South African Cookbook

Springbok medallions with cognac sauce 800 g springbok fillet 1 T olive oil 1 t cracked black pepper 1 t salt Marinade the meat in the oil and seasoning for 30 minutes, turning the meat once. In a hot pan, seal the meat before placing it in a roasting pan on a wire rack and covering with foil. Roast in the oven at 180°C for 10 minutes (rare) 15 minutes (medium rare) and leave to cool on a plate, covered, for 10 minutes turning the meat over so the juices run through the meat and are absorbed. Cognac Sauce 1 T butter 2 shallots, thinly sliced 1 t caster sugar 1 clove of garlic, crushed 200 g wild mushrooms 2 T cognac 1 t wholegrain mustard 150 ml cream Sauté the onion, caster sugar, garlic and wild mushrooms in the butter until the liquid has drawn from the mushrooms and the liquid has evaporated. Add the cognac and flambé (be careful!). Remove from the heat and add the mustard and cream and heat through. Slice the fillet, and serve with sauce. “Rooibos” (Bush Tea) Smoked Fish “Rooibos” (Bush Tea) is a sweet tea and can be found in most UK supermarkets. 4 x 300 g Trout / Haddock 10 red bush “Rooibos” tea bags, casings removed 100 g demerera sugar In a steamer / roasting pan, cover the base with a double lining of tin foil. Mix the tea, with the sugar and place this on the foil. If using a steamer place any choice of fish (skin side up) on the steaming tier (if using a roasting pan, lay the fish on a wire rack above the tea leaves). Cover the dish securely with a lid / tin foil, and place over a moderate heat. Once smoking, leave for 5 minutes before removing the dish and leaving covered for 5 – 10 minutes. Lovely with a salad or samp (see page 53-54). Warm Pak Choi Salad 4 pak choi heads, 2 T peanut / walnut oil 1 t grated ginger 1 red chili, seeds removed and thinly sliced 1 garlic clove, crushed Small bunch of grapes, halved Toasted sesame seeds Heat the oil in a pan and add the ginger, garlic and chilli. Fry for a minute, until you can smell the fragrance from the spices. Add the pak choi and fry until the stems are just tender. Serve with a small handful of grapes and sprinkling of toasted sesame seeds. Vetkoek This is derived from the Dutch word “Oliebol”, plural “oliebollen” which means ‘oil balls’ and was introduced to South Africa through the “Voortrekkers” (Dutch Settlers) in the 1600’s. 250 ml plain flour 1 t baking powder ½ t salt 1 t caster sugar 1 large egg 125 ml milk Oil to fry Sift the flour, baking powder, salt and sugar. Separately, beat the egg and add this to the flour mixture. Gradually add the milk, mixing until smooth. Heat enough oil in a frying pan to half cover the vetkoek as it cooks. Drop 1T of mixture into the hot oil – frying a maximum of 4 at a time. Fry for 3 minutes before turning over and frying for an additional 1 minute. Remove the vetkoek using a slatted spoon and drain excess oil by placing them on some kitchen paper. Serve warm, filled with curry mince (see page 72), or any other savoury filling, or with butter and jam. Grace’s Cheesy Bites 100 g plain flour, sifted 75 g cold butter 150 g grated cheese 1 t turmeric 1 t ground mustard powder 1 t salt Rub the butter into the flour to form sticky breadcrumbs. Use a knife to cut the grated cheese through the sticky mixture. Shape into lengths, about 1- 2 cm in diameter and 5 cm in length leaving space for the biscuits to spread. Bake at 190°C for 15-20 minutes until golden. Carefully remove each biscuit and leave to cool on a wire rack before storing in an airtight container. Date Squares 1 packet rich tea biscuits (250 g – 300 g), broken into small pieces 100 ml light muscovado sugar 250 g dates chopped 125 g butter 1 egg, whisked 2 t vanilla essence Desiccated coconut to coat 100 g chopped pecan nuts (optional) 2 T sherry or rum (optional) Simmer the butter, sugar, dates and sherry in a saucepan until the dates are soft and the mixture has thickened. Remove from the heat and leave to cool for 10 minutes before adding the beaten egg, vanilla and nuts. Add the broken biscuits and spread the mixture into a lined dish. Cool or refrigerate to set and harden. Cut into squares and coat in coconut.