Potato Perfection
Place 2 large onions, wrapped in foil, directly into the coals. Cook for about 30 minutes, turning every few minutes to ensure they don’t burn. While the onions are cooking, crisp up a few rashers of bacon in a pan.
Remove the cooked onions from the foil and gently peel away the outer skin and any bits that are too charred (in other words, burnt!). The remaining onion should be soft and sweet.
Combine ½ cup apple cider vinegar, 3 T Dijon mustard, 2 T brown sugar, 4 T finely chopped chives, salt to taste and lots of freshly ground black pepper. Mix until the sugar has dissolved. Roughly chop the onions and place in a mixing bowl with the chopped bacon. Drizzle over ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil.
Cook 1.5 kg potatoes in salted water, then cut into large chunks. Toss with the dressing and season to taste before serving.
DEEP-FRIED BILTONG DUMPLINGS
INGREDIENTS
- 120 g butter
- 120 g cake flour, plus extra for coating
- 1½ cup milk
- 200 g biltong sprinkle
- Salt, to taste
- 3 free-range eggs, beaten
- 150 g panko breadcrumbs
- Sunflower oil, for deep-frying
- 2 spring onions, thinly sliced
- For the soetmosterd dressing, whisk:
- ½ cup condensed milk
- ½ cup white vinegar
- 1 t mustard powder
COOKING INSTRUCTIONS
Melt the butter in a saucepan over a medium heat, then add the flour. Mix using a wooden spoon until incorporated. Add the milk and mix for 3 minutes.
Place a piece of clingwrap directly onto the surface of the mixture and chill.
Add the biltong sprinkle to the milk-and-flour mixture and mix. Return to the fridge.
Using 2 tablespoons, spoon a spoonful of the mixture into the extra flour. Coat it in the flour, then dip into the egg. Roll in the panko breadcrumbs, then return to the egg mixture and coat well before rolling in the breadcrumbs a second time.
Chill the dumplings while you heat the oil in a pan over a medium heat. Deep-fry the dumplings in batches for 30 seconds, or until golden brown and crispy. Drain on kitchen paper. Serve with the spring onions and soetmosterd dressing.
Sweet potato green gratin
INGREDIENTS
- 1 kg baby sweet potatoes, washed and halved lengthways
- 2 T olive oil
- sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 300 g leeks, halved lengthways and washed
- 3 cups cream
- 4 cloves garlic, sliced
- 4 sprigs fresh thyme, chopped
- 400 g Tenderstem broccoli
- 1 x 180 g bag caramelised onion and Cheddar croutons, crushed
- pea shoots or microgreens, to garnish
COOKING INSTRUCTIONS
Preheat the oven to 180°C. Drizzle the sweet potatoes with olive oil, season and roast for 20 minutes. Add the leeks and roast for a further 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, bring the cream, garlic, thyme and seasoning to a simmer in a saucepan and cook for 8–10 minutes.
Arrange the sweet potatoes in the bottom of an ovenproof dish with the leeks and broccoli. Pour over the garlic cream and bake for 15 minutes.
Remove from the oven, sprinkle over the croutons and return to the oven for a further 10 minutes. Bake until golden brown and bubbling. Garnish with pea shoots.
Crispy baby marrow fries
INGREDIENTS
- 400 g baby marrows
- 2 T flour
- 2 free-range eggs, beaten
- Sunflower oil, for frying
- Maldon salt, to taste
COOKING INSTRUCTIONS
Trim the baby marrows, slice into 3 mm long strips and remove the seeds.
Mix the flour and eggs. Dip the baby marrows into the batter and fry in the hot oil for 5 minutes, or until golden.
Phyllo cheese strips
INGREDIENTS
- 6 phyllo pastry sheets
- 3 T olive oil
- 1 free-range egg, beaten
- 3 T sesame seeds
- For the cheese paste, mash together:
- 100 g feta, crumbled
- 160 g Parmesan, grated
- 100 g chevin
- 4 T mascarpone
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
COOKING INSTRUCTIONS
Preheat the oven to 190°C.
Sandwich 2 sheets of phyllo pastry with olive oil. Cut in half lengthways.
Spread a third of the cheese paste on one half. Cover with the other half, pressing down to seal.
Slice into strips. Place on a baking sheet lined with baking paper. Brush lightly with beaten egg and sprinkle with sesame seeds. Repeat until you have used all the pastry.
Bake until golden and crisp – about 8 minutes, but start checking after 5 minutes to ensure they don’t overcook.