HIRSCHS DEMONSTRATIONS

Hello All, sorry I havnt blogged for ages it been quite a hectic past few weeks, I have been in durban for the past week doing winter demonstrations in the hirschs store, in umhlanga and hillcrest and tomorrow a chocolate course in Ballito.

Im trying to bring back some of the tradtional dishes and make them more lively and enjoyable but easy for people to be able to make at home.

On the menu for the past week was...

Beef wellington with honey roasted vegetables and fresh herbs
Cinnamon and mint chocolate cream with homemade shortbread and dark chocolate brownies to dunk.

Here is a simple recipe and a few pictures that where taken.

Beef wellington

Ingredients:

1x whole beef fillet, cleaned

30ml oil

2 punnet mushrooms, finely chopped

1 onion, finely chopped

30g butter

1x roll of ready-made puff pastry

1 egg

Seasoning

Method:

Brown the beef fillet all over to seal in all the juices then set aside.

In a hot pan melt the butter then add the finely chopped onion and sauté until lightly golden then add the mushrooms and cook until a dry mushroom mix, all the excess water needs to be cooked out. Season the mixture.

Unroll the puff pastry and lay in front on you, cover all over with a thin layer of the mushrooms, leaving 2cm open around the outside.

Lay the beef fillet in the middle and roll the pastry up over the beef. Seal the fold with egg wash, turn over and place the seam on the baking tray, egg wash over the pastry then bake at 180’C until the pastry is puffed and golden.

 Honey roasted root vegetables

Ingredients:

4 carrots cut into chunks

4 potatoes cut into chunks

4 parsnips cut into chunks

4 beetroots cut into chunks

100ml honey

100ml oil

Seasoning

Method:

Place all the vegetables cut into chunks in a roasting tray, drizzle over the oil and seasoning and roast until almost cooked.

Drizzle over the honey and allow caramelizing over the vegetables then serve with a slice of beef wellington.

CHEFS MAGAZINE

Hello All

Go look at the latest Chef Magazine issue 23, Im on page 29 commenting on Silwood School of Cookery.

LENTILS, LENTILS, LENTILS

Lightly curried lentils with layers of aubergine,topped with creamy mozzarella

I made this dish in durban the other evening for a function and everyone loved it, its great for vegetarians

Ingredients:

1 onion, finelly chopped

60g butter

15ml curry powder

250g lentils, soaked overnight

100ml white wine

2 cans, whole peeled tomatoes

3 aubergines, sliced and grilled

1 block mozzarella, grated

seasoning

Method:

• Melt the butter into a pot and saute the onions until lightly golden, add the curry powder and cook it for a few minutes.
• Drain off the soaked lentils and add to the pot, stirr for a few minutes then add 100ml white wine, once cooked away add the tinned tomaotes and stir every so often.
• Once the lentils are soft season well and set aside.
• Slice the aubergines lenghtways, place on a baking sheet, drizzle with a little olive oil, season well and throw some torn basil leaves all over, bake in the oven until lightly golden.
• Get a oven proof baking dish, spoon a layer of lentils down then top with a aubergine layer, sprinkle a little cheese, then continue this until all the lentils are finished and top with a final layer of cheese.
• Bake in the oven at 180'C for 30 minutes or until the cheese has melted and gratinated.
 
Serve with a nice roasted vegetable salad.
 

 



VEGETABLES AND LAVENDAR

Now I have tried a lot of different fresh herbs with my roasted vegetables but on sunday when we braaied we put some fresh lavendar sprigs in and roasted the vegetables on the braai. I will admit I was very skeptical at first because I thought it would totally overpower the vegetables and I was leaning more to lavendar being associated with sweet things...BUT I was sorely mistaken.

The subtle lavendar flavour just coated the vegetables and left a gently lingering flavour of lavendar on the palate which was fantasticly scrumptious. We also added  fresh thyme and butter to the vegetables but the lavendar was the distant flavouring and it worked really well.

So if you are roasting vegetables and you dont have rosemary, lavendar works just as well. TRY IT

BREAD ON THE BRAAI

Yesterday with the weather being so stunning I decided to stay at home and braai instead of going out, my husband always wants to experiment so he decided to make mini springonion and sesame seed bread rolls on the braai and they were absolutely divine.

He made the bread dough and allowed it to prove, then he folded in fresh springonions and sesame seeds, rolled it out, brushed with olive oil then folded up and allowed to prove for a little while and then straight onto the braai.

They had such a stunning flavour from the springonion and toasted sesame seeds and then the smoky braai flavour, you should definitly try these at home.

RECIPE:

850g flour
50g bran
10g yeast
15g salt
15g sugar
350ml water
300ml milk
3 springonions
45g sesame seeds
olive oil

METHOD:

• Heat the milk and water in a microwave for 1 minute, then add the sugar and the yeast and leave for 10 minutes.
• In a kenwood combine the flour, bran and salt then add the wet mixture and mix until all combines then knead in the kenwood for 7 minutes, the dough should be pulling away from the sides and form a ball, if not add more flour or more liquid.
• Cover the mixture and allow proving until double in size.
• Cut the springonion, knock back the dough and fold in the springonions and sesame seeds.
• portion into little balls, roll out and brush olive oil over then fold up and leave to prove for 15 minutes.
• Place onto the braai but only turn when you see a golden crust forming on the bottom of the bread. Turn over and cook on the other side.
• Serve hot with the meat and vegetables

NATIONAL CHAINE COMPETITION

Its the National Chaine des Rotisseurs young chefs competition next thursday at nestle, they will be competing for the international round which will be held in Turkey,Istanbul in september.

Its a mystery basket competition with the basket leaning towards turkish influenced foods where the competitors have 3 hours to cook and 3 course meal for 4 people, they then have their food crit by 6 professional judges and watched in the kitchen by 2 kitchen judges.

Every establishment should aid their young chefs to compete and better their skills and knowledge, and this competition is the way forward for them.

WHAT A FIND

Today I found out that there is a shop in boksburg that is called the UK emporium, and its like a mini supermarket with all UK products from food to beverages to toileries, how about that, a shop that sells overseas produce right on my door step and I didnt have a clue.

I cant wait to go shopping and see what the UK has to offer right here in johannesburg.