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No mess, no fuss food! Neill demystifies the common fear of entertaining at home as he prepares small-plate sustainable dining for local celeb and foodie legends of South Africa. Making sure that none of his guests leave hungry, he also shows us how to prepare and serve stylish fingerfood to avoid the dreaded piles of dishes to wash. Joining him for dinner is Ishay Govendor a well-known food blogger; Radio DJ, Seano and television personalities Katlego Maboi and Leigh-Ann Williams.

Find all you delicious cheeses from my partners Lancewood http://www.lancewood.co.za 

Himalayan Crystal Salt slab can be purchased from our partner Wellness Warehouse

Delicious Ostrich Cheese Burgers

Preparation Time:            20

Cooking Time: –                 10

Serves:                                  6

 

INGREDIENTS

12 small burger buns

600g Ostrich Fillets

200g Cold butter

1 cup of Breadcrumbs

1 packet of streaky bacon

Baby gem Lettuce

Sliced tomatoes

Lancewood white cheddar cheese thinly sliced

Wholegrain mustard

OSTRICH BINDING MIXTURE: 

Blend together:

1 x chopped red onion

Cape Estate Olive Oil

3 Spring Onions

Mustard

Vinegar

Pickeled Peppers

Salt

METHOD:

Take the ostrich fillets together with the cold butter and put through a mince. Place in a bowl, and add wholegrain mustard and season the mixture.  Add a cup of breadcrumbs and the blended mixture of all the binding mixture ingredients together. Cover with cling wrap and allow for no surface area to avoid drying out.  Refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Fry the packet of bacon until crispy. Set aside. Roll the Ostrich meatballs in the palm of your hand. Flatten slightly when placed on the grill. Cook for 5 minutes on both sides until even cooked. Slice the burger buns in half. Toast the halves in a panini press.. Slice thin layers of cheddar cheese on the patties and place under the grill until it reaches a soft melting consistency. Assemble the burgers with a mayonnaise, lettuce, sliced tomato, bacon, the Ostrich burger patty and slithers of melted cheese. Top with the other half of toasted bun and serve.

 

Salmon Tartare with Chili Jam

Preparation Time:            10 minutes

Cooking Time: –                 None

Serves:                                 6

INGREDIENTS

500g Salmon

Juice of 2 limes

Chopped fresh Coriander

Chopped fresh Chervil

1 x chopped Red onion

1 x chopped chili

Lancewood Crème Fraiche

Himalayan Salt slabs for serving

 

CHILI JAM:

1 chopped red onion

1 chopped chili

1 x tin of tomatoes

Sherry or red wine vinegar

Sugar

salt

METHOD:

In a pan, sweat the chopped red onion and red chili  and add a dash of sugar.  Fry until translucent. Throw into the pan,  a handful of halved fresh cherry  tomatoes.  Add a splash of red wine vinegar. Season with salt and pepper and a pinch of sugar. Continue stirring and reduce until sticky consistency.

Trim the Salmon  into diced cubes. Chop and combine the following – coriander, chervil, shallot and chili. Add the olive oil and a squeeze of lemon then season to taste. Mix in a generous spoon portion of Crème Fraiche. Refrigerate, if necessary.

Assemble the Salmon tartare on a Himalayan salt slab and serve with chili jam.

 

Beef Brisket & Barley with Fine Herbs

Preparation Time:            30 minutes

Cooking Time: –                 4 -5 hours

Serves:                                 6- 8 people

INGREDIENTS

1.5kg boneless beef brisket

Chicken stock (just enough to submerge half the brisket)

1 cup of Pearl Barley

Zest of 1 lemon

Flat leaf parsley

100g Lancewood Feta

Cape Estate extra virgin olive oil

SPICE RUB

Combine 2 tablespoons each of Cayenne pepper, cumin, dried rosemary. Add a generous pinch of coarse salt. Add 2 tablespoons of coffee granules and  brown sugar.

Grind together with a mortar and pestle to make a spice rub.

METHOD:

Place the seasoned brisket in an oven tray. Ensure all sides are sealed with the spice rub. Add a generous amount of olive oil. (no image but if you were to add chicken stock.. it would be now?). Cover with foil and bake at 140/150 Degrees celcius for 4 to 5 hours. Bring 1 cup barley and 2 1/2 cups of the Brisket broth to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer; cook, covered, until tender and most of the liquid has been absorbed, 20 to 25 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes. Leave Brisket to cool down.  Crumble the feta over the cooked lentils. Stir.  Gently tear the brisket into shards and pan fry for a few minutes to heat through and crisp a few edges.  Plate the brisket, pour over remaining juices and add the lentils. Serve immediately.

 

Preparation Time:            15 Minutes

Cooking Time: –                 20 Minutes

Serves:                                 2 people

 

INGREDIENTS

10  boneless and skinless chicken thighs

2 cupsPenne Pasta cooked.

2 cloves of  chopped Garlic

Cherry tomatoes

Cape Estate extra virgin olive oil

Lemon

Mayonnaise

Salt and Pepper to taste.

CHERRY TOMATO MAYO

Peel and chop 2 cloves of garlic, add a generous dollop of mayonnaise, a handful of quartered cherry tomatoes, a pinch of fresh herbs and a squeeze of lemon and combine all ingredients.

METHOD:

Place the chicken thighs in a bowl, add olive oil and a squeeze of lemon with a dash of coarse salt and pepper. Mix to ensure even coating. Heat a griddle pan and fry the chicken thighs each side for approximately 4 minutes. Remove the cooked chicken from the pan and deglaze with lemon juice and pour over chicken. Mix in the cherry tomato may until well combined.  Add cooked penne pasta, mix and a sprinkling of grated parmesan and serve.

Francois Pienaar’s wife, Nerine, contacted Neill to cook for a dinner party for friends being hosted in their home in Clifton. Renowned for their warm and generous hospitality, an invitation to dinner at the Pienaar’s is highly anticipated and an invitation to cook for it is something that Neill always looks forward to.

What’s on the menu at the Pienaar’s dinner party?

• Ham hock croquettes, truffled pea puree, fried quail egg
• Cottage cheese gnocchi, yellowtail, lemon emulsion
• Chocolate soup with whipped custard

Neill sources most of his ingredients at Wellness Warehouse as they not only support local suppliers but carry a wide range of healthy organic products. You can shop online by visiting: www.wellnesswarehouse.com 

 

 

Recipe 1: Ham Hock Croquettes with truffled pea puree and fried quail egg.

• 3 smoked ham hocks, pre-prepped
• Chickpea Flour
• Eggs to crumb
• Bread crumbs – Panko crumbs give it a great crunch!
• 500g cooked peas
• 500ml chicken stock
• 10 quail eggs
• salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
• Truffle oil
• Pea Shoots

HAM HOCKS:

1. Boil whole ham hocks in a large pot for 2 to 3 hours or until cooked (bone comes out).
2. Remove ham from cooking liquid, leave to rest and cool in a bowl.
3. Turn up the heat of the liquid in the pot and reduce by half.
4. Once ham hocks are cool, shred with hands.
5. Add ladles of reduced liquid to bind and moisten shredded ham.
6. Place the ham in a cling film lined metal tray and cover with cling film. Place another tray on top to weight it down before refrigerating overnight to set.
7. Once ham hock is set, remove from fridge and cut into 2cm X 2cm cubes with a sharp knife.
8. Crumb the ham hocks by coating cubes in flour, whisked egg and then bread crumbs.
9. Place on tray and refrigerate till needed.

PEA PUREE:

1. Cook peas and place in a blender
2. Heat chicken stock in a pot (always use hot stock for purees!)
3. Add chicken stock to the peas and blend slightly
4. Add a drizzle of truffle oil, being careful not to overdo it as it is a strong flavour
5. Blend again till smooth
6. Season with salt and refrigerate till needed.

FINISHING:

HAM HOCK

1. Heat oil for deep frying
2. Deep fry crumbed ham hock till golden (about 4 minutes)
3. Remove from oil and drain on paper towel.

PEA PUREE

1. Heat pea puree and place in squeezie bottle

QUAIL EGG

1. Heat a teaspoon of oil in pan.
2. Remove the top of the quail egg with a small serrated knife
3. Pour into non-stick pan.
4. Cook for a few seconds till set and add a piece of butter. Cook until done with yolk still runny
5. Remove from the pan and place on a piece of greased Clingfilm till needed.

TO ASSEMBLE

1. Lightly dress your pea shoots with a touch of truffle oil and spread over the plates.
2. Place 3 ham hock croquettes on each plate and top with a quail egg
3. Add a squeeze of pea puree in the middle of the plate between the croquettes
4. Top with a quail egg and serve

 

Recipe 2: Cottage Cheese gnocchi and yellowtail with a lemon emulsion.

GNOCCHI

• 250g Full fat cottage cheese (chunky)
• 1 egg yolk
• 85 g plain flour
• Salt and pepper
• Zest and juice of ½ a lemon

LEMON EMULSION

• Olive oil
• Salt
• juice of 2 lemons

YELLOWTAIL

• 10 X portions of 120g yellowtail fish fillets (at room temperature when cooking)
• Sea Salt
• Olive oil
• 1 lemon
• Baby spinach
• Baby rocket cress to garnish.

GNOCCHI:

1. Bring large pot of salted water to the boil.
2. Drain cottage cheese through a muslin cloth, hang for at least an hour or preferably overnight to remove the excess moisture.
3. Remove cheese from muslin cloth and place into a metal bowl.
4. Season with a touch of salt and pepper and add the lemon juice and zest
5. Add the egg yolk and mix gently
6. Add the flour and mix till combined. (Depending on how wet your mix is, you may need to use a touch more flour. But don’t overdo it as you want light, fluffy little pillows of gnocchi!)
7. Once mixed, drop tablespoon sized rounds of the mix into the water and cook. (Be careful not to overcrowd the pot. Rather cook them in two or three batches.)
8. You will know they’re done when they rise to the surface. Remove with a slotted spoon, gently place on an oiled tray or plate and set aside for later.

LEMON EMULSION:

1. Place lemon juice into a pan and season.
2. Heat gently but don’t reduce the liquid
3. Transfer the juice to a jug and whisk using a hand blender
4. Slowly drizzle the olive oil into the juice to start emulsifying
5. When it’s silky smooth and a pale yellow colour it’s ready. Set aside for later.

FINISHING:

GNOCCHI

1. Heat oil in a medium non stock pan
2. Sauté gnocchi in warm pan until golden in colour
3. Add sprigs of fresh thyme for flavour
4. When golden on all sides, remove and drain on paper towel
5. To serve, refresh the gnocchi in a pan with a little oil

YELLOWTAIL

TIP: Make sure your fish fillets are as dry as possible and at room temperature when cooking

1. Preheat oven to 180 degrees
2. Heat a bit of oil in a pan
3. Season fish fillets on both sides with sea salt
4. Sear on both sides for +- 2 mins till a nice colour is achieved, but don’t cook all the way through
5. Place on a baking tray and drizzle with olive oil and lemon juice and season with a touch of salt
6. When ready to serve, heat the yellowtail in the bottom of the oven, together with the remaining lemon halves for about 5 minutes
7. Wilt the spinach in a pot with a little butter. Remove and drain.

TO ASSEMBLE:

1. Place 4 or 5 sautéed gnocchi onto plate
2. Add a spoonful of spinach alongside the gnocchi
3. Gently place the fish on top

Garnish with baby rocket cress, dress with lemon emulsion and serve.

Recipe 3: Warm chocolate soup with whipped custard

CHOCOLATE SOUP

• 200 g butter – melted
• 480 g dark chocolate, the best quality you can get
• 2 Tbs raw cacao nibs
• 460g egg whites

CUSTARD

• 200ml milk
• 6 egg yolks
• 100g caster sugar
• 1 vanilla pod, split and deseeded

PRE-PREP

CHOCOLATE SOUP:

1. Bring a medium sized pot of water to a simmer.
2. Put dark chocolate and cacao nibs in a metal bowl and melt over simmering water.
3. In a separate pot, melt the butter
4. Add the melted butter to the melted chocolate and mix gently to combine.
5. Remove from the heat and whisk in the egg whites until blended.
6. At this point, it can be refrigerated till needed.

WHIPPED CUSTARD

1. Heat milk, sugar, vanilla pod and vanilla seeds in a medium pot.
2. In a mixing bowl, whisk egg yolks.
3. Remove vanilla pod and add warm milk to the egg yolks mixture.
4. Return onto a medium heat, stir to thicken slightly and cook through.
5. Remove from heat and allow to chill till needed.

FINISHING AND ASSEMBLING:

TIP: These take 9 minutes exactly and should be served straight out of the oven. So wait until the main course is done to finish this dish.

1. Preheat oven to 180 degrees.
2. Place 1 ladle of chocolate mixture into soup bowls,
3. Bake at 180 degrees. (It should be just set on the outside and liquid in the middle)
4. Whisk a dollop of mascarpone into the custard while soup is baking.

Remove soups from oven, top with cacao nibs and whipped custard and serve.

EXPRESS MEAL: Warm salad of mushrooms, lentils and feta

INGREDIENTS

• 100g tinned/cooked lentils
• 100g wild mushrooms
• Olive oil
• 1 Shallot, peeled and sliced
• Sprig of fresh thyme
• 1 Tbsp Butter
• 2 to 3 Tbsp chopped fresh chives
• 1 handful of Pea Shoots
• Juice of ½ a lemon
• ½ a round of feta
• Thinly sliced red onion to garnish

METHOD:

1. Drain and rinse the tinned lentils to remove vinegariness
2. Heat up about 1 teaspoon of olive oil in a pan
3. Add shallots, mushrooms and a dash of coarse salt to season
4. Add a sprinkle of thyme leaves, stripped straight off the stalk
5. Fry for a minute of two to soften the mushrooms and then add the butter for additional richness.
6. Add the lentils and toss to mix, then add the chives
7. Add the pea shoots and again toss to mix
8. Squeeze the ½ a lemon over the lentils and transfer to a bowl
9. Crumble ½ a round of feta over the top.

Finish with some thinly sliced red onion for added flavour and a drizzle of olive oil to bring it all together..