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FIVE
ROSES TEA
IN TOWN & COUNTRY
AT
THE WESTCLIFF
  
Over the years tea at The Westcliff has become a
ritual. Renowned for exquisite themed
teas, a
perfect place to celebrate birthdays, special friends - special occasions
and the ideal setting for our Five Roses afternoon tea
The
splendid hotel, winding through enchanting gardens, set on a hillside,
has the most spectacular
views in
Johannesburg and is a magnet for local and international visitors. Tea at
The Westcliff has taken a fresh guise. For the first time they
will be introducing a sumptuous Buffet, the tea service will flow between The Polo
Lounge, Conservatory and onto The Terrace
overlooking the rimflow pool and leafy suburbs.
  
The
new Tea Buffet features delicate tarts; lemon and strawberry, light hot scones, fruity muffins, rich tortes and of course
dark moist chocolate
cake festooned with white and dark chocolate curls. Naturally tea at The Westcliff
would not be complete without their classic sandwiches; smoked salmon,
watercress and cucumber.
Five Roses
with their premium teas is fondly regarded as an icon in South Africa and
is synonymous with style, elegance, warmth and family. Tea with a
contemporary twist a joy to greet each day.
Charismatic
Reggie Rajiah Tea Master, Chief Buyer of teas for Five Roses/National
Brands and a perfectionist, takes us through making and serving the
perfect cup!
 Sri
Lankan, Reggie Rajiah, has spent a life time in the study of tea,
learning and honing his understanding of this vast and fascinating
subject, perfecting his considerable skills under expert experienced Tea
Tasters during his years at one of the oldest tea broking houses in
London.
For Reggie blending tea is
an art. There is an art to putting together different teas from over 50
estates from origins around the world. Producing the exclusive Five Roses
blend is an
intricate subtle process, one that continuously fuels his passion and as
he explains, "This is about tracking the progress of the teas from
the tea estates until the brew reaches your cup!"
As
Tea Master he is the custodian, ensuring exacting standards of Five
Roses, for quality and consistency.
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A
Choice of Teas!
Five
Roses English Breakfast Tea, is great to start the day, smooth and
mellow yet invigorating. Mid morning Prince of Wales, rich and
refreshing, after lunch Green Tea is an excellent digestive. Earl Grey, is delightful late afternoon with its Bergamot
notes, wonderfully fragrant and a perfect complement to tea time patisserie. At the end of the day what could be better than tranquil
Rooibos?
To
serve with a cup of fragrant tea your choice of dainty finger
sandwiches, miniature strawberry tartlets, tiramisu, seasonal fruit
bowls and many more delectable delights.
 
 
Step-by-Step
to the perfect cup!
1)
Fill
an empty kettle with freshly drawn cold water.
2)
Pour a little of the hot
water into the teapot and into the tea cups to warm.
Note:
Don't forget to swirl the warm water
around in the teapot before pouring off. The reason you do this is because
you want the boiling water to stay at boiling point when it hits the tea
this help to open the leaves properly.
3)
Add
one heaped teaspoon for each person and one for the pot. If you prefer
teabags, do use one per person. At that point the kettle should reach a
galloping boil. Do not over boil as the water loses its oxygen.
4)
The
teapot should stand in a warm place, ideally covered with a tea cosy and
allow the tea to brew for 4-5 minutes, less time for small leaf and
longer for leaf tea. The duration of brewing time is personal taste
preference, but do keep to timing for optimal extraction of all
attributes of a good tea. For loose leaf use a strainer and for teabags
remove after squeezing out the liquid
 Note:
On every pack of Five Roses you will find an infusion time guide for
teabags. For full strength allow to steep for 4 minutes, for medium
strength 2 - 3 minutes, for mild 1 minute. Rooibos Select needs
3 - 5 minutes to reach flavour, for extra strength gently squeeze the
teabag before removing from the cup.
Note:
For
loose tea lovers it is worthwhile buying a perforated metal mesh
tea ball. Place the tea leaves in the ball and then into a cup of
boiling water and allow the tea to brew for 4 - 5 minutes before
removing.
Taking
afternoon tea, an elegant tradition
dating back two centuries, is
experiencing a worldwide renaissance lauded
for reducing stress. Tea
at The Westcliff is an oasis of calm during a busy day.
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On
the elegant buffet you are spoiled for choice as Executive Chef
Stefano Strafella has created the new buffet around the sublime
tastes that we all love; rich chocolate, tart lemon, the intensity of seasonal berries, bringing his fresh approach to taking tea
at The Westcliff. |
LEMON
TART
Pastry
Case:
125
g unsalted butter
125 g castor sugar
1 egg
250 g flour
pinch salt
Lemon
filling:
9 eggs
300 g castor sugar
6 lemons (zest of 2 and juice of all)
250 ml double cream
To
make a Pastry Case:
Cream
butter and castor sugar in a food processor. Add egg and mix well. Add
the flour and salt, process for a few seconds until a ball of dough
forms. Remove and place in the refrigerator for 30 minutes then roll out
and line a flan tin. Bake
170ºC blind for 10 minutes, then remove beans and bake for a further
10 minutes.
To
make a Filling: Whisk eggs with sugar and
zest until thick and pale. Stir in juice and cream. Reduce oven to 130ºC and pour
filling
into pastry case. Bake for 30
minutes.
Moist
Chocolate and Pistachio Torte, fluffy Milk Tart, light Chocolate Éclairs.
  
CHOCOLATE
AND PISTACHIO TORTE
Pistachio
filling:
200 g dark
chocolate, chopped
400 g ground
almonds
150 g
pistachio, lightly roasted
2 tbsp
cornflour
250 g castor
sugar
6 egg whites
¼ tsp cream
of tartar
Chocolate
mixture:
350 g dark
chocolate
250 g unsalted
butter, chopped
6 egg yolks
2 whole eggs
75 g castor
sugar
To
make Pistachio
filling: Combine
the chocolate, ground almonds, pistachio, cornflour and half the
sugar in a large bowl.
Whisk egg whites and cream of tartar until foamy, then gradually
add the remaining sugar, and whisk until soft peaks form. Gently fold in
the chocolate mixture until combined. Spoon
mixture into a 25 cm non stick cake pan and bake at 200ºC for 10 minutes.
To
make the Chocolate Mixture:
Place chocolate and butter in bowl over a saucepan
of simmering water. Whisk eggs and sugar until thick and pale. Fold in chocolate
mixture. Pour over the cake while still hot. Bake for 15
minutes at 100ºC, or until just set. Remove and cool completely before removing from
pan. Dust with icing sugar and slice. Serve with Mascarpone cream, berry compote or fresh
cut berries.
 Showcook
Note: To make delicious scones
sift 500 g flour, 4 tbsp castor sugar, 4 tsp baking powder and a pinch of salt
into a bowl. Rub 125 g butter with fingertips until mixture resembles fine
crumbs. Beat 250 ml milk and 2 large eggs and add slowly to the dry
mixture, folding in with a wooden spoon. (Reserve a little liquid to brush
scones with.)
When the dough has a soft, moist consistency, turn out onto a well
floured board and shape and pat gently into squares or cut out rounds with a
scone cutter. Brush the tops with the reserved liquid. Place on baking sheets or
on oiled foil.
Bake in a moderately hot oven 200°C for 10-12 minutes, until
golden. Remove and sprinkle with sugar or icing sugar if liked. (Makes about 24
scones). Serve warm with berry jams and whipped cream.
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See
Five
Roses
Trusted Quality Tea on Showcook.com
THE
WESTCLIFF
• Johannesburg
Part of the
Orient-Express Hotels, Trains & Cruises collection
Phone
+ 27 11 481 6030
• Fax +27 11
481 6069 • Fax
to Email +27 86
681 8807
Web site www.westcliff.co.za
Westcliff
Awards:
Conde Nast Traveler Gold
List 2005, 2006, 2007
Travel + Leisure
Top 500 Hotels in the World 2006
Orient-Express
Safaris Awards:
Conde Nast Traveler Gold List 2004, 2005, 2006 (USA)
A
SHOWCOOK.COM PRODUCTION
Photography by Franz Lauinger
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