10 ml) cayenne pepper
2 tsp (10 ml) paprika
3⁄5 C (150 ml) sour cream, optional
salt & pepper
2-4 tsp (10-20 ml) Worcestershire sauce
handful of parsley, chopped

2 baguettes or 4 foot-long rolls
butter for spreading
2 tomatoes, sliced
2 baby gem lettuces, cleaned and washed
400-600 g potato fries, cooked
2⁄5 C (100 ml) mayonnaise

Dusting the livers in seasoned flour is an optional step. Livers that have been dusted in seasoned flour and fried will thicken the sauce. The livers can be fried without being dusted, if preferred. Slice the livers in half (if dusting, do so at this point) and then fry in Peri-Peri oil and butter. Do not overcrowd the pan and fry in batches. The livers should caremelise but not cook all the way through. Remove from the pan and set aside.

To Make the Sauce: Heat the Peri Peri oil and sauté the onions, garlic, chilli, bay leaf, thyme and clove. Cook over a moderate heat for about three minutes. Deglaze the pan with wine and vinegar, add the tomatoes, tomato paste, lemon juice, stock and remaining spices. Cook the tomatoes (this should take about 40-50 minutes) reducing the sauce until thickened. (If using cream, add at this stage and simmer for an extra 5 minutes before adding the livers.)
Blend with a stick blender until smooth (can be left slightly chunky if preferred). Adjust seasoning and add the Worcestershire sauce.
Add the livers to the sauce and warm gently – be careful not to overcook, the livers still need to be a little pink on the inside.
Add the chopped parsley just before serving.

To Assemble: Slice the baguette or rolls and butter each side. Season the tomato and lay on the roll and top with lettuce. Add the livers and a portion of fries, drizzle generously with mayonnaise and serve with extra fries on the side.

Milk tart phyllo cups

Recipe courtesy of Cupcakes & Couscous

Wine Pairing: Graham Beck Sparkling Brut Rose

PHYLLO BASKETS:
6 sheets phyllo pastry
60 g butter, melted
12 hole muffin pan
CUSTARD FILLING:
2 large eggs
1/4 cup castor sugar
2 Tbs cornflour
450 ml milk
2 medium sized cinnamon sticks
1 Tbs butter 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
CINNAMON SUGAR TOPPING:
2 Tbs castor sugar

Thaw the phyllo pastry as per the instructions on the packaging. Unroll the sheets, cover with the plastic sheet provided and cover with a clean, damp tea towel. Preheat your oven to 160°C and grease the muffin pan. Lay a single sheet of phyllo pastry on your work surface. Brush lightly with melted butter. Place another sheet of pastry on top. Repeat the process until you have used all 6 sheets.
Cut the phyllo stack into 12 pieces (4 x 3 strips). Press each piece gently into the muffin pan and bake for 20-25 minutes until golden and crispy. Set aside to cool while you make the custard.

To make the custard:  Whisk the eggs and sugar together for a minute until pale. Whisk in the cornflour. Heat the milk and cinnamon sticks together in a small saucepan until the milk has just reached boiling point. Remove the cinnamon sticks. Carefully pour half of the hot milk into the egg mixture while whisking. Then pour the egg and milk mixture back into the saucepan that has the remaining milk. Return the saucepan to the heat and stir for about 5 minutes, until the custard is thick and slightly darker in colour. Remove the custard from the heat and whisk in the butter and vanilla extract. Leave to stand for 15 minutes, giving it a good whisk every 5 minutes. Spoon the custard into the phyllo cups and leave to cool and set.

For the topping:
Just before serving combine the castor sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl. Sprinkle about half a teaspoon of cinnamon sugar over one of the milk tart cups and give it a gentle shake to get the sugar into an even layer. Use a small creme brûlée torch to torch the sugar until golden and caramelised. Repeat with the remaining cups. Serve immediately.

Beer and ribs with roast butternut salad

Recipe Courtesy taste.co.za

Wine Pairing: Vergelegen Estate reserve Merlot 

Ribs

Recipe Courtesy Luke Dale- Roberts: Considered a foodie visionary by most, Luke Dale-Roberts is the mastermind behind SA's number one restaurant, The Test Kitchen, as well as The Pot Luck Club.

1 kg beef shortribs
For the stock:
1.5 litres dark beer
2 cloves garlic, peeled
1 x 10 cm ginger piece, peeled
1 onion, quartered
1 stick cinnamon
2 star anise
3 T soya sauce
1 pinch sugar
For the beer glaze:
2 cups dark beer
1 T molasses
100 g treacle sugar
2 cloves garlic, peeled
1 x 5 cm ginger piece, peeled
For the roast butternut salad:
1 butternut, peeled and cubed
30 g butter
4 sprigs thyme
100 g sunflower seeds
50 g rocket leaves
For the dressing, whisk:
1 1/2 T elderflower cordial
1 lemon, juiced
1 T Dijon mustard
1/2 cup vegetable oil

Place the ribs in a pressure cooker and cover with the stock. Cook at high pressure for 1 hour and 10 minutes. Once the ribs are soft, remove from the liquid and submerge in the beer glaze. Chill the ribs for 2 hours or overnight.
Preheat the oven to 200°C. Remove the ribs from the glaze and slice into individual portions. Heat a non-stick pan and caramelise the ribs on all sides and finish in the oven until heated through.
To make the stock, place the beer, garlic, ginger, onion, cinnamon, star anise, soya sauce and sugar in a large saucepan and bring to a boil. Remove from the heat, cool to room temperature and strain.
To make the beer glaze, place all the ingredients into a large saucepan and simmer until slightly thickened, remove from the heat and set aside to cool. The mixture will continue thickening while standing.
To make the roast butternut salad, preheat the oven to 200°C. Roast the butternut with the butter and thyme until soft and golden brown. Toast the sunflower seeds in a dry frying pan until slightly golden, then toss with the rocket and butternut.
To serve, place the roasted ribs onto the salad and drizzle with the dressing.

Lamb Shanks with Chakalaka

Wine Pairing: Waterford Cabernet Sauvignon  

Lamb Shanks

6 small lamb shanks
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
4 T oil
1 cup beef stock
1 cup red wine

For the chakalaka:
2 T sunflower oil
1 onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 T mild masala curry powder
1 green pepper, chopped
2 carrots, grated
2 T tomato paste
3 tomatoes, grated
1 x 410 g can baked beans
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Preheat the oven to 180°C. Rinse the lamb shanks under cold water and pat dry with kitchen paper. Season with salt and pepper. Place the oil in a pan over a medium-high heat, then brown the shanks in batches. Transfer to a roasting pan.
Cover the pan in foil and roast for 1 hour.
To make the chakalaka, heat the oil in a saucepan. Add the onion and garlic, cook for 1 minute, then add the curry powder. Stir until fragrant, then add the green pepper, carrots, tomato paste and tomatoes. Add the beans and season.
Pour the chakalaka over the lamb shanks and mix gently. Pour over the beef stock and wine. Cover and continue cooking for 40 minutes, or until the shanks are tender.

Rooibos Ice Tea

Recipe Courtesy Crush Online Magazine

This proudly South African iced tea will keep you cool on a warm summers day

Ice Tea

1 litre filtered water
4 rooibos tea bags
4 tsp (20 ml) agave nectar
½ lemon, sliced
½ lime, sliced
1 C (250 ml) pure pomegranate juice
15 fresh mint leaves

Boil the filtered water and allow to cool for three minutes. Add the tea bags, agave nectar, lemon and lime slices and set aside to cool completely. Remove the tea bags, pour into a big glass jug filled with ice, top with pomegranate juice and mint leaves. Serve chilled.

Potato Salad

Recipe Courtesy Jan-Hendrik van der Westhuizen

Wine Pairing: Spier Creative Block 2

10 rooibos tea bags
2 kg potatoes, peeled and cubed
1 t hickory liquid smoke
200 g bacon, cut into small lardons
2 T condensed milk
250 g double-cream plain yoghurt
200 g gherkins, finely chopped
a handful chives, chopped, plus extra to garnish
5 free-range eggs, hard-boiled
Truffle oil, for drizzling

Infuse the tea in water to make a strong rooibos stock. Add the potatoes and cook until al dente. Drain, drizzle with the liquid smoke and set aside. Skip this step if you don't have liquid smoke lying around...
Cook the bacon in a hot pan until crispy. Whisk the condensed milk and yoghurt together, then add the gherkins, chives, potatoes and bacon and mix until just combined. Season to taste.
Grate the eggs and mix into the potatoes. Garnish with chives and a drizzle of truffle oil.

Pumpkin Fritters

Wine Pairing: Waterford Pecan Steam Sauvignon Blanc 

Pumpkin Fritters

500 g pumpkin or butternut, peeled and cut into chunks
150 g cake flour
½ t salt
1 t ground cinnamon
2 star anise
2 t baking powder
2 large free-range eggs
vegetable oil, for deep-frying
Icing sugar, for dusting
Cinnamon sugar, for dusting

Bring a saucepan of water to a boil, then add the pumpkin or butternut chunks and cook until very tender. Drain and allow to cool. Add, along with the flour, salt, ground cinnamon, star anise, baking powder and eggs, to a blender and blend.Heat the oil in a large saucepan over a high heat. When hot, carefully drop in spoonfuls of the fritter mixture, taking care not to overload the pan.Fry until cooked through and golden, then drain on kitchen paper. Dust with icing sugar and cinnamon sugar and serve immediately.

Boerie Pasta 

Recipe courtesy Melkos & Merlot Blog

Wine Pairing:  Waterford Pecan Stream Pebble Hill 

Boerie Pasta

500g boerewors
1 red onion, finely chopped

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 tsp smoked paprika
½ tsp chilli flakes (optional, or use less if you are sensitive)
1 tin tomatoes, chopped
¼ tsp salt
1 tsp brown sugar
2 fresh bay leaves
1 tsp fresh origanum (or ½ tsp dried)
3 tbs water
6 tbs olive oil
freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Italian parsley, chopped – for serving
parmesan or pecorino cheese – for serving

Fry the onion in 3 tbs olive oil until soft. Add the garlic, paprika and chilli and fry for a further two minutes. Add the tomatoes, sugar, salt, water, origanum and bay leaves. Cover and cook over a low heat for 20 minutes. If it gets too dry, add another tablespoon or two of water, but take care not to add too much, this is a thick sauce. While the sauce bubbles away, squeeze the boerewors filling from the casing. Shape into equal-sized small meat balls and fry in 3 tbs olive oil until nicely browned. Once cooked, add the meat balls to the sauce, taste for salt, remove the bay leaves and add a grinding of black pepper. Stir through and it’s ready. Serve with your favourite pasta Sprinkle with parsley and parmesan or pecorino. 

Traditional Frikkadels (meatballs)

Wine Pairing: Kanonkop Kadette Cape Blend 

Frikkadels

¼ cup milk
extra large pinch of white pepper
¾ tsp ground coriander
½ tsp nutmeg
large pinch of ground cloves
1 tsp salt plus one extra large pinch (weird, I know, but it does need that extra pinch!)
2 slices white bread, crusts cut off
800g beef mince (not super lean, you need a bit of fat)
½ cup of onion, grated not chopped
½ cup water
butter

Use a fork, work fast and mess with the meat as little as possible. Combine the salt and spices with the milk. Add the bread and allow it to soak up all the milk. Then use a fork to break the bread up finely. Add this mixture to the mince along with the melted butter and onion and use the fork to bring it all together.

Smear the bottom of an ovenproof baking dish with butter (gran’s rectangular Pyrex dish is great for this). Use your hands to lightly shape large frikkadels. Place them in the baking dish and top each frikkadel with a small dot of butter. Add ½ cup of water to the baking dish and roast in a 190 degree Celsius oven for 35-40 minutes, basting the frikkadels once or twice with the pan juices. If it’s cooking dry, add a touch more water.  Turn your grill on for the last five minutes to help them brown. Remove the frikkadels and cover with tinfoil to keep warm. Add a cup of water to the cooking liquid and turn it into a lush gravy by thickening it with a teaspoon of cornflour and a teaspoon of Bisto dissolved in a tablespoon of cold water. Serve with your favorite side dishes

Corn and beer bread

Wine Pairing: Thelema Chardonnay

Corn and Beer Bread

500 g self-raising flour
1 x 400 g sweetcorn in water can, drained
1 t sea salt
1 x 375 ml beer bottle

In a mixing bowl, combine all the ingredients, adding the beer at the end, to form a smooth batter. Set aside in a warm place for 20 minutes, or until doubled in size. Transfer the mixture to a greased cast-iron pot and place on top of hot coals, placing extra hot coals on the lid. Bake for 1 hour, or until golden. Tip out of the pot and serve warm.

Chakalaka Prego Steak Sarmie

Recipe Courtesy taste.co.za

Wine Pairing: Groot Constantia Rood

Steak Sarmie

6 T olive oil 
4 tomatoes, roughly chopped
1 chilli, chopped
4 garlic cloves, crushed
1 t sugar
½ x 410 g chakalaka can
400 g rump steak
1 T butter
1 baguette, halved lengthways
Rocket (arugula) , for serving
 
Heat 5 T olive oil in a pan over a medium heat. Add the tomatoes and chilli and cook for 10–15 minutes.
Add the garlic, sugar and chakalaka and cook for a further 10 minutes.
In a separate pan, melt the butter and 1 T oil over a medium to high heat and cook the steak to your liking.
Allow the meat to rest for 5 minutes, then slice. Spread the sauce onto the baguette, top with the meat, rocket and more sauce.

 

Vetkoek with biltong, cream cheese & preserves

Recipe Courtesy taste.co.za

Wine Pairing: Protea Shiraz 

Vetkoek

360 g cake flour
1 x 10 g yeast sachet 
1 t salt
1 T sugar
3/4 cup lukewarm water
sunflower oil, for deep-frying
 
1 cup cream cheese
100 g biltong finely sliced
145 g green fig preserve in syrup
 
To make the vetkoek, combine all the dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Slowly add the water, a little at a time, while mixing with a wooden spoon or by hand to form a wet dough. Knead in the bowl for 5 minutes, or until the dough springs backs immediately when pressed with your index finger. Cover the bowl with clingwrap and allow the dough to rise for 30 minutes, or until doubled in size.
Heat the oil in a saucepan over a medium heat. Knock down the risen dough and portion into 8 equal-sized vetkoek. Gently drop as many vetkoek as possible into the oil and cover the saucepan. This allows the vetkoek to partially steam while being fried. Cook for 2–3 minutes, or until golden, then turn and cook the other side. Once cooked through and golden, remove from the oil using a slotted spoon and drain on kitchen paper. Cook the remaining vetkoek in the same way.
Allow to cool, then halve through the width and generously spread on one side with cream cheese. Dust the vetkoek with the biltong and serve with the fig preserve and syrup.

 

Drunken Bird- Beer Can Chicken

Recipe Courtesy Justin Bonello   

Wine Pairing: Ken Forrester Old Vine Reserve Chenin Blanc 

Beer Can chicken

2 whole chickens
2 cans of South African Beer
4 gloves of garlic
whole black pepper corns
malden sea salt
olive oil
a small sprig of flat leafed parsley

First off – get the heat up and light a fire in your Weber or Gas BBQ. This is a super simple recipe that combines two of our favourite pastimes – braaing and cracking a can.
Chuck the garlic, pepper and salt into your pestle and mortar and mung the flavours together. Now add a good splash of olive oil and parsley – just bruise the leaves. Use this marinade to give the birds a good old massage all over, inside and out.
When the coals are ready, crack open the beers, take a swig of each and perch the well-oiled birds upright on the open cans, wriggle them down so that they’re comfortable and the cavity is filled – we don’t want them falling over. Then settle them on the grid and close the Weber. Allow the chickens to cook for between 40 – 80 minutes. The secret here is that the beer boils and steams the flesh from the inside giving it that malty flavour and keeping it juicy while the Weber acts like a braai/oven and crisps the skin. Once the chicken is done to your liking, open some wine and enjoy!

 

Malva Pudding with Amarula Sauce

Wine Pairing: Allesverloren Fine Old Vintage 

Malva Pudding

Sauce
375ml (1½ cups) fresh cream
160g sugar
110g butter
15ml (1 tbsp) apricot jam
pinch of salt
Pudding
30ml (2 tbsp) butter
80g sugar
45ml (3 tbsp) apricot jam
5ml (1 tsp) bicarbonate of soda
125ml (½ cup) milk
120g (1 cup) cake flour
pinch of salt1 large egg, lightly beaten
20ml (4 tsp) vinegar
Amarula sauce
150ml Amarula Cream liqueur
300ml fresh cream
Preheat the oven to 180°C. Lightly grease 6 pudding moulds and set aside.
Combine all the sauce ingredients in a saucepan and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, stirring continuously, until it starts to caramelise, about 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside to keep warm.
For the puddings, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, then beat in the jam.
Dissolve the bicarbonate of soda in the milk.
Sift the flour and salt together.
Alternately beat the flour mixture, milk and egg into the butter mixture until combined, then beat in the vinegar.
Pour the batter into the moulds, cover with half the sauce and bake for 30 minutes.
Remove from the oven and pour over the remaining sauce. Continue to bake until the centre of the puddings are done and the sauce begins to bubble around the sides, about 15 minutes.
For the Amarula sauce, bring the Amarula and cream to the boil in a pot. Simmer until reduced by half and remove from the heat.
Serve the puddings topped with the Amarula sauce.

Cape Malay Mussels with butternut, roast fennel and boiled leek

Recipe courtesy Reuben Riffel

Wine Pairing: Fat Bastard Sauvignon Blanc. Delightfully dry, with a gorgeous fruit-focused character, this Sauvignon Blanc is a great match for creamy seafood dishes.

Cap Malay Mussel

3 cups white wine
1 1/2 t sea salt
16 fresh mussels, in their shells
1 T curry powder
1 cup butternut, grated
1/4 medium onion, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
2 celery leaves
3/4 cup cream
Fresh fennel fronds, to garnish
For the roast fennel
1 bulb fennel, halved lengthways
2 t extra virgin olive oil 
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
For the boiled leek
2 cups water
1 t sea salt
1 large leek, cleaned and quartered

Bring the wine and salt to the boil. Simmer the mussels in the wine until just cooked.Take the mussels out of the stock and remove from their shells while continuing to reduce the wine and mussel stock. Place 1½ cups stock into a clean pan. Add the curry powder, butternut, onion, garlic and celery leaves. Bring to a simmer and cook until the butternut is soft.
Add the cream and simmer until reduced a little. Add the roast fennel, leek and mussels. Heat through. Spoon onto plates, garnish with fennel fronds and serve immediately.
To prepare the roast fennel, preheat the oven to 180°C.
Place the fennel in a roasting dish, drizzle with olive oil and season. Cover with foil and roast until soft (about 18 minutes). Remove from the oven and slice into thin strips.
To prepare the boiled leek, bring the water and salt to the boil. Cook the leek in the water until soft. Remove and slice into thin strips.

Vegetable Curry Bunny Chow

Wine Pairing: Tokara Reserve Collection Chardonnay

Bunny Chow

Durban is home to one of the sunniest shores in South Africa, the largest Indian population outside of India and the best curries, friendly locals and, of course, the famous legendary street food, Bunny Chow.

1 cup red lentils
3 cups diced butternut; peeled and seeds removed
45 ml oil
1 onion; finely chopped
30 ml fresh ginger; finely grated
3 cloves garlic; finely grated 
30 ml garam masala
5 ml cumin seeds
5 ml ground turmeric
10 ml ground coriander
1/2 tsp. ground peri-peri (optional)
2 cans chopped tomatoes
400 g zucchini; sliced
Salt and pepper
Handful of fresh coriander leaves; for topping
2 fresh loaves of white bread; cut into 3–4 pieces each, each piece hollowed out on one side

Place lentils in a medium-size pot and add water to cover it by about 2 cm.
Bring to a boil over high heat, then lower temperature and simmer slowly for about 15–20 min. until soft.
Check that the bottom doesn’t cook dry and add more water if necessary. When soft, set aside.
In the meantime, cook the butternut in a little water until just tender (about 8 min.). Drain water and set aside.
In a large pot, add onion and fry until soft, stirring often.
Add ginger and garlic and stir for 30 sec.
Add garam masala, cumin, turmeric, coriander and peri-peri and stir for 1 min. until pot becomes dry.
Add canned tomatoes and stir well to loosen any sticky bits on the bottom.
Add cooked lentils and butternut, as well as sliced zuchinni.
Stir, then cover with a lid and cook for about 10 min. over low heat.
Season with salt and pepper, then fill your hollowed-out bread and top with coriander.

Luxury Braaibroodjies

Recipe courtesy Jan Braai

Wine Pairing: It goes without saying that you serve these beauties with a glass of ice cold Methode Cap Classique. The South African version of what the French call Champagne!

Braai Broodjies

It's not a braai until the braai broodjies are served. The braaibroodjie (bbq toasted sandwich) is arguably the highlight of any braaing experience. Many South Africans braai meat simply as an excuse to also have braaibroodjies. Life is too short not to give them a try!

slices of fresh sourdough bread
Crosse & Blackwell mayonnaise
whole grain mustard
gypsy ham
18 months matured cheddar
Ina Paarman's Sun-Dried Tomato Quarters
spring onions
olive oil
 
Go for an oval shape sourdough bread as opposed to a round one. This way all the slices will be the same size. Slice the bread fairly thin, the same thickness as normal toaster bread.
Lay out half of the bread slices on a cutting board and liberally spread with the mayonnaise and whole grain mustard.
Add the gypsy ham, slices of cheese, sun-dried tomatoes and chopped spring onions.
Add the top layers of bread and drip or spread olive oil on them.
Place in a hinged grid (toeklaprooster) and braai over medium-low heat coals. After the first turn, also spread olive oil on the other outside, the side which was at the bottom when you assembled the units. Continue to braai over the gentle coals, turning very often, until the cheese is melted and the braaibroodjies are golden brown on the outside.

Heritage T-Bone Steak with Pinotage Sauce

Wine Pairing: Any Pinotage in our range

T-Bone

It was Archbishop Desmond Tutu who famously said, “I like T-bone steaks because they are in the shape of Africa”. For this reason, the shape of it, you could argue that the T-bone steak is more South African than other cuts of steak. From this follows the clear logic that it’s the one to serve with a Pinotage sauce. Pinotage is our very own South African grape variety. In 1925 it was famously bred as a cross between Pinor Noir and Cinsaut by Professor Abraham Perold at Stellenbosch University. This meal then is a great part of our South African wine and braai heritage. The recipe was specifically designed not to use the whole bottle of Pinotage. This way you are left with some wine to drink during the braai after making the sauce!

4 T-bone steaks
1 tot butter
1 onion (chopped as finely as you can)
1 clove garlic (chopped very finely)
1 tsp fresh thyme leaves
1 tot flour
2 cups any red wine (but Pinotage is best)
½ cup beef stock
1 tot sugar
1 tsp balsamic vinegar
salt and freshly ground black pepper

Light a massive fire using your favourite braai wood. Open a bottle of Pinotage wine, pour yourself a glass and do some quality control.
Place a medium-sized flameproof pan over the fire. You want a pretty high heat but it must not be searing hot.
Melt the butter and then fry the finely chopped onion, garlic and thyme leaves for about 5 min until the onion is soft and starts to turn brown. Fry the onions first and add the garlic about 1 min before the next step as garlic actually fries much quicker than onion.
Add the flour and stir well, then immediately add the Pinotage, stock, sugar and vinegar. Mix well, bring to the boil and then boil over high heat to reduce the liquid by half. Stir often. Depending on the size of your pot and the heat of your fire, this should take 15 min. While the liquid is reducing, it should thicken and become a rich sauce. Season. When you’re happy with the texture of the sauce, remove from the fire.
While you’re waiting for the sauce to reduce in step 5, braai the steaks over very high heat for about 8 minutes. You can salt them before or during the braai. You only need to turn them once on the grid, in other words braai them once per side.
When the steaks are done medium rare, remove from the fire and serve with the Pinotage sauce poured over them.

MasterChef South Africa Koeksisters

Wine Pairing: Allesverloren Port or even a chilled Sparkling Wine

Koeksisters

For the syrup:
800 ml water
1,5 kg sugar
12,5 ml cream of tartar
40 ml lemon juice
For a yummy flavour, add a piece of dried ginger and a stick of cinnamon to the syrup when the lemon juice is added. The colder the syrup the better! Make it the day before and place in the fridge to ensure it is ice cold.
 
For the dough:
4 x 250ml (500g) cake flour
25ml baking powder
20ml margarine
1/2 large beaten egg
245ml water
 
Sift the flour and baking powder together in a bowl and then rub in the margarine with your fingertips.
Add the beaten ½ egg to the water and whisk to incorporate.
Make a well in the centre of the flour mixture. Pour in the water mixture and then start to mix until a smooth dough has formed. Knead thoroughly.
Cover with clingfilm and leave to rest for at least 15 minutes or up to 5 hours. Heat the oil to 160 °C.
Using an oiled rolling pin, roll out the dough on an oiled surface to a thickness of 5 mm. Cut the dough into rectangles of 6 x 15 cm. Cut each rectangle lengthways into 3 strips, leaving one side uncut. Plait the 3 strips and press the cut ends together firmly.
Deep Fry in batches of 6 in hot sunflower oil for 6–7 minutes, or until dark golden brown. Drain them for a few seconds on paper towels. Keep the rest of the koeksisters covered to prevent them from drying out.
Dip the koeksisters into the ice-cold syrup while they are still hot. Remove from the syrup with a slotted spoon and place on a wire rack.

Babotie  

(Pronounced ba-boor-tea, a national dish of South Africa is a delicious mixture of curried meat and fruit with a creamy golden topping, not dissimilar to moussaka)

Wine Pairing: Beyerskloof Pinotage - It’s not easy to find a wine that can stand up to the full-bodied flavours of a rich curry-based dish, but South Africa’s uniquely-flavoured Pinotage can do just that. The deep red wine tinged with spicy notes of tobacco and fruity undertones of cherry and raspberry is an ideal match.

Babotie

2 onions, chopped
2 T olive oil
2 T medium curry powder
1 t turmeric
2 t fresh ginger finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 T apple cider vinegar
1 t sugar
1 t sea salt
1 t freshly ground black pepper
1 kg beef mince
1 white bread thick slice
250 ml milk
3 eggs large
3 T chutney
50 g flaked almonds
3 bay leaves

Preheat the oven to 180°C.
Fry the onion in the olive oil until soft. In a bowl combine the curry power, turmeric, ginger, garlic, vinegar, sugar, salt and pepper and mix. Add to the onion and fry for two minutes.
Add the mince and stir well. Cook for about 5 minutes. In another bowl, soak the bread in the milk, remove the bread and reserve the leftover milk.
Mash the bread with a fork and add one lightly beaten egg and the chutney. Mix well and add to the mince mixture. Stir in the almonds, then transfer the mince to a buttered ovenproof dish. Smooth the top and bake for 1 hour.

 

Braaied Linefish with sticky apricot, vanilla and ginger glaze

Recipe Courtesy taste.co.za

Wine Pairing: Protea Dry Rosé 

Braaied Linefish

1x1 kg whole linefish
2 T olive oil
Sea salt & freshly ground black pepper, to taste

For the sticky apricot, vanilla and ginger glaze, mix:

6 T apricot jam
1 x 4 cm ginger piece, finely chopped
1 lemon, juiced
1 vanilla pod, seeded

Drizzle the outside of the fish with olive oil, then season to taste.
Braai without turning over medium coals for 5 minutes on each side.
Brush the glaze onto the fish and continue cooking, turning often so the glaze doesn’t burn.
To make this dish in the oven, grill the fish and start glazing towards the end of the cooking process. Use any firm white sustainable fish. Spray the braai grid with cooking spray to prevent the fish from sticking.

Sticky Chicken Winglets with Blue Cheese Dip

Recipe courtesy Ina Paarman

Wine Pairing: Beer! (You could pair with a Ken Forrester Chenin Blanc or the Graham Beck Sparkling Brut, but ultimately goes best with a cold South African Beer)

Chicken Wings

16-24 chicken wings
2 t (10 ml) Ina Paarman’s Chicken Spice
1 cup (250 ml) Ina Paarman’s Sticky Marinade
 
Blue Cheese Dip
1 x 300 ml Ina Paarman’s Blue Cheese Dressing
1/2 cup (125 ml) fresh cream
100 g crumbled blue cheese
 
Cut the wings in half through the ‘elbow’ joint. Toss the wings first with Chicken Spice and then the Sticky Marinade. Leave covered in the fridge overnight or for at least 3 hours. Bake open in a 190C oven for 45 minutes or braai or grill slowly while basting and turning regularly. Excellent with Blue Cheese Dip, flash-fried cherry tomatoes, garlic bread and a green salad. Mix the Blue Cheese Dressing with the fresh cream and crumbled blue cheese.

Peppermint Crisp Tart

Recipe courtesy Abigail Donnelly, Woolworths Taste Magazine

Wine Pairing: Eikendal Janina Unwooded Chardonnay 

Peppermint Crisp Tart

200 g Tennis biscuits
125 g butter, melted
1 cup cream, whipped to soft peaks
360 g can Nestle Caramel Treat
150 g Peppermint Crisp chocolate, roughly chopped
Candy floss, to decorate
 
Crush the Tennis biscuits and place in a blender with the melted butter. Blend together until the biscuits are fine and coated in the melted butter.
Press the biscuit crumbs into a 17 cm springform cake tin and chill for 30 minutes.
Stir 2 T whipped cream into the Caramel Treat, then spread over the biscuit crust. Spread the remaining cream over the tart.
Remove from the tin and scatter over the chocolate before serving.

Sosaties (Lamb Skewers) with Smoky Red Salsa

Recipe courtesy Reuben Riffel

Wine Pairing: Raka Biography Syrah (Lamb and Syrah is a match made in heaven—look for ripe, juicy selections that offer savory notes of bramble, fynbos and black pepper, framed by ample tannins and a satiny structure)

Lamb Skewers

2 onions, chopped, plus 1 onion, quartered (optional)
3½ tablespoons canola oil or butter
3 cloves garlic, crushed and peeled
Grated ginger, equal in volume to garlic
3½ tablespoons curry powder
2½ teaspoons turmeric
2 cups malt vinegar
16 ounces smooth apricot jam
2½ teaspoons salt
4½ pounds leg of lamb, deboned, cleaned and cut into 1-inch cubes
4-8 fresh bay leaves, torn into pieces
1 pound dried apricots (optional)
2-4 peppers of your choosing, cut into pieces (optional)

To make marinade: Sauté onions in oil or butter for 4 minutes, or until soft and golden, but not brown. Add garlic, ginger, curry powder and turmeric. Sauté another 2 minutes. Stir in malt vinegar, apricot jam and salt, and heat until boiling. Remove from heat. Let marinade cool to room temperature.
Place meat in bowl. Add marinade and bay leaves. Toss to coat meat. Cover and marinate, refrigerated, for at least 12 hours, preferably 2–3 days. Stir meat every 8–12 hours.
To cook: Skewer meat, adding dried apricots and pieces of onion and peppers between lamb cubes, if desired. Braai for about 10 minutes, turning a few times in closed, hinged cooking basket. Serve with Smoky Red Salsa. Makes 10 skewers.