With the sun setting later and the warmer weather approaching, has given us the opportunity to test my baby BBQ. It is really small….We always make a “braai broodtjie” (fire grilled sandwich) as part of our BBQ ritual. There is something special about this sandwich, we used crushed garlic, olive oil, pesto, pepper and salt with the cheddar, cheese and tomato. We butter the outside before toasting. This allows for a crustier crust, that must be eaten from the fire to appreciate the crunch.
We had the opportunity to experience lockdown on a different level, firstly I was still employed and we lived on the property of The Mount Nelson Hotel, this made our experience surreal and real.
This time in reflection changed me, changed us.
Our family was together and this made our experience and time very special, bringing us closer than what we were ever before.
It gave me the opportunity to be more creative, painting, acting, sketching and cooking. I used the opportunity to teach myself techniques that I never had time for. Making Tofu, Kimchi, Feta, and fermented chilli sauces. We talked and cooked on the fire a lot, we drank very little wine.
We walked the property every night, moat nights Figs joined us, thinking he was a dog. The nights were beautiful and the city was quiet. We could move around despite the lockup and curfew.
We discovered every pocket and corner in the hotel, she was beautiful! But The Mount Nelson had no soul despite her age, empty with no personality, it was lifeless … .It was only another building.
It is the people that work within her belly that make her smile, the travellers who enter the front gates who make eyes sparkle.
She is nothing, she is lifeless without her people. People come to her because of the beautiful staff.
We change the dishes up on a weekly basis depending on the fresh seafood we have to work with. A lot of the inspiration from this compilation comes from Dion’s time spent in Florida with a friend from Peru.”I will never forget the lobster ceviche she made for us during the intensely hot summers that we experienced in Fort Myers, the lobster was simply cooked with lime, olive oil, cilantro, salt and shallots rings she would place it on top of this rustic mushed avocado and ripe vine tomatoes” We use multiple elements on the Taste of Peru that is shared at the table with some influences from across the world. On this selection we have, Marinated calamari with chorizo, basil and chili, Prawn carpaccio with crispy head salads and prawn crackers, Oyster explosion with curry oil and lime atchar salsa, Tuna tartare with seaweed puffed corn and a sea trout ceviche with fennel, radish and avocado.
Charred cauliflower puree, confit liver ravioli, pickled cauliflower leaves, duck pancetta
Inspired by the beautiful free range duck we have been getting and the insane flavour we get out of curing them smoking and hanging, to transform into duck pancetta ”it cannot me compared to any duck ham I have ever tasted due to the superb quality of duck we have been receiving. It was inevitable that cauliflower would be its lifelong partner for this dish after tasting the wild flavour of the breast it needed that creamy earthy flavour that the cauliflower brings to the relationship”
At the chefs table we celebrate heritage a lot, small elements from chakalaka to corn find it’s way on our menu often.In this dish with Smoked chicken confit ravioli we added the sweet corn in three parts as a puree with green chilli, charred sweet corn and puffed, then we added a little chakalaka oil to finish and for texture crispy chicken skin.
Restaurant Week, 5 YEAR Anniversary 2017 Winners edition Extension. From 23 November to 3 December. Based on the votes from the public on the quality of the menu/value for money, the service and ambience during this culinary event. The top 10 Winners are taking part in this extension of restaurant week, giving dinners an opportunity to visit their favourite spots again. So we are in great company with Greenhouse, Ben Wei, Myoga, Dash, Lou Lou’s, Reuben’s, The Stack, The 41 and Spice on Main.
Reservations start on 11 November
Menu will remain the same with Starters, Beef carpaccio with twist, we have added some extra beefy bits with crispy fried beef tendons and pulled oxtail fried in a pokora batter served with a spiced chick pea puree.
For the main course we are serving a poached sea bass with coal cooked potatoes and a mussel velouté, with seaweed and grilled tender stem broccoli.
and to finish we have combined a couple of interesting flavours with popcorn, miso, Tonka beans and sencha tea
R400 per person, for more information go online at http://www.restaurantweek.co.za
Starting tomorrow, fifth year Anniversary! October 19th – November 5th 2017.
This years menu
Starters, Beef carpaccio with twist, we have added some extra beefy bits with crispy fried beef tendons and pulled oxtail fried in a pokora batter served with a spiced chick pea puree.
For the main course we are serving a poached sea bass with coal cooked potatoes and a mussel velouté, with seaweed and grilled tender stem broccoli.
and to finish we have combined a couple of interesting flavours with popcorn, miso, Tonka beans and sencha tea.
R400 per person, for more information go online at http://www.restaurantweek.co.za
The recipe seems complicated but it is very simple, if pastry is not your thing buy some puff pastry.
As for the filling it is not necessary to use whole cooked chicken, roast or cooked cubed chicken will also work.
In this recipe we have shredded cooked chicken.
Depending on how moist you like your pie I would depend on the amount of sauce added to chicken.
Chicken
Place all together in a pot bring to a gentle simmer for 1 hour, remove chicken when cooked and allow to cool, continue cooking stock for another 10 to 15 minutes.
Remove meat from bone and shred into small pieces and set aside.
Sauce
Heat butter in thick bottomed sauce pan
Saute onion with carrot and celery with thyme and garlic.
Add sauteed mushroom.
Dust with flour and add stock
Continue to cook until flour is cooked out
Cool and combine when cool.
To make pie
Fill shallow 25-28cm shallow oven proof ceramic dish with chicken filling
Roll dough out to 2 – 3mm thickness on a floured surface
cut into thick strips 2.5 cm
lattice over pie
Brush with egg wash
Bake for 35 -40minutes at 185C until golden brown
Pastry
460g flour
pinch of salt
240g butter
30ml water
50ml egg wash
On a clean surface place flour add butter to the centre with water and salt and start rubbing the butter and flour together, knead into a smooth dough. Rest until needed. Roll out to about 2-3mm thickness with a 12cm diameter.
Peri Peri liver Gatsby Photo credit – www.crushmag-online.com
Chicken Liver Peri Peri Gatsby
A couple of years ago I did a post on peri-peri livers, I have used the same recipe, this was also posted on crush on line awhile ago. This is my favourite way to pig out, with fries, mayo on a bun.
For the seasoned flour I have left it to the individuals discretion’s, I prefer adding a little more spice than the usual, for a cup of flour 1 tbsp of seasoning should be sufficient. You also do not have to dust the livers in the flour mixture.
If using livers that have been dusted in seasoned flour and fried it will make the sauce very thick when finishing off. This is optional. You can cook livers and just cover livers in sauce as well as an option
Clean livers and soak in milk for 1 hour, drain and pat dry.
Cut into half, and fry in Peri-Peri oil and butter do not over crowd pan and do in batches must be under cooked. Place one side until needed to finish.
For the sauce heat peri peri oil and sauté onions, garlic, chilli, bay leaf with clove. Cook over a moderate heat for about three minutes. De glaze with wine and vinegar, add tomatoes, tomato paste and remaining spices.
Cook out tomatoes, this should take about 40 -50 minutes and reduce sauce. Blend with a stick blender to a smooth sauce, this is optional.
Adjust seasoning and add Worcestershire sauce.
Add livers and cook through ensuring that it is not over cooked, livers still need to be a little pink on the inside.
Add chopped parsley and serve.
If cream is used add after tomatoes have been cooked out, simmer for an extra 5-10 minutes before adding livers.
Two baguettes or four foot long rolls
2 tomatoes sliced thinly
2 baby gem lettuce cleaned and washed or ice berg lettuce