Category: What’s cooking?

Food critic, local food television personality and judge, Aubrey Ngcungama, calls on Neill to put on a culinary display of canapés and tapas-style dining for his a gathering of friends and business colleagues. Neill pulls out all the stops to put together an evening Aubrey and his guests will never forget.

Recipe 1: Macaroni cheese croquettes

INGREDIENTS

• 250g Cooked macaroni
• 200g Butter
• 800ml Milk
• 600g Grated Mature Cheddar Cheese
• 250g flour
• Hot Sauce
• Salt
• Pepper

PANE:

• 4 eggs whisked
• 200g bread crumbs
• 100g flour

GARNISH:

• Cress
• Chilli Mayonaise

PRE-PREP:

CHEESE SAUCE:

Melt butter in medium sauce pan over a medium heat

Add flour, cook for 2-3min

Salt and Pepper to taste

Slowly pour in milk till thick

Mix continuosly till smooth

Add grated cheese and hot sauce

Stir through till cheese is melted

Turn heat off

Add cooked macaroni to cheese sauce, mix through

Place into lined tray and cover with cling film to set for 3 hours (over night)

FINISHING:

When ready to serve,

Remove tray from fridge and tip macaroni out of tray

Cut into 3cm squares

FINISHING: Frying

Roll squares in flour, Dip in eggs then coat in breadcrumbs

Refrigerate till needed

Deep fry till golden

Lay on papertowl to drain excess oil

SERVING:

Spoon Mayonaise onto serving board/plate

Arrange croquettes to serve.

Finish with baby cress and a sprinkle of salt.

Recipe 2: Lamb Koftas

INGREDIENTS

LAMB KOFTAS:

• 1kg Braised lamb shoulder (slow cooked in lamb stock at 160 degrees for 4 hours, then shred)
• 30ml Braising Liquid
• Teaspoon Cumin
• ½ chopped onion
• Soaked raisins (in hot water) and chopped

TATZIKI:

• 2 Tablespoons Double Cream Yoghurt
• 2 grated cucumber

PANE:

• 4 eggs whisked
• 200g bread crumbs
• 100g flour

PRE-PREP:

Heat Olive oil up in a large non stick pan up,

Add onion and raisins to pan

Cook for 3-4min, add cumin to pan to toast

Add braising liquid to moisten lamb

Mix through

Add cooked onion and raisin mix to lamb

Mix through

Roll in clingfilm tin tube shape to set in fridge

TATZIKI:

Lay cloth into a bowl

Grate cucumber into cloth

Squeeze out excess water

Mix with yoghurt

FINISHING:

When ready to serve,

Remove lamb from fridge and remove from cling film

Cut into 3cm pieces

FINISHING: Frying

Roll pieces in flour, dip in eggs then coat in breadcrumbs

Refrigerate till needed

Deep fry till golden

Lay on papertowl to drain excess oil

FINISHING: Serving

Lay Tatziki on plate

Arrange Kofta’s

Top with more Tatziki

Season to taste if necessary

Ready to serve.

Recipe 3: Pork belly with celeriac remoulade

INGREDIENTS

CELERIAC REMOULADE:

• 1 bulb finely slice celeriac
• 1 teaspoon grain mustard
• 1 large dessert spoon cultred cream
• Lemon juice
• Salt

PORK BELLY:

1 Braised Pork Belly (slow cooked in chicken stock at 160 degrees for 3 hours, pressed between 2 trays in fridge over night)

PRE-PREP

Mix celeriac remoulade ingredients together

Set aside to use later.

FINISHING:

Fry pork belly in a pan over a medium heat

Top with celeriac remoulade.

Recipe 4: Death by Chocolate Brownies

CHOCOLATE BROWNIES:

• 300g roughly chopped dark chocolate
• 150g unsalted butter. plus extra for greasing
• 2 teaspoons vanilla paste
• 150g light brown sugar
• ½ teaspoon baking powder
• 2 eggs whisked
• 75g plain flour
• 2 tablespoons cocoa powder
• 1 teaspoon salt

CHOCOLATE FOR DRIZZLE:

• 50g chopped dark chocolate

BERRY ICE:

• 250g frozen mixed berries
• 80ml double thick plain yoghurt
• Dash of Brandy

PRE-PREP:

Preheat the oven to 180°C

Grease and line medium size shallow baking tin

Melt the chopped chocolate, butter and vanilla together in heatproof bowl over a saucepan of simmering water

Remove from the heat once melted

Add eggs and sugar into electric mixer, whisk till combined

Sift in the flour, baking powder, cocoa and salt onto baking paper

Add to eggs till combined, pour chocolate in and mix until the mixture is smooth and glossy.

Bake in the oven for 25 minutes, or till top starts to crack

Turn off the oven, allow brownies to cool for a further 5min

Remove from oven allow to cool completely in the tin.

FINISHING: Chocolate Brownies

Place Brownies back in oven at 180 Degrees for 5min

Remove from oven

Remove from tray and cut into squares

Place on serving board/plate

FINISHING: Chocolate Drizzle

Melt the chopped chocolate, in heatproof bowl over a saucepan of simmering water

Remove once melted

Drizzle over brownies

FINISHING: Berry Ice

Place all ingredients in Vita Mix and blend till smooth

Spoon over warm brownies and serve immediately.

American business-man and international jetsetter, Jonathan Hoffman, calls on Neill to put together a healthy, organic, super fresh and lavish dinner party for his high-society guests at his home in Kloof Nek.

Recipe 1: Warm Wild Rice Salad

INGREDIENTS

• 400g Wild Rice, boiled
• 6 Red peppers – grilled, peeled and sliced (options to buy already peeled and slices in jars)
•  Handful chopped flat leaf Parsley
• Juice of half Lemon
• Salt
• Pepper

PRE-PREP: Rice

Place a large pot of water (3l) on hob

Bring to the boil

Add the wild rice (water to just cover the rice)

Boil for 40min

Strain rice once cooked

Then set aside

PRE-PREP: Red Peppers

Blister/Char pepper on open flame till black

Place in bowl and cover with clingflim to steam for about 15min

Remove clingflim and rub skin off peppers using hands

Remove seeds and slice

Then set aside

FINISHING:

In a large bowl place rice and red pepper together

Mix through freshly chopped parsley

Season with Salt and Pepper to taste

Finsh off with juice of half lemon

Recipe 2: Fresh Tuna and Pearl Barley with Grapefruit Vinaigrette

INGREDIENTS

• 1.5kg Fresh YellowFin Tuna
• Olive Oil
• Rocket Cress (garnish)
•  300g Pearle Barley
• 1 Tablespoon Cumin
• 1 Tablespoon Cayenne
• Salt
• Juice of half lemon

VINAIGRETTE:

• 1l Grape Fruit Juice
• 60ml Olive Oil

PRE-PREP: Barley

Place a large pot of water over a high heat (2l)

Bring to the boil

Add barley to water

Boil for 30min or till tender

Strain and set aside

Toast Cumin and Cayenne in a pot till fragrant

Add spices to barley and mix through

Season with salt and lemon juice

Then set aside

PRE-PREP: Vinaigrette

Place grapefruit juice into a medium pan over a medium heat

Reduce to 300ml

Whisk in oilve oil to form vinaigrette

Set Aside

FINISHING: Tuna

Portion and trim tuna

Season with salt and olive oil

Sear in hot pan (+- 1min each side)

Baste tuna with grapfruit vinaigrette (10seconds each side)

Remove from pan and place on board

SERVING:

Dress barley with grapefruit vinaigrette and olive oil

Slice tuna, drizzle with excess vinaigrette from pan

Spoon mounds of barley on board

Finshish with seasoning and olive oil and rocket cress

Recipe 3: Crayfish with Tarragon Crème Fraiche with Roasted Cauliflower Salad

INGREDIENTS

CAULIFLOWER SALAD:

• 1 Large Head Fresh Cauliflower – cut into florrests and blanched
• 1 Cellery Head finely Sliced
• Dash Oilve Oil
• Juice of 1 Lemon
• Handful Pomegranate seeds
• Chopped Chives

CRAYFISH:

• 6 Crayfish tails
• 2 Table spoons Fennel Seeds
• Tarragon Crème Fraiche:
• 2 Tablespoons Lancewood Crème Fraiche
• 1 Tablespoon chopped tarragon leaves
• Salt
• Squeeze Lime
• Olive Oil
• Rocket Cress

PRE-PREP: Cauliflower Salad

Heat up a medium pan

Roast Cauliflower in olive oil till golden

Remove from pan and place on tray

Add chives, finely sliced celery and pomegranate seeds

Mix together

CRAYFISH TAILS:

In a large pot of highly seasoned boiling water

Add fennel seeds

Add crayfish tails and cook for 4min

Strain and cut in half while warm

TARRAGON CRÈME FRAICHE: 

Mix all ingredients together

Season with Salt and olive oil

SERVING:

Place warm salad in bowl

Add crayfish tails

Top with crème fraiche and baby cress

Finish off with pepper

Recipe 4: Grilled Salmon with Chive Hollandaise

INGREDIENTS

HOLLANDAISE:

• 250g Melted Butter
• 1 Slice Shallot
• 100ml White Wine Vinegar
• 4 Egg Yolks
• 1 Teaspoon Mustard
• Larger Spoon Cultured Cream
• Tablespoon Chopped Chives

LEMON JAM:

• 3 Lemons (cut in half)

SALMON:

• 1kg Fresh Salmon (skinned)

PRE-PREP: Hollandaise

In s small pot, melt butter over a low heat

In a medium pot, add shallots and white wine vinegar and reduce by half over a medium hear

In a jug mix egg yolks and mustard

Pour hot vinegar onto egg yolk mixture

Mix together with electric hand blender whilst slowly pouring melted butter in until smooth, thick and emulsified

Add large spoon of cultured cream and mix through

Finsih off with salt

Cover with parchment paper and set aside

PRE-PREP: lemon Jam

Place 3 lemons on tray (cut in half)

Roast at 180 degrees in oven for 45min

FINISHING: Salmon

Portion Salmon

Season with salt and olive oil

Sear in hot pan (+- 1min each side)

Remove from pan onto tray with lemons

Flambe salmon pan with 2 shots of whisky

Pour juices over salmon

Finish off in oven for 4min

Squeeze lemon jam onto salmon ready to serve

TO SERVE:

Place salmon on serving board with lemons

Finish hallandaise off with chopped chives

Top salmon with hollandaise

Ready to serve

Recipe 5: Chicken Breasts with Chilli and Pickled Onions

INGREDIENTS

PICKLE:

• 250ml Red wine Vinegar
• 2 Tablespoons Sugar
• 3 Peeled thinly sliced Red Onion
• Drizzle Olive oil
• 1 Chopped Chilli

CHICKEN MARINADE: (to massage in)

• 4 Skinless Chicken Breasts (butterfly)
• 4 Smashed Garlic Cloves
• 2 Fresh Limes Squashed
• Salt
• Pepper
• 1 Chopped Chilli
•  Cress for Garnish

PRE-PREP: Pickle

Over a medium heat dissolve sugar and red wine vinegar

Add Chopped Chili

Cook for a few more minutes

Pour over sliced onion (in tray)

Cover and set aside

PRE-PREP: Chicken

Place chicken into tray

Add garlic, lime and chilli

Season with salt and pepper

Massage together

Clingfilm and refrigerate

FINISHING: Chicken

Rub Marinade off Chicken

Heat up a non-stick griddle pan

Char Grill Chicken

TO SERVE:

Remove onions from pickle

Spread on serving board

Slice cooked chicken

Finish off with Cress

INGREDIENTS

MARINADE FOR BEEF FILLETS:

• 1 Chopped Chilli
• 2 sliced Shallots
• Dash of Fish Sauce
• 1 Teaspoon Sugar
• Dash Soya sauce
• Juice of 1 lime

OLIVE OIL:

• 200g Beef fillet Strips
• 100g Cooked Udon Noodles
• Handful Fresh Coriander
• 1 Chopped Chilli
• Juice of half Lime
• Handful Raw Cashew Nuts

MARINADE:

Place all marinade ingredients into a bowl and mix

Add sliced beef fillet into marinade

Cover and set aside to marinade for a few hours (over night)

To Cook:

Heat a medium size pan/wok over high heat

Add olive oil until smoking hot

Remove beef from the marinade and add to hot pan

Leave beef in pan to crisp up (do not shake around)

After 5-7min beef should be medium to rare

Add the Udon noodles and any left over marinade to pan

Stri through and top with sprigs of feesh coriander

To Finish:

Remove from heat and place into serving bowl,

Top with fresh chilli, corriander and a squeeze of lime juice

Finish with handful of cashew nuts

INGREDIENTS

• 15 fresh asparagus spears
• 4-5 slices Lancewood mozzarella cheese
• 6 slices Coppa
• pesto (wellness)
• 1 chopped chilli
• Handful toasted pine nuts
• drizzle olive oil
• few leaves basil leaves
• Lancewood Cheddar (for garnish)

METHOD

Grill asparagus in griddle pan

Season with Salt

Add slices of cheese to gently melt

Remove melted cheese from pan

Leave the asparagus to cook for a few more minutes, then remove from pan, slice in half

Dress with olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper

PESTO:

Put pesto in bowl add chilli before mixing

To Serve:

Tear mozzarella and scatter on plate

Add coppa and dressed asparagus

Top with toasted pine nuts

Dot spoonful’s of pesto on to plate

Garnish with grate cheddar cheese

Finish off with fresh basil leaves

The life of a private chef means hard work and a lot of travelling. As a result it’s easy to lose touch with friends. Neill sets aside some time to drive out to the Boland town of Wellington to meet up with Roger, one of his oldest friends. The venue for dinner is a quaint distillery on a farm and, after serving the first few courses, Neill joins the group for dessert and a long overdue catchup.

Recipe 1: Cauliflower Risotto with Dark Chocolate Jelly.

RISOTTO:

• 250g Risotto Rice
• 1l Hot Chicken Stock
• 100g Butter
• 150g Grated Pecorino
• 1 Large dessert spoon cottage cheese
• Salt

CAULIFLOWER PUREE:

• 1 head grated cauliflower
• 60ml Chicken Stock
• Olive oil
• Knob Butter
• Salt

CHOCOLATE JELLY:

• 4 Leaf Gealtine Soaked in cold water
• 2 Tablespoons cocoa powder
• 1L Water

GARNISH:

• Parmesan
• Rocket cress

METHOD

RISOTTO:

Melt 50g butter in largest pot possible

Add rice to pot

Stir till toasted over a medium heat

Add boiling chicken stock to rice half cooked

Remove rice from pot and lay out on a flat tray to cool

Place in fridge till needed

WHEN READY TO SERVE RISOTTO:

Gently warm rice in pot adding 1 lable of hot chicken stock

Once warm add cauliflower puree to mixture

Season to taste, then add grated raw cauliflower into mixture

Then add grated cheese and cottage cheese

Stir to combine

Season to taste if necessary

CAULIFLOWER PUREE:

Head Olice oil and Butter in medium saucepan

Add cauliflower and cook till soft over a medium heat

Place mixture into blender

Whilst blending add soft butter

Season to taste

CHOCOLATE JELLY:

Dissolve cocoa power into water over medium heat

Remove from hob,

Add soasked gelatine

Set in tray

TO SERVE:

Place risotto on plate,

Top with rocket cress and grated permisan

Finish off with dark chocholate jelly.

Recipe 2: Lamb Rump with Fennel Puree

INGREDIENTS 

LAMB:

• 8 Lamb Rumps
• 1l Lamb Stock
• Salt Slab

LAMB SAUCE:

• Pitted Oilves
• Resting Liquid from Lamb

FENNEL PUREE:

• 3 Fennel Bulbs finely sliced
• 100g soft Butter
• 200ml Water
• Salt and Pepper
• 12 Pink Fir Potatoes
• Handful Fennel tops finely chopped

METHOD

LAMB:

Place lamb rumps in large tray

Add hot stock to tray, cover with foil

Cook at 90 degrees for 90 min

Remove lamb from oven once cooked

Take lamb rumps out of tray and set aside

LAMB SAUCE:

Reduce braising liquid by half over a medium heat

Once removed from heat, add oilves before serving

FENNEL PUREE:

Head Olice oil and Butter in medium saucepan

Add fennel and cook till soft over a medium heat

Place mixture into blender

Whilst blending add soft butter

Season to taste

POTATOES:

Cook potatoes in large pot of seasoned boiling water till soft and tender

Remove from pot and cut inhalf once cooled,

Oil and season the potatoes to char grill

Remove from grill when ready and finish off with fennel tops

Combine mixture together

To Finish:

Place lamb rumps fat side down ina non-ctick pan to render fat out

Once crisp, remove from pan and rest on salt slab

To Serve:

Set puree down on plate, add potatoes,

Top with pea shoots

Add sliced lamb to finish dish off

Drizle with sauce before serving.

Recipe 3: Yoghurt Panacotta with Honey Comb.

PANNA COTTA:

• 1L Vanilla Yoghurt
• Large dessert spoon cultured cream
• 250ml Full Cream Milk
• 8 Leaf Gelatine (soaked in cold water)
• 1 teaspoon Vanilla Powder

HONEYCOMB:

• 350g Caster Sugar
• 80ml Water
• 60g Liquid Honey
• 100g liquid Glucose
• 12g Bicarbonate of Soda
• Sugar thermometer and non-stick mat needed
• 10 Passion Fruits/Granadilla cut in half seeds removed

METHOD

PANNA COTTA:

Warm milk, yoghurt and vanilla in a pot

Add strained soaked gelatine to melted liquid

Whisk cultured cream in separate bowl

Add hot mixture from hob into cultured cream,

Stir to combine, and pour liquid mixture into a jug

Pour into bowls to set in fridge

HONEYCOMB:

Heat honey, sugar, glucose, water in a large pot

Bring temperature up to 155 degrees

Gently stir in bicarb then turn off the heat

When all the bicarb is incorporated into mixture

Slowly pour onto a non-stick mat to cool

To Finish:

Break or cut honeycomb into bite size pieces

Top the panna cotta with passion fruit and

honey comb

Neill is as passionate about the people who produce food as he is about the food itself. His food ethos is simple – use only the best in local seasonal produce as he believes this translates to better food on the plate. As a result, he attempts to get to know as many of his food producers as possible, spending time in their factories and on their farms, finding out what goes into producing top quality products.

Farmer Angus is one such supplier, farming chickens and eggs that are supplied to a few select outlets in Cape Town. After spending the morning exploring, Neill treats the entire family to a delicious brunch that, of course, includes the freshest farm eggs that he gathered earlier that morning.

Recipe 1: Neill’s Crunchy Breakfast Bars

Preparation 15min

• 2 Large Dessert Spoon Creamed Honey
• 100ml Organic Coconut oil
• 1 Large Desser Spoon Coconut Blossem Sugar
• Handful Pumpkin Seeds
• Handful Sunflower seeds
• Handful Mixed Fruit and Nut Museli
• Handful Whole Almonds
• Handful Gogi Berries
• 1tsp Cayene Pepper
• 5 Cup Almond Flour
• Zest of 1 Lemon

PRE-PREP:

1. Melt honey, coconut oil and coconut sugar in a pot over a medium heat
2. Mix all dry ingredients together in a large bowl
3. Add hot mixture to dry ingredients
4. Turn out onto a lightly floured baking tray
5. Bake at 160°C for 45min
6. Remove from oven, allow to cool and cut into pieces

Serve when ready.

Recipe 2: Farm fresh poached eggs with béarnaise sauce

Preparation time 30min

• Eggs for poaching

BÉARNAISE:

• 6 egg yolks
• 500ml melted butter
• 1tsp Dijon mustard
• Splash White wine vinegar
• Handful Fresh Chives
• 1 Large Dessert Spoon Crème Fraiche

FINISHING:

EGGS:

1. Poach eggs in salted boiling water
2. Plate onto spoons, top with béarnaise
3. Garnish with herbs
4. Place on serving board
5. Add finely chopped herbs and set aside (max 4 hours)

Recipe 3: Bacon and sausage selection

• 600g bacon
• Selection of sausages – boerewors, country
• Olive Oil

1. Char Grill Bacon in over under grill (10min-15min)
2. Grill soasages in oven on tray (25-30min)
3. Place cooked bacon and cooked sausages onto baking tray
4. Bake in the oven for +- 7 mins till done and warmed through
5. Serve

Recipe 4: Field Mushrooms

• Knob Butter
• Mushrooms
• ½ whole head Garlic
• 150g Mozzarella
• Handful Fresh Rosemary

PRE-PREP

1. Melt Butter into pan
2. Add half a whole head of garlic (head cut in half)
3. Gently Brush any dirt off mushrooms
4. Place mushrooms into melted butter (round side down)
5. Season with S&P and add roughly chopped fresh herbs
6. Bake at 180°C for 15 minutes
7. Remove from oven and set aside

FINISHING:

1. Add sliced mozerella cheese to top of mushrooms
2. Return to oven and bake for +- 5 mins till cheese melted
3. Remove and serve

Recipe 5: Pan Roasted Tomatoes

PRE-PREP

1. Heat Oilve oil in a pan
2. Add 1 whole garlic head (cut in half)
3. Place tomato halves into pan to warm and gently cook through

Season and serve