Maize Meal Chips

• 250g mielie meal
• 1 liter milk
• 2 tsp chicken stock
• 100g cold butter, cut into cubes
• 75g Parmesan, grated
• Salt
• ¾ tsp truffle oil
• Oil for frying

METHOD

1. Line and grease a 30cm x 20cm baking tray
2. Fill a medium saucepan with 1 liter water and bring it to a boil
3. Pour in the mielie meal, whisking as you pour
4. Lower the heat and cook the polenta until it is smooth and thick, stir occasionally
5. Add the butter and parmesan
6. Cook while stirring continuously for an additional 5 minutes
7. Remove from heat and add the truffle oil
8. Pour the mielie meal into the lined baking tray and spread it out evenly with a spatula
9. Cover the top with another sheet of baking paper, and it press it down gently
10. Let it cool to room temperature before setting it in the fridge for two hours
11. After refrigeration, pop the polenta out unto a large chopping board and cut into rectangular chips
12. Roll the chips in extra mealie meal to cover
13. Heat the oil in a deep pan
14. Once hot, working in batches, fry the chips until they are golden brown
15. Using a slotted spoon, remove the chips from the oil and set aside on a plate line with kitchen towel
16. Season with salt and serve

Tomato Jam

• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 clove of garlic, crushed
• 1 chilli, finely chopped
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 1 can tomatoes
• 1 tbsp red wine vinegar
• 1 tsp sugar
• Salt to taste

METHOD

1. Fry the onions, garlic and chilli
2. Add the cumin seeds and stir to coat
3. Add the tomatoes, red wine vinegar, sugar and salt
4. Cook until a jam-like consistency is achieved

Big Beer & Cheese Loaf

• 1 round loaf like a soft sourdough
• 1/2 cup melted butter
• 2 garlic cloves crushed
• 2 tsp fresh thyme chopped

For the beer and cheese sauce:

• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 cup milk
• One bottle beer, amber preferred
• 2cups grated sharp Cheddar cheese
• 1 cup cream cheese
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1/2 teaspoon dry mustard

METHOD

1. In a medium sauce pan over medium heat, add the butter and flour and mix together to make a roux.
2. Cook until nutty and fragrant but still light in color, about 3 to 4 minutes.
3. Pour in the beer and half and half and continue to whisk to create a smooth, thick mixture.
4. Add the cheeses, mustard
5. Cook over low heat while continuing to whisk for 7 to 8 minutes.
6. Make a 5cm hollow in the bread – keeping a bottom in tact
7. Cut the sides around the hollow into a checkered effect – about 2cm x 2cm blocks.
8. Keeping the bottom intact still.
9. Brush every nook and cranny with garlic butter
10. Fill the middle with the cheese sauce
11. Wrap in foil and bake for 20 minutes

Chinese Chicken Pancakes

• 4 chicken thighs – bone and skin on
• 2 tsp Chinese five spice
• Salt and milled pepper
• 1 tsp Sesame oil
• 4 tbsp Hoisin sauce
• juice of an orange
• 1/2 cup chicken stock
• 4 Spring onions, shredded
• 1/2 cucumber, julienned
• 2 carrots, julienned
• handful fresh coriander

Dough

• 450g flour
• 310ml boiling water
• 1 tsp veg oil
• 2 Tbsp Sesame oil

METHOD

To make the pancakes

1. Stir water into flour, add oil and knead into dough
2. Cover and set aside for 30 minutes
3. Knead dough 5 minutes until smooth
4. Divide and roll into three cylinders
5. Cut cylinders into 8 pieces
6. Roll each piece into a ball and press flat with the palm of your hand
7. Brush on disc with sesame oil and place the other onn top
8. Roll each pair with a rolling pin into a flat pancake
9. Heat a non stick pan and cook pancakes
10. Turn when brown spots appear on the bottom side
11. When the pancake pair is cooked peel them apart
12. Fold each pancake with the cook side inward in half and set aside
13. Steam pancakes for 10 minutes in a steamer before serving

For the chicken

1. Season well with 5 spice, salt and pepper and season oil
2. Heat oil and brown the chicken.
3. Add hoisin sauce, orange juice and stock and leave to cook gently for 45 minutes
4. Remove bones and skin and shred roughly,
5. The sauce should be thick so if it isn’t, reduce it a little but don’t let the chicken fall apart completely
6. Top pancakes with chicken, spring onion, cucumber, carrot and coriander and roll

Chilli Poppers

• 12 slices white bread
• 1 tub (250g) cream cheese
• 5 jalepenos, chopped finely
• Handful coriander, chopped finely
• Lime zest
• Salt and pepper
• 1 egg, beaten
• Bread crumbs, as needed (about 2 cups)
• Oil for frying

METHOD

1. İn a glass bowl, mix the cream cheese to make it smooth and viscous
2. Add the chopped jalapenos, coriander, lime zest and season to taste with salt and pepper
3. Mix to combine
4. Neatly cut the crusts off the bread
5. Using a rolling pin, flatten the bread
6. Cut the bread slices in half, lengthways
7. Spread the cut slices with the jalapeno cream cheese
8. Roll the spread slices into long cigars
9. Brush the cigars with the beaten egg and then roll it in the bread crumbs to cover
10. Place the crumbed cigars into a tray and refrigerate for an hour to firm up
11. Heat the oil in deep pan to medium-high
12. Working in batches, carefully drop the cigars in the oil once it is hot and fry for 2-3 minutes until the outer crust is golden brown
13. Transfer the cigars to a plate lined with kitchen towel
14. Serve while still hot

Bitterballen

• 

  

  250g bacon, roughly chopped

• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 90g butter
• 80g flour
• 2 cups milk
• 2 tbsp spring onion, chopped
• 200g mozzarella
• ½ cup parmesan
• Salt and milled pepper
• 2 eggs, whisked with a fork
• panko crumbs
• Oil for deep frying
• Sweet chilli sauce

METHOD

1. For the filling, fry the onion and bacon together in the butter till golden
2. Add the flour, stir to coat and cook for a minute
3. Stir in the milk and spring onions and cook for five minutes, till thick
4. Take the pan off the heat, and stir in the mozzarella and parmesan cheese and season
5. Allow to cool
6. Roll into portion sized balls
7. To make the batter, dip the balls in the egg and then roll in the bread crumbs
8. Repeat this process
9. Deep-fry in hot oil until golden
10. Serve with hot sweet chilli sauce

Suppli with Pesto Mayo

• 1 cup Arborio rice or any rice for that matter, cooked al dente and cooled
• 2 cans chopped tomatoes
• ¼ cup bread crumbs
• ¼ cup parmesan cheese
• 1 egg
• Salt and milled pepper3 tbsp fresh oregano, chopped
• 1 ball buffalo mozzarella
• Oil for frying
• 2 eggs, beaten
• Flour
• Bread crumbs

For the Mayo:

• 1 whole egg
• 1 tsp mustard
• 2 Tbsp (30ml) lemon juice
• 1 cup oil
• salt and pepper to taste
• 2 tsp basil pesto

METHOD

1. Combine the tomatoes, parmesan cheese, eggs, and oregano in a bowl
2. Stir in the rice and season to taste
3. İn the palm of your hand, measure out about a tablespoon of the rice mixture, place a cube of mozzarella in the middle and form an oblong shape with the rice, covering the mozzarella
4. Dip the oblong shaped bowls in the flour and dust off any excess flour and then dip into the beaten eggs
5. Allow excess eggs to drip off before covering the suppli in breadcrumbs
6. Deep fry until the suppli is golden brown and then remove it with a slotted spoon and place on a bed of paper towel
7. Serve warm with the mayo

FOR THE MAYO

1. Pop the egg into the bottom of a stick blender jug
2. Carefully add all the rest of the ingredients barring the pesto
3. Now place the stick blender into the jug and push all the way down – keeping the yolk whole and making sure it fits snuggling in between the blades. Start blending on the slowest setting and pull up gently.
4. It should thicken straight through.
5. Season and stir through pesto.
6. Serve with the suppli

Roosterkoek

• 500g flour
• 1 tbsp salt
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1 sachet (15g) yeast
• Lukewarm water
• Black sesame seeds
• 2 Tbsp cumin seeds

METHOD

1. Grease a baking tray and sprinkle with flour
2. Combine the flour, salt, sugar and yeast
3. Add water bit by bit until the dough comes together
4. Knead the dough for 5 minutes until it is smooth
5. Cover with a damp cloth and leave in a warm place to proof
6. Knock the dough down
7. Roll as thin as possible with rolling pin or wine bottle
8. Sprinkle with the seeds and spices like cumin seeds
9. Roast over coals

BEAUTIFUL VEGGIE TART (Wheat and dairy free)

For the Dough

• 300 gr (2 cups) of buckwheat flour
• 2 egg yolks
• 4 tablespoons of water
• 150 gr (2/3 cup) of unsalted butter
• Pinch of salt

For the filling

• 4 onions, finely diced
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 sprig rosemary
• 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
• 2 large fresh sage leaves, chiffonaded (thinly sliced)
• 2 zucchinis
• 1 squash
• 5 heirloom carrots (different colors if you can find them)
• 1 eggplant
• drizzle of olive oil
• Salt and pepper

METHOD

1. Preheat the oven to 180C
2. Put the butter, salt and the flour in a bowl and work together with your hands, until it looks like wet sand.
3. Add the egg yolk and the water and knead until it all comes together
4. If the dough is a bit dry, add some more water. (Dough that’s too dry turns out too brittle and is very difficult to roll out.)
5. Wrap in clinging film and leave to rest in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.
6. On a lightly floured surface roll the dough out until it’s about 5mm thick.
7. Line a greased pie dish with the pastry and prick several times with a fork. Cover and keep in the fridge.
8. Slowly caramelise the onions in the olive oil with the rosemary – this takes about 1 hour. Leave to cool.
9. Spread quiche base with mustard and spread cooled onion all over base.
10. Wash the carrots, eggplant and zucchini and cut in lengthwise strips using a peeler.
11. Roll a strip of zucchini into a spiral and place in the center of the dish (with the skin of the vegetable up), then surround it with a few strips of carrots and eggplant until reaching the ends of the dish.
12. Drizzle olive oil over all. Season with salt and pepper.
13. Bake in a preheated oven for 40 minutes

Mushroom tapenade with flatbread

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 medium onion finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 700g mushrooms, finely chopped
• 1 tsp thyme leaves
• 3 tbsp balsamic vinegar
• 2 tbsp soya sauce
• Flatbreads – 1 kg shop bought bread dough

METHOD

1. Saute onion, garlic
2. Add mushrooms, don’t crowd pan
3. Add thyme, balsamic and soya sauce and cook for 5 minutes
4. Leave to cool slightly and blend until a rough paste forms
5. Season well with salt and pepper
6. Shape beautiful flatbreads and cook in a little butter and oil in a pan until golden and puffed up…
7. Serve with mushroom tapenade and freshly cut veggie crudites