Bacon Tart á La Motte Styling Jacques Erasmus Photography Mickey Hoyle
Before I get cracking with the recipe for this gorgeous tart, I want to ask you just to take a long, lingering look at the photo above. Doesn’t it look deliciously delectable gotta-grab-it-off-the-screen-and-eat-it YUM?
This recipe is why I love food, and why can never stay vegetarian for too long.
Because bacon. And cheese. And rich, silky, eggy custard, baked into a creamy, salty, savoury delight that will have you begging ‘MORE’.
By kind permission of La Motte I can share the photo and recipe from their gorgeous Cape Winelands Cuisine Cookbook with you. Sold for only R395 at the Farm Shop on La Motte Wine Estate, the book contains over 200 recipes featuring the historic culinary roots and origins of modern day Winelands cooking as featured at flagship restaurant Pierneef á La Motte. The book can also be ordered online from La Motté.Read more about the book here: Cape Winelands Cuisine Cookbook
Here is the foreword to the recipe, from the book:
Many versions of bacon tart appear in old cookbooks. All the recipes are basically a variation on a salty ‘bread pudding’ made from egg custard, bread and breakfast bacon or ham. This recipe is a firm favourite and can easily be prepared in a large pie dish for a group of people, or as individual portions.
Bacon Tart
Serves 6
Ingredients
3 Tbsp (45 ml) butter
¼ cup (60 ml) dried breadcrumbs
Butter or oil for sautéing
½ red onion, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, chopped
300 g back or shoulder bacon, diced
6 slices bread
4 eggs
2 cups (500 ml) buttermilk or full-cream milk (buttermilk has a distinctive sour taste)
½ cup (125 ml) grated Cheddar cheese
¼ tsp (1 ml) ground allspice
Pinch of cayenne pepper
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 spring onions, chopped, for garnishing (optional)
Method
Preheat the oven to 160°C (325 °F).
Grease an ovenproof dish with 1 Tbsp (15 ml) of the butter and dust with the breadcrumbs. Refrigerate for 15 minutes to set.
Heat a little butter or oil in a pan and sauté the onion, garlic and bacon for 5 minutes until done.
Spread each slice of bread, on one side only, with the remaining butter. Lay the buttered bread in layers in the dish, buttered side up, sprinkling the sautéed onion and bacon mixture over each layer.
Mix the eggs, buttermilk or milk, cheese, allspice and cayenne pepper together. Season to taste with salt and black pepper. Pour the mixture over the bread in the ovenproof dish and bake for 15-20 minutes until golden and set. Sprinkle with spring onions if using.
Either turn out and service in slices, or serve directly from the dish.
Traditional pancakes with Van Der Hum sauce from Cape Winelands Cuisine Cookbook, La Motte
Pancake feasts on rainy days were family tradition where I grew up in the Freestate. It never rained enough for us to get bored with pancakes and to this day, I rush to get out my mom’s pancake recipe at the very first drops of rain. We have been blessed with some good rainfalls countrywide in recent weeks, and today even the parched Cape Town got a decent downpour. So, pancakes it is!
I’m delighted to share with you this wonderful recipe and photo. It comes from the Cape Winelands Cuisine Cookbook published by La Motte Wine Estate, with exquisite food styling by Jacques Erasmus and photography by maestro Mickey Hoyle. Sold at the Farm Shop on La Motte Wine Estate for only R395, it’s a collector’s piece to treasure for a lifetime. The book contains more than 200 recipes exploring the historic roots of the regional cooking known as Cape Wineands Cuisine. Research and development were done by food historian Hetta Terblanche-Van Deventer, who is the Food Director at La Motte. This recipe from the book gets a sumptuous sauce made from Van Der Hum liqueur but I like my pancakes straight up with just a generous dusting of cinnamon sugar!
Pancakes
Serves: 4 (Makes 8 small pancakes)
Pancakes are still one of the favourite traditional desserts. At school fêtes, street markets, public gatherings and sport events, the familiar sweet cinnamon smell of freshly cooked pancakes will lure you to the pancake stall, and many people take out the pancake pan at the first sign of the winter chills and rainy weather.
During Jan van Riebeeck’s time, sweet and savoury pancakes were popular dishes in the Netherlands. The old recipes instructed that spices such as cloves, nutmeg and mace be included in the dough and only sugar be sprinkled over the baked pancakes. By the twentieth century, the only flavouring used was cinnamon sugar, sprinkled before serving.
Small, paper-thin pancakes were also prepared at the Cape, as in France, but where the French used only a little sauce over their pancakes, at the Cape they were served drenched in sauce. The sauce for the pancakes usually contained sugar, wine, cream and spices, but Van der Hum Liqueur, made from brandy, was a favoured ingredient.
PANCAKE BATTER
Ingredients
1 cup (250 ml) cake flour
Pinch of salt
2 eggs, beaten
2 cups (500 ml) water or milk
2 Tbsp (30 ml) cooking oil or melted butter
Method
Sift the flour and salt in a mixing bowl.
Mix into a soft dough with the beaten eggs and small amounts of water or milk at a time. Add the rest of the water and beat briskly.
Add the oil or melted butter and allow to stand for 1 hour.
When ready to cook, drop spoonfuls of batter into a hot greased pan. Cook until bubbles form the surface, then turn and cook the other side.
Roll up or fold into triangles and serve with slices of lemon and cinnamon sugar, or with Van der Hum Sauce and chocolate curls.
VAN DER HUM SAUCE
Ingredients
1 cup (250 ml) water
1 cup (250 ml) sugar
Zest of 1 naartjie or orange
2 whole cloves
2 Tbps (30 ml) butter
½ cup (125 ml) Van der Hum liqueur
1 tsp (5 ml) sherry
2 tsp (10 ml) cream
Method
Pour the water into a saucepan over high heat. Add the sugar and stir until it dissolves. Add the zest and cloves and reduce to two-thirds.
Beat in the butter.
Add the van der Hum liqueur, sherry and cream and pour the hot sauce over the pancakes just before serving.
Antipasti and wine at Terra Del Capo Antipasto Bar
One of the Cape’s best kept secrets, the Antipasto Bar at Terra del Capo should be top of your ‘Must Visit’ list. Not sure where Terra del Capo Antipasto Bar is? It can be found near the entrance of Anthonij Rupert Wine Estate, inside the vast building that houses the cellar, tasting room and gift shop. You can’t miss it: look out for the two leopard statues at the door. (Terra del Capo is also the name of a superb range of wines from the Rupert stable.)
This tiny little restaurant serves some of the tastiest, value-for-money small plates around. Paired with the noble wines from the upstairs Tasting Room, Chef HW Pieterse’s fresh, bold and seasonal food will knock your socks off. He cooks with flair and passion and his intuitive understanding of flavour and texture makes for exciting eating! Expect authentic Italian dishes inspired by regional produce from the Cape Winelands. Start off with a platter of HW’s superb freshly-baked breads, before ordering from the hot and cold antipasti menu. Cheese platters and cured meat platters are also available.
Hot antipasti include:
Crunchy Zucchini Fries with Garlic Aïoli
Home-made smoked Sausages with Eggplant Caponata
Fontina and Forest Mushroom-stuffed Risotto Balls aka Arancini with truffle aïoli
Deep-fried crispy Calamari with Lemon Garlic Mayo
Lamb Meatballs in Marinara Sauce
Cold Antipasti:
Burrata with Grilled Asparagus & Gremolata Butter
Peach and Plum Caprese Salad
Free-range Angus beef carpaccio
Smoked Franschhoek Salmon Trout
Guests can choose to sit inside, with a view of the modern bottling line and kitchen counters, or outside underneath the olive trees for a relaxed, alfresco experience.
Alfresco antipasti experience at Terra del Capo, Anthonij Rupert Wine EstateThe Protea range of superb, easy-drinking wines includes this lovely rosé, Anthonij Rupert Wine Estate
Set aside time for tutored wine tasting upstairs, or browse the gift shop for the covetable homeware and decor items on sale. The perfect place to buy gifts for your loved ones or yourself!
Don’t forget to join the Wine Club so that you qualify for discounts on all your wine and bubbly purchases. As a member of the Wine Club you’ll also receive the newsletter with special offers and exclusive event invitations on the estate. The full collection of Rupert wines are sold in The Tasting Room, as well as gorgeous L’Ormarins MCC Brut, Classique and Rosé. How could you resist?
The Terra del Capo Tasting Room and Antipasto Bar are open from Tuesday – Sunday 10h00 – 16h30. For more information contact the farm on 021 874 9041
Italian Cheese and Wine Tasting at Terra del Capo Tasting Room, Anthonij Rupert Wine Estate
Historic Lanzerac Hotel had a sexy makeover last year, placing it once again among the top Cape destinations for food and wine lovers.
Lovebirds have a seductive choice of options to celebrate this Valentine’s Day. Click on this link to read more: check in for an overnight stay in the luxurious suites, with a champagne breakfast the morning after, splurge on some head-to-toe pampering at the newly revamped spa, dine by candlelight, or simply kick back with a chilled picnic on the lawn. There’s even a bubbly special at The Tasting Room! (Read till the end to find out more.)
Or keep it sweet and simple with a yummy chocolate and wine pairing in the Tasting Room. Make sure to buy a bottle or two of Lanzerac’s famous Rosé – andremember, if you join the wine club you get a 25 % discount on all purchases from the cellar.
Here’s what the folks at Lanzerac want you to know about their Valentine’s Day specials:
Treat your partner to a romantic picnic for two, an old school dinner or a delicious wine and chocolate tasting for the ultimate in Valentine’s Day treats. Magnificent views and five-star treatment are guaranteed to complete a perfect day out.
The lush lawn area above the Cellar with panoramic views of the Jonkershoek Valley will be set out beautifully for the picnic. Included in your picnic basket is a selection of delicious gourmet treats as well as a bottle of the recently released Lanzerac Dry Rosé 2016.
Your hamper goodies include: Neufchatel cheese with homemade sesame crackers, tomato and a sweet chili sauce; Charcuterie aka cured meats with a tangy peach pickle; biltong and nuts for nibbles; a French baguette with cream cheese and a heart-shaped quiche with crispy bacon, smoked paprika and Emmental filling.
Your beautifully presented picnic includes some gorgeous sweet delights: Shortbread Hearts, Rose Turkish delights, Strawberries with a Dark Chocolate and Amarula Dip and Red Velvet Macaroon Cupcakes Drinks are Pomegranate, Lime and Apricot Ice Tea jars and the estate’s Dry Rosé. All this at a steal of a price of only R550 per couple and will be made available from Tuesday, 14 February to Sunday, 19 February.
A special dinner extravaganza is planned for Tuesday, 14 February.
The Lanzerac Hotel invites you to celebrate Old-Fashioned Romance on Valentine’s Day by indulging your partner in some romantic nostalgia – a time that celebrated the chivalry of gentlemen’s etiquette, love letter exchanges and serenading. Enjoy a tranquil evening in Lanzerac’s Lady Ann Courtyard with a three-course set menu of old time classic dishes.
The cost for the dinner is R500 per person, which includes a welcome drink and special entertainment.
Booking for both the picnic and dinner is essential. To book or for queries contact Johan van Zyl on fnbman@lanzerac.co.za or 021 887 1132.
Pressed for time, but keen to still show off your romantic side? The Wine and Chocolate Experience for Two offered at the Lanzerac Tasting Room is perfect. Available from Friday, 10 February to Tuesday, 14 February (between 9am and 4pm) at a cost of R110 per couple your pairing selection includes the following:
Lanzerac Dry Rosé 2016 paired with Turkish Delight
Lanzerac Sauvignon Blanc 2016 paired with Safari Fruit White Chocolate
Lanzerac Chardonnay 2016 paired with Lemons and Limes White Chocolate
Lanzerac Merlot 2014 paired with Cherry Cigar Dark Chocolate
Lanzerac Pinotage 2014 paired with Chocolate dipped Maraschino cherry
Lanzerac Cabernet Sauvignon 2014 paired with Cape Malay Milk Chocolate
To book your wine and chocolate experience, contact Lucrecia Gordon on winetasting@lanzerac.co.za or 021 886 5641. Booking is essential.
February is perfect for Rosé and bubbly, and Lanzerac Wine Estate is inviting you to take up their amazing wine offer. Between the 1st and 20th of February the Lanzerac Dry Rosé 2016 will be available at a discounted price of R64 per bottle (normal price is R80). During this time you can also purchase two bottles of the superb Lanzerac Blanc de Blancs MCC for R300 (normal price is R360). This not-to-be-missed offer is only available at the Lanzerac Tasting Room.
I love the Winelands, and I love my wine. But if I’m not drinking, there’s no point visiting a wine estate, right? Wrong. I have two words for you, my friend: Spice Route.
One of the ultimate food and wine destinations in the Cape and a mere 7 kilometres from Paarl, this venue literally has a feast of food and fun for everyone. Even non-drinkers. Especially non-drinkers, actually.
So, since I’m having a dry January, Spice Route seemed like the perfect place to visit for all the benefits and fun of a wine farm without the alcohol. And let’s face it: millions of people live alcohol-free lives, whether for religious, health or lifestyle reasons. Just because you don’t drink doesn’t mean you don’t want to enjoy the finer things in life!
The good news is that you won’t even miss your dop when you visit Spice Route. Do take plenty of money, though, because the range of temptations is just to great to resist. You WILL want to buy everything you see, and why not? Think of all the money you’re saving by not drinking and go right ahead and spoil yourself, honey bun.
You’ll also most likely want to spend the entire day there, so plan accordingly. I visited on 3 consecutive days this month, and I still haven’t seen and done everything.
There is ample parking and huge lawns for kiddies to run around on. Spectacular views from pretty much everywhere, including the vast tree-shaded verandah outside famous chef Bertus Basson’s restaurant. Bertus Basson at Spice Route serves a tightly edited menu of popular favourites, including some delicious riffs on authentic Boerekos – like coffee and rusks, the perennial favourite of toast with cheese and jam, plaatkoekies with brown butter and syrup and Tannie Hetta’s old-fashioned apple pie and custard. Service is warm and enthusiastic, the portions hearty, the views unsurpassable and the coffee delicious.
House brand Häzz coffee beans are sold, and highly recommended: a lovely full-bodied, mellow roast that won’t give you caffeine shakes no matter how much you drink of it. Preserves and spices are also sold inside the restaurant and if you leave without a jar of onion marmalade, old-fashioned cucumber pickle and the AMAZING smoked chilli paste, you’ll regret it!
Boerekos with a modern twist by chef Bertus Basson at Spice Route, PaarlBertus Basson restaurant at Spice Route, PaarlInterior, Bertus Basson at Spice Route.The maestro himself, Bertus Basson at Spice RouteBertus Basson plating salads at his Spice Route restaurant
The lunch menu is simple and straightforward. Classics like steak tartare, chicken liver paté, Malay-spiced calamari and Boere-salad with biltong and fresh apricot make up the starters; mains are mostly hearty and meaty. Only the best quality local ingredients find their way to the table, as can be expected from a country lad made good like Bertus.
I just love the fact that you can have Boerekos classics like koffie en beskuit, pampoenkoekies (pumpkin fritters) and bobotie met geelrys (bobotie and yellow rice) in such a cool, hip and modern restaurant.
Got foreign visitors? Treat them to lunch by Bertus Basson at Spice Route for the real taste of South Africa.
My best tip is to go hungry and order everything on the menu. The traditional Sunday roast lunch is only R290 per head, with everything served on the table so you can help yourself.
Alternatively, pack a picnic basket with your own favourites from the deli inside Bertus’s restaurant, and make yourself comfortable on the lawn. Umbrellas, cushions and picnic blankets are thoughtfully set out each morning on the lawns next to the restaurant – all you have to do is decide what you want to eat and drink, then settle in for a long and lazy, lekker kuier.
Good vibes spill out from the restaurant onto the shady verandah at Bertus Basson, Spice Route, PaarlRusks and coffee with a view, Spice Route, PaarlSteak Tartare and Parmesan Triple-cooked chips, Bertus Basson at Spice Route, PaarlMalay-spiced crispy calamari, Bertus Basson at Spice Route, PaarlFresh and juicy garden salad, Bertus Basson at Spice Route, PaarlTannie Hetta’s apple pie with vanilla custard. I’d drive all the way from Cape Town for this pud! Bertus Basson at Spice Route, PaarlBreakfast of champions: lamb rib hash with potatoes, sweet peppers and fried eggs. Bertus Basson at Spice Route, PaarlButtermilk Brown Butter Plaatkoekies like only Bertus Basson can make it at Spice Route, Paarl: blueberries, strawberries and maple syrup. Heaven on a plate!Dunking is obligatory! Koffie en beskuit, Bertus Basson at Spice Route, Paarl
If you love cured meats of all kinds like ham and salami, your next stop should be Richard Bosman’s Cured Meats charcuterie shop. A huge choice of delicious hand-made cured meats and sausages are on display, with tastings offered.
Hand-made cured meats from Richard Bosman, Spice Route, Paarl
Next door, the Wine Tasting Room is well-stocked with Spice Route Wines from the surrounding Swartland region:
Renowned for its hand-crafted wines from the Swartland region, with exotic names such as Chakalaka and Malabar, Spice Route Wines can now be enjoyed at its new home in the Paarl Winelands.
Enjoy the award winning wines in a rustic underground tasting room, or outside under the pergola or laze on the rolling lawn, whilst enjoying the panoramic views of Table Mountain and the Simonsberg Mountain range. The relaxed and informal atmosphere and the tranquil surroundings create the perfect setting for a memorable tasting experience.
Between Bertus and Richard’s places lies The Trading Company, an Aladdin’s Cave crammed with must-have stuff.
The Trading Company has a bright and colourful display of homeware and knicknacks, pretty handmade jewellery and stunning hats. I can guarantee you’ll find something there that you just can’t live without. It’s a quirky store with decor that is an eclectic mix of old and new.
The store fits in perfectly with the Spice Route philosophy of making authentic, hand crafted products more accessible to the public. Carefully selected homeware, exotic furniture, baby products, one-of-a-kind jewelry and notebooks are a true celebration of local design and make perfect gifts. Most of the products are made from natural and raw materials. All décor used in the store is also handmade locally, or up-cycled by local artists.
The Trading Company is open daily from 10am to 5pm. For more information contact 021 8635223. Follow them on Twitter and Facebook @SpiceRoutePaarl for the latest updates on the store
For beer and fresh air lovers, Barley and Biltong has crowd-sized outdoors tables and benches underneath a shady pergola. Stunning views over the valley are guaranteed to put you in a good mood while you enjoy a generous pub lunch with your beer.
Boasting one of the best views of Table Mountain and the Paarl Winelands, Barley & Biltong is a beer garden with a local twist. Craft beer and biltong lovers can look forward to enjoying an ice cold pint of their favourite CBC beer together with our carefully selected range of Beef, Kudu, Eland and Springbok biltong. We also offer satisfying gourmet burgers and hand cut double-fried chips. *Please note – they do not offer biltong tastings.
Stick-to-yer-ribs pub lunch at Barley and Biltong, Spice Route, Paarl
CBC brewery is every craft beer lover’s dream come true: enjoy a guided flight of craft beers made and bottled on the spot. Well worth a visit to see the fascinating process, even if, like me, you are not a beer aficionado.
The Cape Brewing Company, also known as CBC, produces and offers a wide range of beers using only the finest ingredients and state-of-the-art equipment. Highly-skilled brewmaster Wolfgang Koedel is in charge.
Beerlovers can view the facilities to follow the entire beer production process with a tasting afterwards either on tap, or at one of the tasting stations.
Standard tasting: R30 for 4 beer tasters ( 4 x CBC beers )
Master tasting: R40 for 6 beer tasters
(4 x CBC beers + 2 x Jack Black beers )
Enjoy craft beer on tap at Cape Brewing Company, Spice Route, PaarlEnjoy a guided flight of craft beers at CBC, Spice Route, PaarlCBC – Cape Brewing Company – serves craft beer on tap at Spice Route, Paarl
Spice Route is exceptionally welcoming to families and little children but rest assured, the generous layout of the estate means there are ample spots where you can enjoy peace and quiet without other people’s noisy brats underfoot. The kiddies’ play area is set well away from the main attractions, something non-parents will appreciate.
I’ll freely admit that the first time I visited Spice Route, on a public holiday, I was less than charmed by the sheer amount of visitors, but all subsequent visits have neatly put paid to my reservations and I actually found it most relaxing. If crowds make you angsty, best avoid public holiday visits, simple as that.
The crown jewel for me was the chocolate tasting at De Villiers Artisan Chocolate Studio. Man alive, this is paradise for a chocaholic. I must have bought just about every single thing in the shop and I will never buy imported chocolate again. Who needs to, with such sensational locally-made chocolate? The sheer choice available is staggering, and not at all expensive. Treat yourself to a box of hand-made truffles, at only R7 each. So pretty, you can hardly bear to pop one in your mouth but oh, who can resist!
I had the Single Origin Chocolate Experience, a real education in the varied taste sensations of dark chocolate from different geographic spots. All the cacao beans are roasted on the premises before being crafted into chocolate bars and confectionery.
DV Artisan Chocolate is crafted by the De Villiers family and is one of few ‘Bean to Bar’ micro batch chocolate makers in the world. All DV Artisan Chocolates are hand-crafted and available for tasting on the farm.
Chocolate Truffle Workshops are available every Saturday and Sunday morning from 10h00 – 11h00, provided we have at least 3 days notice and a minimum of 6 guests per class. Maximum 15 guests.
Duration: 25 minutes (Bookings required for groups of 10 or more)
Chocolate Truffle Workshop: R125
Duration: 60 minutes (Bookings required)
Chocolate bliss at De Villiers Artisan Chocolate Studio, Spice Route, PaarlChocaholic heaven at De Villiers Artisan Chocolate Studio, Spice Route, Paarl
I didn’t have time to visit La Grapperia for a lazy alfresco pizza but I’m under strict instructions from my teenage children that it will be our next port of call at Spice Route.
Enjoy a selection of wood-fired, thin-base pizza, Flammkuchen and tapas with a glass of wine on tap at La Grapperia, situated right next-door to the distillery. Get cosy inside around the fireplace, or chill underneath the shady oaks outside, and take in some of the spectacular views Spice Route has to offer!
Wilderer Distillery is at the far end of the estate, and if you are imbibing, it’s a must-visit for a taste of their fynbos gin, grappa and eau de vie (think witblits, only way nicer, gentler and altogether classier).
Visit Wilderer Distillery and witness Master Distiller, Helmut Wilderer and his team, craft some of the world’s finest grappa & eaux de vie. Having won numerous gold and double gold medals at the world’s most prestigious competitions, Helmut is regarded internationally, as one of the best in his trade. A true pioneer and father of craft distilling in South Africa, having opened the first private distillery in 1994.
Come and experience how only the best raw material and latest German distilling equipment is used, to create the product which has made Wilderer beloved by connoisseurs around the world.
Lookin’ to impress someone? The President Hotel in Seapoint has it all going on this Valentine’s Day. Think alfresco cinema and salty sea breezes, think delicious food and sublime wine, think cosy snuggles with cocktails around the infinity pool watching the golden sunset…then hurry up and make your booking for a food and wine love affair on 14 February.
The President Hotel invites you and your loved one to spend an evening with them this Valentine’s Day. Spoil the object of your desire with a gourmet sunset picnic and the screening of “Love Actually” in an open- air silent cinema under a ceiling of stars, while the Atlantic Ocean view melts your heart. Tickets are R425 per person and includes the movie ticket, headphones for the show and a gourmet picnic basket.
Doors opens at 18:30 and the romantic movie starts at 20:00.
Tickets are limited and booking is essential.
For more information or to book your loveseat, you can email events@presidenthotel.co.za or call +27 (21) 434 8111.
For those less amorously inclined the President Hotel is also a must-visit venue for a grand gourmet adventure. Looking spiffy after its recent makeover, the hotel offers a unique food and wine experience.
Executive Chef Craig Paterson is passionate about serving serious cuisine paired masterfully with superb local wines, presented by genius sommelier Job Jovo. The spectacular meal my family and I were treated to last year, spoiled absolutely rotten by chef Craig and the lovely Job, remains one of the highlights in my dining experiences. I can remember every single element and dish as clearly as if I had it yesterday, and I simply can’t wait to return for a repeat of this gastronomic joy.
Chef Craig is in my opinion one of the tops chefs now cooking in Cape Town. He does exquisite plating, stunning the diner with his delicate use of texture and colour, subtlety and nuance. The plates set before you really look like the ones in the photographs below, and taste even better.
His dish of mussels with Asian flavours remains the single best seafood dish I have had in years. Top ingredients get creative and respectful treatment in his kitchen, with tight and clever menu compositions meaning you can’t go wrong with any choices. Combined with Job Jovo’s extensive knowledge of the perfect wines to pair with Craig’s cooking, a dinner á deux at The President simply slays on all levels.
Want ‘Yes’ for answer? Start with a prelude of chef Craig’s cooking and proceed from there. Satisfaction guaranteed.
Click on this link to read the full menu served at The Islands restaurant.
There’s a wine bar with a staggering choice of winning wines from local regional estates, making The President first choice for serious wine lovers, too. Linger outside at the alfresco Wine Bar watching the last rays of the sun dip into the Atlantic before heading inside for your fabulous dinner in the cool and airy dining room. Memories are made of this!
Stay up to date with the regular specials and exciting events at The President Hotel! Follow them on instagram @ThePresidentCT Twitter @the presidentct and Facebook @PresidentHotelCapeTown
Subscribe to the newsletter www.presidenthotel.co.za
Infinity pool, The President HotelTuna tartare, Islands Restaurant, The President Hotel by chef Craig PatersonTuna Tartare detail by chef Craig Paterson, The President HotelTomato Mozzarella Starter by chef Craig Paterson, President HotelSesame-crusted tuna by chef Craig Paterson, The President HotelSpringbok loin by chef Craig Paterson, The President HotelChocolate brownie by chef Craig Paterson, President HotelFreshness and flavour from chef Craig Paterson at The President Hotel
Mynhardt Joubert’s Summery Chicken Salad with KWV Chenin Blanc
Summer Chicken Salad with Fresh Coriander and Lime
Too hot to cook? Here’s an easy solution! Keep ypur cool by making this delicously easy Fresh Coriander and Lime Chicken Salad. Created by TV personality, KWV brand ambassador and well-known chef, Mynhardt Joubert, it’s ideal paired with KWV Chenin Blanc.
Quick and easy to prepare, it’s budget-friendly and uses seasonal ingredients. For extra flavour, Mynhardt suggests marinating the chicken a day in advance. You can also make this recipe your own by adding extra seasonal fruit according to taste – lychees, raspberries, cherries and firm mango would work especially well.
With its fresh, upfront palate and enduring finish, the modern-styled KWV Classic Chenin Blanc pairs really well with the fresh citrussy taste of the coriander and lime and served chilled, it’s an excellent partner for this dish.
Mynhardt’s recipe serves 4 as main course, or double up for a bigger gathering.
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cooking Time: 15 minutes
Ingredients for the chicken:
4 large chicken breasts, flattened with a kitchen mallet or bottom of a wine bottle
a large handful of chopped fresh coriander
Grated zest and juice of 5 limes
75 ml (5 T) olive oil
125 ml (1/2 cup) orange juice
Ingredients for the salad:
200 g of asparagus
1 whole cucumber, seeds cut away, cut into spaghetti strips
1 small red cabbage, finely sliced
300 g fresh strawberries, rinsed and hulled, halved
3 limes cut in half
100 g blueberries
100 g of pomegranates kernels
Method:
Mix all the ingredients for the chicken together and pour over the flattened chicken breasts. Marinate for about 10 minutes or overnight for extra flavour.
Use a griddle pan or hot pan to cook the chicken breasts for about 3 to 4 minutes on each side till well cooked throughout. Leave to cool.
Heat the leftover marinating juices in a sauce pan and bring to the boil. Cook for about 3 to 4 minutes until reduced and slightly syrupy. Remove from the heat and let cool. Pour over the cooked, cooled chicken.
Blanch the asparagus: drop trimmed stems into boiling water for one minute, remove with slotted spoon and plunge immediately into a bowl of iced water. Pour off water in a strainer and pat asparagus dry with kitchen paper.
Toss the cucumber strips and red cabbage together.
Roast the limes cut side down and strawberries on the griddle pan until lightly charred.
Arrange the cucumber and cabbage on an attractive serving platter with the asparagus, roasted strawberries and limes.
Slice the chicken breasts and arrange on top of salad. Drizzle the reduced marinating liquid over the salad and garnish with blueberries and pomegranates.
Season with salt and pepper and extra splashes of olive oil.
Serve with Chilled KWV Classic Collection Chenin Blanc and enjoy!
Very reasonably priced at R46.95, the KWV Classic Chenin Blanc wine is available from liquor outlets nationwide.
Snow Pudding recipe from Cape Winelands Cuisine Cookbook. Photo Mickey Hoyle. Styling Jacques Erasmus
The Cape Winelands Cuisine Cookbook is a collection of over 100 recipes that reflect La Motte’s philosophy of honouring heritage through modern interpretation. The recipes were developed through years of research and experimentation by La Motte’s Culinary Manager, food historian Hetta van Deventer, working alongside former head chef Chris Erasmus and current head chef Michelle Theron. Versions of this historic cuisine often inspire the menu in Pierneef á La Motte restaurant and is served paired with La Motte wines; one of the many reasons to visit this beautiful estate. 12 Chapters contain recipes for everything from Bread, Breakfast, Soup, Fish and Seafood, Curry, Poultry Meat Game and Offal, Sauce and Seasoning, Vegetables, Pasta, Dessert and Baking.
The photos are exquisitely styled by Jacques Erasmus and legendary food photographer Mickey Hoyle, making the book a real collector’s piece. It’s a fascinating read, too, illustrating the development of early Cape cuisine from the roots of the various cultures dominant locally and in Europe at the time. Dominant culinary influences detected are primarily German, Dutch, Flemish and French.
The recipes are intriguing, sometimes unusual to the modern palate and entirely delicious! The book is available from the Farm Shop on the estate at R395 – and absolute steal for a work of such quality and depth.
With kind permission of La Motte, I can share a few recipes and photos from this lovely cookbook.
To read more about the fantastic food and wine experience to be had at La Motte Wine Estate, read here: Next Level Food and Wine at La Motte
Snow Pudding aka ‘Sneeupoeding’ is something I grew up with – a wonderful confection made from egg whites beaten to a foamy fluff, flavoured with lemon juice and sugar. My mother used lemon jelly powder in 70’s Free State and, as far as I can remember, tartaric acid for that characteristic slightly tart taste.
From the Cape Winelands Cuisine Cookbook I quote:
Up until the eighteenth century, gelatine was not used at the Cape. Isinglass was available during the nineteenth century, but it was expensive, even in Europe, and seaweed, hartshorn or calf’s foot were used to make jelly.
Originally, snow pudding was prepared by cooking lemon zest or leaves with calf’s foot for as long as 16 hours. The liquid was then strained through a cloth and cooked until a strong concentrate formed. The sugar was dissolved in this concentrate, lemon juice added and egg whites folded in, before it was poured into a mould to set in a cool place.
On withthe recipe!
Snow Pudding
Serves 4 – 6
Ingredients
1 Tbsp (15 ml) gelatine powder or use sheets
¼ cup (60 ml) cold water
1 cup (250 ml) boiling water
1 cup (250 ml) sugar
¼ cup (60 ml) lemon juice
Zest of 1 lemon
2 egg whites
Extra 1 Tbsp (15 ml) sugar
Method
Sponge the gelatine in the cold water for a few minutes (to sponge means to sprinkle the gelatine powder over cold water and leave it for 1 minute to allow it to absorb all the water), and then dissolve in the boiling water.
Add the sugar, lemon juice and zest and stir until the sugar dissolves.
Strain the liquid through a sieve and leave to cool.
When it starts to set, whisk the mixture until light and fluffy.
Whisk the egg whites until almost stiff and slowly add the extra sugar. Whisk until a stiff meringue forms. Fold the meringue into the gelatine mixture using a metal spoon.
Pour the mixture into a prepared mould or glasses and leave to set in the refrigerator for 2 hours. Decorate as desires and serve with egg custard.
Drinking wine on the Leopard’s Leap lawns: Franschhoek Summer Wines
You’d be forgiven for thinking we’re a bunch of drunkards in the Cape, judging by the number of wine festivals we have each year.
Well, we make wine here, so who’s going to drink it if not us? Besides, 2017 has kicked off on such a high note, I see no reason not to celebrate in every way we can.
Make sure to book your tickets early. This annual jol at Leopard’s Leap Wine Estate is such fun, you don’t want to miss out!
“Get ready for a high summer celebration at this year’s Franschhoek Summer Wines, Saturday, 4 February at Leopard’s Leap Family Vineyards. Come and taste the Franschhoek Vigneron’s choice for summer. White, rosé, Méthode Cap Classique and light reds – all will be revealed on the day!
The wines have been handpicked by the winemakers to complement the hot summer days. Pair your favourites with delicious food from the rotisserie kitchen, as you relax on the veranda or the sprawling lawn with panoramic views of the valley. Live entertainment completes what promises to be a perfect day out in the winelands.
Keeping things cool, dress elegantly in white.
Tickets are available from www.webtickets.co.za at R180 per person. This includes a wine glass and a tasting of all the wines on show between 12pm and 5pm.”
For more info contact the Franschhoek Wine Valley offices on 021 876 2861 or emailinfo@franschhoek.org.za.
Gather friends for fun and wine at Franschhoek Summer WinesFestive mood at Franschhoek Summer Wines
Legendary local muso Gerald Clark at Jason’s Hill Makietie
If you’ve never been to Rawsonville, now’s your chance to get acquainted. Less than an hour’s drive from Cape Town you’ll find the family-owned wine estate, Jason’s Hill Private Cellar, which is also the venue for the not-to-be missed Jason’s Hill musical Makietie Outdoor Music Show on Saturday, 28 January 2017. Look forward to a line-up of some of SA’s finest performers!
So many of us have grown up listening to her heartfelt music and now you get the chance to see much-loved Afrikaans performer, Laurika Rauch, live. She will be joined on stage by Loki Rothman for part of her performance. Completing this fabulous line- up is Potchefstroom native Bouwer Bosch and Cape Town based musician Gerald Clark. An evening which is guaranteed to get you up on your feet and dancing the night away.
They’ll be playing some of their older tunes as well as new ones.
Relax and unwind on the estate’s immaculate lawns whilst the kids run around and take in the natural surroundings before the show starts at 6pm (gates open at 4pm). And to ensure you don’t hungry or thirsty, delicious food and refreshments will be available to purchase at the venue on the day. Secure and free parking is available on the property.
Tickets cost R180 per person and can be purchased directly from Computicket.
For more information contact Jason’s Hill Private Cellar on 023 344 3256 or info@jasonshill.co.za.
Famous Afrikaans songstress Laurika Rauch at Jason’s Hill MakietieBouwer Bosch at Jason’s Hill musical MakietieJason’s Hill musical Makieti
