A belated happy 2009 – let’s hope it’s peaceful, positive and prosperous.
I’ve just returned from a month in the Eastern Cape. Some of the time spent in a rather down-at-heel East London, some in the breathtakingly beautiful Transkei - in rainy, scruffy Coffee Bay to be precise - and most in the utterly gorgeous coastal town of Morgan Bay.
Morgan Bay is the perfect family-holiday town – one hotel, 2 pubs, a café, a crab-filled lagoon, a warm water ocean (which happily gave up a few of it’s fishy inhabitants for the odd dinner), cliffs with spectacular views for sunset cocktails, more bird life than seems possible and lots of happy, friendly holiday makers.
Other than crab curry (well, who could resist), we feasted on fresh shad (elf) and kabeljou, two of my most favourite fish. We were terribly gung ho and made our own wors for the holidays – we got a bit carried away with the garlic, so eating it rendered our breath more than a little aromatic! Still, garlicky just-cooked wors served with sousboontjies, a tomato and onion salad and fresh rolls is a South African meal worthy of immense patriotic pride.
I hate to brag but we also slow cooked (10 hours) an enormous shoulder of fallow deer that my terribly useful huntin’-fishin’-shootin’ fiancé culled from a friend’s farm. Talk about living the dream…
But it’s back to reality and all things urban and polystyrene packed, which leads me to request a New Year favour…
Please, please try to buy more loose fruit and veg and save on expensive, environment-clogging packaging. That, and read more books by local authors.
Happy days
Buy your copy of EAT-IN now
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Win a copy of Plaaskos Somer & Winter by Arina du Plessis - worth R250.
Simply email your favourite traditional South African recipe that you love making at home to.
Competition closes 31 January.
Read more about this handy cookbook featuring over 200 of the tried and tested recipes that have appeared in the farmer’s weekly over the years.
PS: Lynn Weelson was the lucky winner of the Nestlé Nutrin Active hamper worth R1 350.
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How to choose a knife
A good knife is possibly one of the most important items in the kitchen. Be sure to also buy a knife sharpener when you make your first investment. |
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How to carve a chicken chinese-style
If you go to the trouble of cooking authentic Chinese chicken, serve it in the traditional manner. |
 Saffron crème caramel with star anise syrup
• 450ml milk
• big pinch saffron strands
• ½C (125ml/125g) sugar
• ¼C (60ml) water
• 3 star anise
• 4 jumbo eggs
• ¼C (60ml/60g) castor sugar
Serves 6
| METHOD |
| 1. Preheat oven to 160°C. |
| 2. Place milk and saffron in a pot. Bring to a simmer, remove from heat, allow to stand for 5 minutes and strain. Set aside. |
| 3. Place sugar, water and star anise in a small pot, heat gently and stir until sugar dissolves. |
| 4. Boil for about 7 minutes until the liquid becomes golden. |
| 5. Remove from heat and remove star anise. Pour equal amounts of syrup into six 150ml moulds so each surface is covered. |
| 6. To make custard, place eggs in large bowl, add castor sugar and whisk, but not too much or you’ll get too many bubbles. |
| 7. Add hot milk, whisking continuously until combined. |
| 8. Strain liquid through a sieve and pour into moulds. |
| 9. Place moulds in a baking tray (bain-marie) filled with 2/3 boiling water and bake for 40 minutes or until custard sets. |
| 10. Remove from oven, refrigerate overnight. Quickly dip moulds in hot water and unmould. |
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