My best childhood memories are those of Christmas celebrations at my grandmother’s house. The entire family would get together in Wellington, and there were many of us! There was always a huge tree with tin angels and tiny candles, an overwhelming amount of food and a concert in the sitting room. That is where everything started for me, my love of special occasions, my weight problems and my need to be on stage.
Christmas is still the highlight of my year. I get as excited as any child. I start planning menus and decorations months ahead, and the first gifts are bought in August. There are several celebrations one with godchildren, one with friends and of course, one with family. Each event has its own theme, colours, table setting and menu. Menus differ, some are light and some are formal or traditional, some are without meat and some consist of guest’s favourites – no matter how primitive some palates might be, happiness is what matters.
This is the one time of the year when I certainly do not believe in fast and easy food. The most important birthday of the year deserves some extra work. All things beautiful – lights, music, gifts, cakes, desserts and love – should be there.
GIANT GINGER GLASS
Pulp 2 fresh pineapples in a food processor.
Per serving
7 ice cubes
75 ml pineapple pulp
150 ml ginger beer
1 tbsp brandy
100 ml soda water
Place ice cubes in an oversized wine glass. Pour pineapple pulp over. Add rest of ingredients and serve immediately.
WISE MEN’S CROWNS
1 cup brown rice
¾ cup wild rice
2 cups water
2 cups red wine
2 cups chicken stock
1 tbsp brown sugar
1 tbsp tomato paste
1 tomato, finely chopped
1 onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
pinch of salt
pinch of black pepper
pinch of ground cinnamon
2 tbsp Greek yoghurt
Combine all ingredients except yoghurt in a saucepan. Bring to the boil and cook over medium heat until al dente, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and stir in yoghurt. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary. Let cool to room temperature.
Confetti Salad:
1 English cucumber, seeded and peeled
2 firm tomatoes, seeded and peeled
1 tbsp white wine vinegar
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
pinch of salt
2 heaped tbsp finely chopped parsley
freshly ground black pepper
Cut cucumber and tomatoes into tiny cubes. Toss with vinegar, oil and salt.
To Serve: Transfer cooled rice to 200 ml moulds and press down to compact. Invert onto the centre of individual serving plates.
Spoon Confetti Salad around each rice mound. Sprinkle with parsley and season with black pepper.
LEG OF LAMB WITH PEA AND PEPPER PUFFS
2,5 kg leg of lamb
sea salt
freshly ground black pepper
1 tbsp vegetable oil
1 cup apple juice
1 Golden Delicious apple, grated
4 cloves garlic, chopped
1 tbsp butter
1 glass of dry white wine
leaves of 4 sprigs of fresh thyme
2 tbsp flour
Set oven to 150°C. Rub leg of lamb with salt and pepper. Heat oil in a pan and brown meat on all sides. Place in an oven dish, and add juice, apple, garlic and onion. Cover and bake in a preheated oven for 3½ hours. Remove lamb from dish, cover and let rest. Place oven dish on stovetop, add butter, wine, thyme and flour. Stir over medium heat until sauce thickens. Cut leg of lamb into thin slices, heat in sauce and serve with Pea and Pepper Puffs.
Pea and Pepper Puffs:
2 tbsp butter
3 tbsp flour
1¼ cups milk
3 tbsp finely grated parmesan
150 g fresh garden peas or petit pois
4 red bell peppers, roasted, skinned and seeded
2 tbsp finely chopped fresh parsley
sea salt
freshly ground black pepper
2 sheets frozen puff pastry, thawed
1 egg yolk, beaten
Set oven to 180°C. Heat butter in a saucepan and stir in flour with a whisk. Add about 100 ml milk at a time and stir until thickened. Remove from heat and stir in parmesan, peas, peppers and parsley then season and let cool.
Roll out pastry until doubled in size, cut into twelve 7 cm circles and line twelve small muffin-pan cups. Fill to about two thirds with pea and pepper mixture, and brush edges of pastry with egg yolk. Cut out twelve smaller circles from the remaining pastry and place on top. Press with a fork to seal edges and pierce once. Bake in a preheated oven until golden brown.
PICASSO TRIFLE
1 Vanilla Sour Cream Cake (See Recipe)
6 – 8 Red Berry Jellies (See Recipe)
Vanilla Cream (See Recipe)
marsala or dessert wine
preserved figs, sliced
Use a large individual plates. Place 1 thin slice of Vanilla Sour Cream Cake on each plate. Place 1 Red Berry Jelly on each plate. Spoon a bit of Vanilla Cream onto each plate. Garnish with fig slices.
Vanilla Sour Cream Cake:
½ cup butter, softened at room temperature
½ cup sour cream
1½ cups sugar
5 eggs
pinch of salt
1½ tsp vanilla extract
1½ cups self-raising flour, sifted
Set oven to 170ºC. Grease and line the base of a 22 cm springform pan. Cream butter, sour cream and sugar with an electric mixer. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add salt and vanilla. Turn mixer to lowest speed, and gradually beat in flour. Pour into pan and bake in preheated oven for 75 minutes.
Red Berry Jelly:
400 g fresh berries
1 tbsp sugar (use more, if preferred)
250 ml cranberry juice
7 tbsp water
4 tsp gelatine
Heat berries and sugar in a saucepan, and stir until sugar has dissolved. Remove from heat and add juice. Pour water into a small saucepan and sprinkle gelatine over. Heat slowly until gelatine has dissolved, and stir into berries. Pour into small glasses and refrigerate until set.
Vanilla Cream:
125 ml fresh cream
1 tsp vanilla extract
3 tbsp castor sugar
125 ml mascarpone, softened at room temperature
Whisk together cream, vanilla and sugar until soft peaks form. Fold in mascarpone.
.
Nataniël has staged more than 60 theatre productions, released 13 albums and published 14 books. His ‘Kaalkop’ column has been appearing in leading women’s magazine Sarie for the past eight years. Nataniël manages his own production company, Nataniël House of Music, as well as Kaalkop Trading, a manufacturing company, and his two Kaalkop Studio lifestyle shops. He serves as ambassador for Child Welfare South Africa.
http://www.nataniel.co.za/books.htm
GATHERINGS - A YEAR OF INVITATIONS
Photography by Clinton Lubbe
Human & Rousseau
Cape Town
www.humanrousseau.com
Loading ...
I am an avid Nataniel fan! From his recipes to his shows. To say his sense of humour appeals to me would be a gross understatement.
Hopefully, we’ll see him in Nelspruit again soon. My worst nightmare is that he would come and go without me knowing!