CORONATION
PRAWN AND SALMON SALAD WITH POPPADUMS, PINEAPPLE AND AVOCADO
Royal
Malewane – General Manager John Jackson, celebrated chef and
passionate gardener.
In
keeping with its surroundings, this impressive first course that looks
and tastes luxurious, yet is not difficult to make, although it requires
a little dexterity to plate.
8
queen prawns
200 g fresh, filleted salmon
olive oil
salt and pepper
8 peeled slices of ripe queen pineapple
500 ml (2 cups) vanilla syrup
vegetable oil for deep-frying
4 poppadums available from Indian shops
assorted salad leaves
1 ripe avocado
Coronation
Sauce:
250 ml (1
cup) mayonnaise
30 g fruit chutney
30 g sweet chilli sauce
5 – 10 ml (1 – 2 tsp) medium strength curry powder
salt and white pepper
(Serves
4)
Shell
the prawns, remove the heads and devein. Poach in salted water until
just cooked, refresh in cold water, then chill. Cut the salmon into 4
wedges, brush with olive oil, season and chill. Cook the pineapple
slices in the vanilla syrup until tender. Cool, then chill.
For
the Coronation sauce combine all the ingredients and season to taste.
Toss the prawns gently in the sauce just before serving, transfer the
salmon to a preheated oven at 210°C and roast until just cooked. Heat
the oil and deep-fry the poppadums one at a time until puffed and
crispy. Drain on paper towel.
To serve, divide the salad leaves between
4 plates. Top with overlapping pineapple slices. Fan the peeled avocado
and place slices opposite the pineapple. Add the salmon and cold prawns,
topping with the remaining sauce. Prop up a poppadum behind the seafood.
LIGHTLY
CURRIED VICHYSSOISE TOPPED WITH LEEK AND POTATO STIR-FRY
Royal
Malewane
A
warm and lightly spiced version of a Gallic classic.
50
ml (3 tbsp plus 1 tsp) olive oil
15 ml (1 tbsp) mild curry powder, or to taste
4 large potatoes, peeled, 3 ½ cubed
2 leeks, washed and 1 ½ sliced
4 cloves garlic, 3 finely chopped
2 vegetable stock cubes
500 ml (2 cups) hot water
250 ml (1 cup) milk
250 ml (1 cup) cream
cornflour (optional)
salt and pepper
30 g butter
4 chives, finely snipped
(Serves
4)
Heat
the oil, add the curry powder, cubed potato, sliced leeks and chopped
garlic, and sauté until the vegetables start to colour. Add the stock
cubes dissolved in the hot water, bring to a simmer and cook until the
vegetables are very tender. Remove from the heat, add the milk and blend
the soup until smooth. Stir in the cream and check the consistency –
if too thin, thicken with a little cornflour made into a paste with
water. Season to taste and reheat.
Dice
the remaining potato, finely slice the remaining leek and finely chop
the remaining garlic. Heat the butter and sauté the vegetables until
they start to crisp and brown. To serve, ladle hot soup into 4 bowls,
top with stir-fried vegetables and sprinkle with chives.
RIVER
LODGE BREAKFAST SPECIAL
Lion
Sands Private Game Reserve;
River Lodge - Executive Chef Janine Hobbs adds innovative twists to
classic fare.
Chef
Hobbs has combined two classic egg dishes and added South African
flavour with minced meat and chutney to create a hearty start to long
days in the bush.
4
spinach leaves
45 ml (3 tbsp) cream
½ medium onion, coarsely chopped
2 cubes Danish feta cheese
160 g impala mince
fruity chutney
2 ml (1/2 tsp) paprika
salt and ground black pepper
2 eggs
2 English muffins
hollandaise sauce
(Serves
2)
Remove
the white stalks from the spinach and chop the leaves coarsely. Place
the spinach, cream, onion and feta in a saucepan, bring to a simmer and
cook, stirring occasionally, until the spinach and onion are just
tender. Heat a frying pan and sauté the mince until browned, then add
chutney to taste, season the mixture with paprika, salt and pepper, and
continue cooking for a few minutes. In a separate pan, poach the eggs in
simmering water. While they are cooking, split the muffins and toast
until golden. On each of two warmed plates. Place the toasted muffin
halves.
Divide
the mince between the two, covering the muffins. Top with half the
creamed spinach on each plate, and finish with a poached egg. Drizzle
the eggs with warm hollandaise and serve immediately.
THAI-STYLE
BEEF AND GREEN PAWPAW SALAD
Garonga
Safari Camp Chef Reineth Mkhatshwa
As
you drive through the villages of Mpumalanga, you will see tall trees
bearing bunches of pawpaws around their crowns outside many a small
house. Orchards of this subtropical fruit can be glimpsed from the
highways, as the area is a major producer of pawpaw and papino.
750
g beef fillet or rump steak
60 ml (4 tbsp) light soy sauce
coarsely ground black pepper
olive oil
about 350 g green pawpaw, peeled and coarsely shredded
2 small, fresh green chillies, finely chopped, and seeded for a milder
flavour
1 red pepper, seeded and thinly sliced (optional)
1 yellow pepper, seeded and thinly sliced
250 ml (1 cup) fresh lime juice
30 ml (2 tbsp) Thai fish sauce
30 ml (2 tbsp) soft brown sugar
1 – 2 cloves garlic, crushed
handful fresh mint leaves, coarsely chopped
1 packet mixed baby salad leaves
handful coriander leaves, stemmed
(Serve
2 –4 depending on appetite)
Trim
the meat and remove any sinews. Combine the soy sauce with plenty of
black pepper and enough olive oil to make a marinade, then marinate the
beef for at least 30 minutes. Meanwhile, combine the shredded pawpaw
with the chillies and sliced peppers, and chill. Make a dressing with
the lime juice, fish sauce, sugar and garlic, stirring until the sugar
has dissolved, then stir in the mint leaves. Drain the meat from the
marinade, and grill under a very hot, preheated grill until cooked on
the outside but still very rare in the middle. Cool, then slice.
When
ready to serve, arrange the salad greens on a platter or individual
plates, and top with sliced beef. Spoon the pawpaw mixture over the
beef, then scatter the coriander leaves over the top.
Variation:
If peppers are unavailable, tomato and onion are added, and the
coriander replaced with rosemary.
Wine
Pairing: Team this Asian-style creation with KWV Chenin Blanc, or
experiment with an off-cry fruit white or white blend.
BUSH
BREAKFAST SMOOTHIES
Raptor’s
View Wildlife Estate and Welverdiend Guest House
While
this makes the ideal breakfast-on-the-run, it’s best sipped slowly,
while watching the sun rise over the Bushveld.
1
ripe mango, peeled and diced
+- ¼ medium pawpaw, peeled and diced
250 ml (1 cup) natural, low-fat yoghurt
+- 5 ml (1 tsp) marula jelly or to taste
3 – 4 ice cubes or to taste
(Serves
1)
Combine
all the ingredients and blend until smooth.
JABULANI’S
BUTTERNUT AND ONION QUICHES
Kapama
Private Reserve Camp
Jabulani Chef Lezaan Stroh
1
small butternut squash, peeled and cubed
sunflower or light olive oil
1 – 2 onions, thinly sliced
15 ml (1 tbsp) oil
15 ml (1 tbsp) butter
30 ml (2 tbsp) treacle sugar
45 ml (3 tbsp) balsamic vinegar
1 egg
50 ml milk
50 ml cream
30 ml (2 tbsp) creamed or smooth cottage cheese
salt and pepper to taste
melted butter
1 packet phyllo pastry, defrosted if frozen
(Makes
4)
Tomato
Butter:
2
firm, ripe tomatoes, skinned, seeded and diced
fresh chives, finely chopped
salt and ground white pepper
fresh lemon juice
60 ml (4 tbsp) butter
Toss
the butternut cubes in a little heated oil in a pan until they start to
darken, then transfer to a preheated oven at 180°C and bake for about
20 minutes until tender. Meanwhile, caramelize the onions by heating the
second measure of oil and butter together in a pan then cook the onions
until softened. Add the sugar and vinegar, and cook until the vinegar
has evaporated. Set aside.
Make
the custard by whisking together the egg, milk and cream, and stirring
in the soft cheese. Season to taste.
To
make the pastry cases, brush the insides of four muffin cups with melted
butter. Cut the phyllo pastry into 13 cm squares, and brush each with
melted butter. Place three sheets in each of the four muffin cups at
varying angles, so that the corners from a star shape. Divide the diced
butternut between the pastry cases and top up each one with the custard
filling. Bake at 180°C for about 20 minutes, until the custard has set.
Meanwhile, combine the diced tomato and chives and season with salt,
pepper and lemon juice.
To
serve, place a quiche in the center of a plate and drizzle the tomato
butter around each one.
SPICED
MANGO AND HONEY PARFAIT
Kapama
Private Reserve
Surrounding
the game reserves are large farms where mango orchards can be seen,
dripping with fruit from early summer until early autumn.
5
egg yolks
125 g castor sugar, or to taste
25 ml (5 tsp) honey
15 ml (1 tbsp) ground mixed spice or equal quantities grated nutmeg,
ground cinnamon and ginger
500 ml (2 cups) fresh cream
1 – 2 firm ripe mangoes, peeled and diced or 1 x 410 g can mangoes in
syrup and diced
(Serves
4 – 6)
Whisk
the yolks with the castor sugar until fluffy, then whisk in the honey
and spices. Whisk the cream until stiff then fold into the egg mixture.
Fold in the diced mango. Line a bread tin or individual moulds with
plastic wrap, spoon the parfait into the prepared container/s and freeze
overnight or until firm. Slice and garnish with mint or additional
mango.
