Category Archives: Recipes
Warm Up The African Original Way This Winter
Winter wants a comfy couch and the warm sounds of jazz to raise the temperature and the mood. Add a steaming cup of Amarula coffee that captures all the summer sun of Africa in its exotic, ripe and juicy marula taste and all is well with the world.
Creamy, luxurious and velvety smooth, Amarula is popular across the globe and recently emerged as a favourite amongst the world’s best bars located in some of the trendiest cities globally. The international survey was conducted on behalf of Drinks International by Leslie Henry Marketing Research. Last year it was named Liqueur of the Year at the 2012 New York International Spirits Competition and was a gold medallist at the 2012 International Wine & Spirit Competition in London.
Celebrate winter the African Original way by adding a measure of Amarula to your coffee. Here is a recipe:
Amarula Coffee
Ingredients
30 ml Amarula
90 ml good-quality filter coffee
25 ml thick, whipped cream
Chocolate powder or pieces for garnishing
Method
Combine the Amarula and filter coffee in a cup. Top with the whipped cream and garnish with chocolate powder or pieces.
Amarula is available for around R85 a bottle from liquor outlets nationwide.
Serve Amarula straight up, over ice, in cocktails, coffees and desserts. Cook’s tip: use it as your mystery ingredient for extra depth of flavour in fruity curries or in creamy sauces.
Please visit www.amarula.com or www.facebook.com/amarula for more fabulous recipes and interesting facts about Amarula.
Top South African Chefs, Authors And Food Bloggers Taking Part At The Cape Town Good Food & Wine Show – May 23 to 26
The Cape Town Good Food & Wine Show – South Africa’s premiere food, wine and lifestyle exhibition – will play host to some of South Africa’s most celebrated chefs, authors and food bloggers who will show off their culinary skills and show that this country is right up there when it comes to international culinary trends.
The event, which will be held at the Cape Town International Convention Centre from May 23 to May 26, will also feature international celebrity chefs, Gordon Ramsay, French pastry chef Eric Lanlard, Australian chef Bill Granger and Isabella Bliss, winner of Junior Masterchef Australia and her twin sister, Sofia.
The South African contingent comprises an interesting mix of personalities who will all share their expertise in the cooking arena in different ways.
They include:
Peter Tempelhoff
• Andrea Leeson, owner of The Red Kitchen, has been passionate about being creative with food since her days at school, where she provided healthy alternatives at the tuck shop. Her passion for art, design and cooking have all come together in baking, particularly in her unique hand-painted biscuits and cakes.
• Anél Potgieter’s blog lifeisazoobiscuit was the recent winner of the 2013 Eat Out DSTV Food Network Produce Best Food Blog of the Year Award. This follows on from her winning SABC2’s first season of Dinner Divas in January in which 12 food bloggers were pitted against each other. She is also a regular face on SABC3’s breakfast show, Expresso, and her recipes and photographs are often shared on the leading foodie site of Food24.
• Annerie MacDonald is a cake decorator and sugar art teacher and is also the chairlady of the South African Cake Decorators Guild for the Somerset West branch. MacDonald, who has her own small business called Anny MacCakes, has been decorating for 12 years and teaching for the past five years. Her main focus is on creating wedding and speciality cakes. On Thursday, May 23, she will be preparing a soft cake for covering with sugar paste and will then be using ready-made ornaments to complete the task.
• Bjorn Guido is the owner and executive chef of the Millhouse Kitchen at Lourensford. He combines his rich pedigree in the kitchen with his natural entrepreneurial instincts. As one of South Africa’s most successful young chefs, he brings his cheeky, irreverent attitude to seasonal local produce to create dishes that surprise and delight the palate.
• Christiaan Campbell, Executive Chef at Delaire Graff Estate, Stellenbosch, will be in action in the Real Food Theatre and the Little Children’s Theatre and will be using free range and ethical produce.
• Debbie and Wally Fry, committed vegetarians, started the Fry Family Kitchenand will be showing how to create delicious and cruelty-free food that has as little impact on the natural environment as possible.
Christiaan Campbell, Delair Graaf
• Franck Dangereux of the Foodbarn will be doing his demonstrations in the Real Food Theatre on Friday, 24 May. “It will be something with sustainable seafood and exotic mushrooms. I am also doing a demo in the brilliant baking theatre, baking bread.”
• Geoffrey Murray, Executive Chef of Conrad Pezula Resort and Spa, first started working in restaurants at the age of 13. Since then he has achieved international renown for his prowess in the kitchen. Murray will be cooking at the Real Food Theatre and Little Chef’s Theatre on May 23 and is particularly excited about working with children and teaching them ab
out the wonderful world of food.
• Grace Stevens is the founder and owner of Cupcakes by Design in Cape Town. She is the author of Celebration Cakes, step by step with fondant, which was awarded the 2012 Gourmand World Cookbooks Awards for the best South African Dessert Book. Grace teaches the art of fondant modelling and cake decorating in Cape Town. She is a member of the South African Cake Decorators Guild and has become well known for her flower fairies and their original faces. She will be demonstrating a flower fairy at the show.
• Jane-Anne Hobbs is a writer, editor and cook and has been fervently interested in food for most of her life. Her successful independent blog Scrumptious – which pioneered recipe blogging in South Africa – launched a new career for her as a food writer and recipe developer. Her first cookbook is Scrumptious: Food for Family and Friends.
Grace Stevens, Cupcakes by Design
• Peter Tempelhoff oversees the five Relais Châteaux restaurants within The Collection by Liz McGrath. Since then he has been awarded 3 Stars in the Rossouw’s Restaurants Guide and the Eat Out Top 10 Award for The Greenhouse. He will be doing a garden stir fry with children in the Little Chefs Kitchen. He will also be doing a dish with a ‘sustainably farmed Kabeljou’ and garden vegetables, in the Real Food Theatre.
• Samantha Linsell has had 20 years of hospitality management and food marketing experience under her belt, and now works as a professional food stylist and recipe developer She writes the popular food blog: DrizzleandDip.com. She has written her first cook book, Drizzle and Drip, which was published in July last year. Samantha will be giving a talk on Friday, May 24, around recipe development, food styling, and photography for blogs.
• Sanli Albertze has been decorating cakes for 19 years. She has won numerous gold certificates at shows and is also a qualified tutor (from basic to advanced levels) of the South African Cake Decorators Guild. She teaches all the different techniques in cake decorating and sugar art, but her big love is Royal Icing. At the show on Sunday, May 26, she will be demonstrating how to do a “Picture in Paste”.
• Sarah Graham will be speaking on her experiences as a blogger, food writer and cook book author. Sarah is currently filming a 13-episode TV show based on her cookbook bitten, set in and around Cape Town. The show has begun airing on SABC 3 on Sundays at 3.30pm.
For more details go to www.goodfoodandwineshow.co.za. Booking is also open at Computicket.
Tafelpraatjies Is An Exciting Addition To The Cape Town Good Food & Wine Show Celebrating The Afrikaans Heritage
An exciting addition to this year’s Good Food & Wine Show is Tafelpraatjies which will celebrate the rich and diverse culture and heritage of the Afrikaans nation through its food.
It’s also about stories told around the table, conversations about food, recipes, secret ingredients and the cooking methods that have been part of the Afrikaans table through the generations.
At each session, around the table, 20 to 30 guests will interact with well-known local Afrikaans celebrities: chefs, writers, local storytellers and performers who are there to share their own food and dining stories and memories. These include Johannes Bakkes, Isabella Niehaus, Dana Snyman and Lochner de Kock.
The table will be set in a way that is interesting and surprising, with décor complementing the storyteller and matching the food served.
The set will house an interactive kitchen, including an AGA oven and gas stove. ‘With a retail area forming part A retail aspect is part of the design, with there will be an opportunity to purchase décor items, bric-a-brac, CDs, recipe books, books, jams, table linen and more.
Free workshops in table setting and décor will form part of the schedule.
Johan Bakkes
Another facet of the theatre is a unique restaurant concept, Searle’s Trading Post, which will demonstrate how to set a great table for lunch or dinner using items that people have in their homes, from beautiful linen and candles to antiques, bric-a-brac and kitsch. This is done with style and panache to create a ‘tafelpraatjie’ of note.
Caro Alberts will manage the kitchen for Tafelpraatjies, giving her the opportunity to showcase her flair by taking traditional Afrikaans cuisine and re-inventing it with ‘nuwe maniere en idees’. From humble pumpkin fritters with salted caramel sauce to delicacies such as koeksisters with lemongrass and ginger syrup, Soutribbetjie, Waterblommetjiebredie and biltong – it’s all about ‘wat ís nuut op die rak’.
There will also be easy to follow, back-to-basics demonstrations on doing the simple things like ‘lekker maklike beskuit, pot brood, konfyt, ‘chutney’, marmalade en padkos’.
The Cook Off presenters, all from Smile90.4FM, are Bobby Brown, Eloise Pretorius, Benito Vergitore, Tracey Lange, Maurice Carpede, Mehboob Bawa and Danie Marais.
Celebrities, chefs, cooks and singers who will be attending include:
Johannes Bakkes
He is a world traveller, author of “Samoe(r)sareis,” “Moer toe die vreemde in en Norrevok,” and a qualified CA who lectures in business economics at the University of the Western. He lives on a smallholding in the Paarl, and his adventurous spirit has taken him to destinations all over the world, the common thread being that these places are almost always off the beaten track!
Lochner de Kock
Isabella Niehaus
This stylist, cook and market madame lives on a dune on the West Coast. She was previously a fashion editor for Sarie magazine and is currently a popular blog writer for Sarie’s “Ons-Proe Blog” and known as a “passievolle kok”.
Dana Snyman
He is a well-known and well-loved Afrikaans writer and storyteller. He has published numerous books and writes for Weg, Die Burger as well as for Huisgenoot.
Lochner de Kock
Singer and actor Lochner de Kock is also Cordon Broer for his cooking skills and his fantastic boerekos.
Dates:
• Good Food & Wine Show Cape Town May 23 to 26 – Cape Town International Convention Centre
Booking And Ticket Prices:
Tickets cost R110 for adults for R55 for children. This includes more free theatres than ever before. Visitors will also receive a coupon book that will allow for massive savings and specials.
Contact Us:
• Tel: 021 702 2280
• Tel 0861foodie
• Web: www.goodfoodandwineshow.co.za|www.fieramilano.co.za
• Facebook: Good Food and Wine Show SA
• Twitter: #goodfoodSA
Two Oceans Winemaker Gives A Gift Of Taste To Her Mom
Stellenbosch born-and-bred Two Oceans winemaker Natasha Williams was taught a love of flavour by her mother, Mary. She’s planning to return the favour this Mother’s Day by making her a delicious seafood paella. “As I’ll be using fresh coriander and chilli, and a bit of saffron, I need to pair the dish with a wine that has enough presence not to be overwhelmed by these ingredients, so I’m going for the Two Oceans Cabernet Sauvignon/Merlot blend. Its juicy berry characters and smooth, soft texture should work a treat and I really want to spoil her.”
Natasha also serves the wine when she makes her mother’s famous chicken samoosas and breyanis. “As soon as I think of my mom, I imagine her in the kitchen, suffused with the most appetising fragrances. She awakened in me my love of aromas and tastes.”
Available from stockists nationwide, the wine retails for around R35 a bottle.
Seafood paella recipe:
Ingredients
Enough olive oil to just line the base of your frying pan (+/- 2 Tbsp)
1 grated onion
2 cloves of crushed garlic
1 3m knob of fresh ginger, finely grated
1 orange with zest finely grated
2 cups (500ml) vegetable stock
125 ml Two Oceans Sauvignon Blanc
1 half fresh, finely chopped red chilli or 1,5 tsp of dried chilli flakes
2 tomatoes, skinned and chopped
1 tsp saffron
350g long-grain rice
1kg mixed seafood (firm fish, prawns, calamari and mussels in their shells)
2-3 tbsp fresh coriander
200g green beans cooked until ready and set aside
Method
Heat olive oil in a large frying pan. Add onion and ginger and fry at low heat until soft.
Add garlic, tomatoes and orange zest and fry for three minutes. Add the rice and stir well to make sure it is well-coated in the mixture. Add vegetable stock and wine and bring to the boil, add saffron. Simmer for 10 minutes and if necessary, Add seafood and stir well. Cover and simmer for a further 10 -15 minutes.
Add the juice of the orange, and, if necessary, top up with a few tablespoons of Two Oceans Sauvignon Blanc or water if the mixture becomes too dry.
Check on the rice and when tender, the dish is ready. Add salt and freshly ground pepper to taste. Make sure all the mussels have opened. Discard those that do not open. Add the cooked beans to the dish, sprinkle with fresh coriander and serve.
Amarula: What Mothers Want
It’s not only the gift itself that’s important, but the way you give it. Do it the African Original way by giving your mum a bottle of Amarula, one of the world’s best-loved unique tastes and then offer to spoil her even more by pouring her a glass over ice to savour on her special me-day. While she is sipping on that, rustle up a fabulous fillet to enjoy together.
Tell her that from Australia to Zanzibar, people are smitten by the exotic, fragrant and creamy indulgence of Amarula. Last year, the Spirit of Africa won the Liqueur of the Year title at the New York International Spirits Competition. This year it features on the top ten list of the most popular and talked about liqueur brands, according to Drinks International, the UK based magazine that polled the top 100 bars across the world’s trendiest cities to find out what women (and men) want.
When you’ve presented your mum with a bottle of Amarula and given her a glass, prepare this delicious dish that takes no more than a few minutes. It sends all the right cues in reminding her just how much she means to you.
Seared beef fillet with chocolate chilli and Amarula sauce
Ingredients:
4 x 200 g beef fillet steaks
15 ml olive oil
1 onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
10 ml finely chopped chilli
125 ml Amarula
60 ml tomato puree
250 ml beef stock
45 ml red wine or red vinegar
30 g dark chocolate
Side salad, for serving
Method
Sauce
Heat the oil in a heavy-based saucepan and sauté onion, garlic and chilli for about 2 minutes. Add the Amarula, tomato puree, beef stock, red wine or red vinegar and dark chocolate and stir well. Simmer over low heat for about 5 minutes and set aside.
Beef fillet
Cover a griddle pan with some olive oil and heat until piping hot. Grill the steaks for 3 to 4 minutes per side until medium-rare (depending on the thickness of the steaks). Serve covered with the chocolate chilli and Amarula sauce, with a side salad.
Serves 4.
Visit www.amarula.com or www.facebook.com/amarula for more fabulous recipes and interesting facts about Amarula.
Honest SA Country Style: Drostdy-Hof Merlot And Beef Potjie
Winter’s the time for heartwarming South African country-style food. So bring back the potjie for a delicious beef short rib dish. It makes a truly tasty treat withDrostdy-Hof’s Winemaker’s Collection Merlot, brimming with soft and juicy red berry flavours and a hint of spicy oak that matches the lovely spicy notes of the dish itself.
Here is the recipe:
Beef short rib potjie
Ingredients:
60 ml olive oil
2 onions, chopped
4 carrots, peeled and diced
3 celery stalks, thinly sliced
1 garlic clove, crushed
125 ml flour
5 ml coriander
5 ml cinnamon
5 ml salt
2 kg beef short rib
Bouquet garni: 6 parsley stalks, 2 thyme stalks and 2 bay leaves tied with kitchen string
500 ml beef stock
250 ml Drostdy-Hof Winemaker’s Collection Merlot
300 g pickling onions, peeled
4 juniper berries
4 star anise seeds
4 pieces of cassia
500 g sweet potato, peeled and cubed
500 g butternut cubes
Salt and ground black pepper
Method:
1. Prepare fire as usual ensuring enough coals to cook a potjie.
2. Heat the oil in medium sized cast iron potjie and gently fry the onion, carrot, celery and garlic until golden. Remove from the potjie and set aside.
3. Combine the flour, coriander, cinnamon and salt in a mixing bowl. Dust the short rib pieces with the seasoned flour. Shake off any excess flour. In the same potjie brown the pieces of meat in small batches until golden.
4. Return the vegetables to the potjie. Add the bouquet garni, beef stock and Drostdy-Hof Winemaker’s Collection Merlot, juniper berries, anise seeds and cassis, season to taste. Bring to the boil, reduce heat and simmer for 1 ½ hours or until the meat comes off the bone. Add the sweet potato and butternut and cook for another 30 minutes until soft.
5. Serve warm with creamy polenta or rice and enjoy with Drostdy-Hof Winemaker’s Collection Merlot.
Serves 6-8
Drostdy-Hof Winemaker’s Collection Merlot comes in 750ml bottle and 3-litre bag-in-box packaging. Available from leading stores nationwide, a 750 ml bottle retails for around R35 and a 3-litre bag-in-box for approximately R85.
Brilliant Baking Theatre Comes To The Good Food And Wine Show May 23 to 26
Entrance Is Free!
Baking has made a comeback around the world and is one of the hottest food trends of 2013. Cake is now cool and biscuits are brilliant! Many top selling cookery books at present focus on home baking while shows such as The Great British Bake Off have been hits around the world including South Africa.
A new feature at the upcoming Good Food & Wine Show - which runs at the Cape Town International Convention Centre from May 23 to 26 – is the Brilliant Baking Theatre. Admission is free with the purchase of an entrance ticket to the Show and is on a first come, first served basis.
Heading the list of celebrity chefs in action at the Brilliant Baking Theatre will be master French pastry chef, Eric Lanlard, who has a new TV series out on BBC Lifestyle Baking Mad and a new book, Chocolat. Also in action will be a host of local bakers and pastry experts including Lorraine Meany of the Cape Grace where all the international chefs will be staying; Vicky Gurovich of the Mount Nelson Hotel; Grace Stevens of SA Cake Decorators Guild; Franck Dangereux of The Foodbarn and pastry chefs Hannike and Elisiner De Waal of Hemelhuijs.
Even competent cooks are often wary of baking and there seems to be a misconception that you’re either good at it or not. This isn’t the case as this interactive theatre will prove.
Lanlard will anchor the theatre which will feature baking workshops as well as recipe and technique demonstrations. There will be opportunities for visitors to ask the experts all the dos and don’ts of baking. These specialists will also explain why things go wrong and how flops can be rectified.
Dates
Good Food & Wine Show Cape Town May 23 to 26 – Cape Town International Convention Centre
Good Food & Wine Show Durban August 8 to 11- Durban Exhibition Centre
Good Food & Wine Show Johannesburg September 21 to 24 – Coca Cola Dome
Booking And Ticket Prices
Cape Town Show
Tickets cost R110 for adults for R55 for children. This includes more free theatres than ever before. Visitors will also receive a coupon book that will allow for massive savings and specials.
Contact Us
Tel: 021 702 2280
Tel 0861foodie
Web: www.goodfoodandwineshow.co.za|www.fieramilano.co.za
Facebook: Good Food and Wine Show SA
Twitter: #goodfoodSA
Cook Franschhoek – A Feast For The Senses
14 – 16 June 2013
“A meal without wine is like a day without sunshine.”
Jean-Anthelme Brillat-Savarin, ‘The Physiology of Taste’ (1825)
Regarded as South Africa’s culinary capital, visitors can once again look forward to reawakening their taste sensations as the award-winning Franschhoek Wine Valley prepares for the annual Cook Franschhoek. The interactive hands on demonstration kitchens, presented by some of the Valley’s highly acclaimed chefs and winemakers, takes place over the weekend of 14, 15 and 16 June.
The demonstrations will take place throughout the weekend, allowing guests the opportunity to not only interact with the chefs and winemakers but also master the art of intricate dishes. With the focus on exclusivity, each demonstration will range from 8 to 30 people, and costs will differ by establishment. This year visitors can choose to attend demonstrations offering a beautifully prepared and paired meal and wine as part of the offering, or simply a stand-alone demonstration. This allows visitors the opportunity to attend more than one demonstration during the course of the weekend, ensuring a memorable experience.
Booking for all demonstrations is essential and can be done via www.webtickets.co.za.
Make a weekend of your experience and book into one of Franschhoek’s splendid accommodation establishments, ranging from the finest bed and breakfasts, to luxurious boutique hotels, all nestled in a picturesque and safe environment. This should also afford you ample time for a leisurely stroll down the main road, uncovering world-class shops and boutiques, allowing for an intimate and relaxed shopping expedition.
For a detailed programme on Cook Franschhoek visit www.cookfranschhoek.co.za or contact the Franschhoek Wine Valley offices on 021 876 2861. Follow us on Twitter at @fhkcook.
Meet The First Chef Who Is Going Into Space
TV presenter and celebrated baker Eric Lanlard – currently appearing on South African television – will make history next year by being the first chef to go into space.
He admits that he is scared and excited at the same time but says that a trip to outer space is the opportunity of a lifetime.
Lanlard, who will be one of the international chefs at the Good Food & Wine Show in Cape Town from May 23 to 26, says he signed up to travel into space with Virgin Galactic and is on a list of 30 people who’ll be undertaking five trips planned in 2014.
Lanlard, who is twice winner of the prestigious Continental Pâtissier of the Year at the British Baking Awards and recognised for changing the face of British Patisserie, said that he asked Buzz Aldrin for advice.
“Don’t have breakfast,” was the iconic American astronaut’s reply.
He said he decided to sign up for the trip after meeting Sir Richard Branson at an event where too much good food and champagne were consumed.
Lanlard has been hugely busy during the past 12 months. A crowning highlight of his career was creating a special chocolate cake for the Diamond Jubilee last year which he presented to Queen Elizabeth for the palace high tea.
He has just published his latest book, Chocolat as well as filming a new 10-part TV series for BBC, Baking Mad. This is currently airing in South Africa on BBC Lifestyle on DStv.
Lanlard will join culinary forces at the Good Food & Wine Show with other celebrat
ed names including Gordon Ramsay, Bill Granger and the Bliss twins, Isabella and Sofia from Junior MasterChef Australia.
Since moving to the UK 26 years ago, he has been widely acknowledged as the man who changed the face of British Patisserie, earning himself a reputation for inspirational cakes and an A-list clientele.
Celebrities who have utilised his services include Madonna, the Beckham’s, Claudia Schiffer and Elizabeth Hurley.
“People always expect that a celebrity will be difficult or ask for something crazy,” he said, “but it’s usually completely the opposite.”
He conceded that some of the minor personalities were the most difficult. “I always try to keep away from them because they don’t want to pay anything. The top celebrities, like Madonna and Elizabeth Hurley usually know what they want and it is quite straight forward and is actually a pleasure to work with them. They pay on time and they often have simple requests.”
Get A VIP Package To Cape Town’s Food And Wine Show In May To Meet Patisserie Genius And Baker Eric Lanlard
He’s one of the world’s best-known master bakers and patisserie chefs and those attending the Good Food & Wine Show in Cape Town will have the opportunity to meet him.
Eric Lanlard appears in the Checkers Celebrity Chefs Theatre in Cape Town on Thursday 23 May at 11am; on Friday 24 May at 12.30pm; on Saturday 25 May at 3pm and on Sunday 26 May at 3pm. He will also be on the Brilliant Baking Theatre.
Food lovers will have the opportunity to interface with the genial Lanlard by purchasing a Good Food and Wine Show VIP Package for R650
This includes:
• Admission to the Good Food & Wine Show
• Drinks & canapés in the VIP Lounge
• VIP Seating in the Checkers Celebrity Chefs Theatre for Eric’s demonstration and
• A signed copy of his newest book Chocolat
For those visitors who want to watch Eric demonstrate at the Checkers’ Celebrity Chef Theatre without the VIP experience, the price is R150.
VIP packages and regular tickets are available from Computicket.
ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THE GOOD FOOD & WINE SHOW
DATES AND VENUE
Good Food & Wine Show Cape Town May 23 To 26 – Cape Town International Convention Centre
BOOKING AND TICKET PRICES
Tickets cost R110 for adults for R55 for children. This includes more free theatres than ever before. Visitors will also receive a coupon book that will allow for massive savings and specials.
CONTACT US
Tel: 021 702 2280
Tel 0861foodie
Web: www.goodfoodandwineshow.co.za or www.fieramilano.co.za
Facebook: Good Food and Wine Show SA
Twitter: #goodfoodSA
Amarula: An African Original That Shows Good Taste
Shorter days but longer nights, Easter is the time to cosy up indoors, as soon as the sun goes down with a glass of creamy, luxurious Amarula. Show African Original hospitality to your friends or spoil yourself with a serving over ice or use it to make a new twist on a classic cocktail, coffee or delicious dish.
Amarula is not just a South African favourite that’s on the lips of more and more locals, but a regular international winner too. It was recently named Liqueur of the Year at the 2012 New York International Spirits Competition and was a gold medallist at the International Wine & Spirit Competition in London.
Impress your guests this Easter with this mouth-watering recipe incorporating Amarula:
Wild mushroom and Amarula empanadas with smoky jalapeno mayo
Ingredients
2 medium onions, finely chopped
6 Tbs unsalted butter
500 g wild/exotic mushrooms, finely chopped
2 small red peppers, finely chopped
125 ml Amarula
Handful of fresh parsley, chopped
3 Tbs fine, dry bread crumbs
500 g puff pastry
2 eggs and a splash of water (for egg wash)
250 ml mayonnaise
125 ml pickled jalapeno peppers, finely chopped
2 Tbs smoked paprika
Method
Smoky jalapeno mayo
Combine the mayonnaise, finely chopped jalapeno peppers and smoked paprika (use an immersion or stick blender if you have one). Let it chill in the fridge until the empanadas are ready to be served.
Wild mushroom and Amarula empanadas
Sauté the onions in butter in a pan over moderate heat, stirring occasionally until softened. Stir in the mushrooms and red peppers and cook, stirring occasionally until the liquid that escapes from the mushrooms evaporates and the mixture begins to brown. Add the Amarula and cook, stirring, until the liquid has been absorbed. Combine the mushroom mixture, parsley, bread crumbs, and salt and pepper to taste in a bowl and cool, uncovered. Preheat the oven to 180˚C. On a lightly floured surface, roll out a few pastry sheets and use a round cutter to cut circles into the pastry. Brush the edges of the pastry circles with egg wash (2 eggs whisked together with a splash of water) and put a dollop of mushroom mixture in the centre of each pastry circle. Fold the edges of pastry together with a fork to form half-moons, brush again with egg wash and bake until golden brown. Serve immediately with the smoky jalapeno mayo.
Serves 4.
Please visit www.amarula.com or www.facebook.com/amarula for more fabulous recipes and interesting facts about Amarula.
Recipes For Dishes To Complement Weltevrede’s ‘Strikingly Simplistic’ Family Of Wines
Weltevrede Tropico Sauvignon Blanc: Goatsmilk Cheese and Nectarine Salad
(Recipe from Melissa Pecoraro)
The fruitiness of the nectarines and the freshness of the mint is a great combination with the Weltevrede Tropico Sauvignon Blanc.
Serves 4
Bake for 20 minutes
1 baguette, sliced
30ml olive oil
1 garlic clove, halved
2 crottin-goatsmilk cheeses cut into 4 rings
6 nectarines, halved, with pips removed
80g fresh rocket
handful of mint
Dressing
60ml olive oil
15ml honey
30ml red wine vinegar
salt and freshly ground pepper
Preheat oven to 180′C. Place slices of bread on a baking plate, sprinkle with olive oil and rub with clove of garlic. Put a slice of the cheese on each piece of bread and bake until melted. Heat a griddle pan and fry nectarines gently. Arrange rocket and nectarines on a plate. Mix the oil, honey and vinegar and season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle mint over salad and serve with the cheesy bread.
Weltevrede Cherrychoc Merlot: Beef Fillet in Red Wine and Soya Sauce
(Recipe from the Cape Wine Masters Cookbook)
1.5kg beef or any South African antelope fillet
Marinade
3 cups red wine (preferably Merlot)
½ cup soya sauce
½ cup olive oil
1 heaped tablespoon soft brown sugar
4 cloves garlic, grated (add more if you like)
3–4cm fresh ginger, peeled and grated
1 heaped tablespoon coriander seeds, dry-fried and coarsely crushed
2 fresh chillies, deseeded and finely sliced (add more if you like)
1 tablespoon salt for seasoning
freshly ground black pepper to taste
spring onions for garnishing
Combine all ingredients for the marinade. Place the meat in a tight-fitting bowl, pour the marinade over it and leave covered in the fridge overnight. Turn the meat from time to time. Strain the marinade off the meat and retain for basting. Place the meat on a braai grid over hot coals (the fire needs to be hot enough to ensure good browning of the meat without charring). Season both sides with salt and pepper. Baste the meat regularly and cook for 20 minutes on each side for a well-browned, slightly caramelised coating and a fillet that is rare to medium-rare. Allow the meat to rest for at least 10–15 minutes, slice, garnish with spring onion cut into slivers lengthwise and serve.
Weltevrede Cigarbox Shiraz: Steak and Chorizo Kebabs
(Recipe from Barbara Joubert)
The smoky flavour of these kebabs is perfect enjoyed with the Weltevrede Cigarbox Shiraz
(Chorizo is Spanish pork sausage flavoured with paprika)
For 12 kebabs
1 yellow pepper
1 red pepper
1 green pepper
2 400g rump steaks
60ml olive oil
juice of 1 lemon
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2.5ml smoked paprika
salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 chorizo sausages, sliced
olive oil to sprinkle over kebabs
Place 12 sosatie sticks in a bowl covered with boiling water. Soak for at least an hour. Slice the peppers in half and remove the pips and pith. Cut into 2cm blocks. Place in a bowl and pour boiling water over. Allow to stand for about an hour. Cut steak into 2cm blocks and place in separate bowl. Mix olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, and paprika. Season meat blocks with salt and pepper and pour sauce over. Let it marinate for 15 minutes. Remove sosatie sticks from the water and thread alternate blocks of steak, pepper and chorizo onto the stick. Heat a griddle pan. Sprinkle a little olive oil over the kebabs. Fry until lightly browned. If you prefer the meat pink it will take about 8 minutes.
Weltevrede Vanilla Chardonnay: Chicken, Pancetta and Wild Mushroom Potjie
Full flavoured and totally delicious
Serves 4-8
oil for frying
8 chicken pieces
6 garlic cloves, sliced
2 sticks celery, sliced
200g pancetta, chopped (if you can’t get pancetta use streaky bacon instead)
40g dried wild mushrooms, soaked in a cup of boiling water
250ml chicken stock
60ml medium cream sherry
5ml sugar
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
200g baby carrots, peeled
8 fresh sage leaves
Sauté the chicken in the oil until browned. Add onion and garlic and stir-fry. Then add celery and pancetta and fry for 5 minutes. Add the mushrooms, including the soaking water, stock, sherry, sugar and seasoning. Cover and cook for 1 hour. Remove the lid. Stir to combine and add the carrots and sage. Cook for a further 30 to 60 minutes and serve.
Bon appetit
De Krans Port Cocktails For Summer
South African summers are synonymous with sundowners, cocktails and spending time with friends, be it at the beach, at the pool, or simply in the comfort of your home.
De Krans Wine Cellar, situated in the quaint picturesque town of Calitzdorp along Route 62 in the Little Karoo, has embraced the diversity of its award-winning ports. Taking the enjoyment of ports to a new level, winemaking team Boets and Stroebel Nel, with the assistance of mixologists have created a selection of delicious port cocktails, affording port lovers the opportunity to enjoy their favourite drink throughout the year.
To ensure that their consumers do not miss out on the opportunity, each of their Pink and Cape Ruby port bottles are enrobed in a unique ‘cocktail jacket’ this summer, bearing the recipes of these easy cocktails.
Some of the fun recipes include:
Ginger Up
Pour De Krans Pink Port in a highball glass filled with crushed ice, a shot of Gin, a dash of bitters and topped up with ginger beer. The perfect thirst quencher for summer!
Pink Sunset
Pour De Krans Pink Port and chilled iced tea in equal amounts into a tall glass. Add sliced strawberries and crushed ice or ice cubes – a great sunset punch!
Porto Urbano
Pour equal parts of De Krans Cape Ruby Port and cranberry juice into a Martini glass, and add a dash of lime cordial and some crushed ice. Garnish with orange peel and maraschino cherry.
Ruby Port Sparklers
One or two tablespoons of chocolate liqueur with chilled De Krans Cape Ruby Port in a champagne flute. Top up with some sparkling wine and garnish with a lemon-zest strip.
To take advantage of these fun cocktails and be a hit with your friends, be sure to visit your local retail outlet. For more information visit www.dekrans.co.za or email dekrans@mweb.co.za.
