Wine Estate dining at its finest: Jordan Restaurant with Chef George Jardine! Chef George Jardine opened the doors to the highly-acclaimed Jordan Restaurant in 2009, on Jordan Wine Estate, thus becoming the first signature chef restaurant in the Cape Winelands.
In partnership with Gary and Kathy Jordan, this restaurant is a bucket-list stop on the culinary map for both locals and tourists.
After 12 years at the top of the culinary scene in South Africa, Chef George Jardine consistently delivers innovative seasonal dishes, paying meticulous attention to the delicate presentation of his dishes.
Over the years a few signature dishes have remained, like the wildly popular Steamed Saldanha Bay Mussels en papillote, and Honey and Poppyseed Soufflé, with the final touches to the soufflé being theatrically displayed at the diners’ table.
A meal at The Jordan Restaurant is not complete without a visit to the walk-in cheese room, to take your pick from a range of hand-selected, artisanal hard and soft South African cheeses.
With its location on Jordan Wine Estate, Jordan Restaurant naturally has access to the finest and rarest wines not normally available to the general public. These wines are from the Jordan cellars, as well as from notable South African wine estates.
This guarantees that the wine list is every bit as thrilling as the dinner menus!
Diners are always pleasantly surprised by the very Insta-worthy views from the patio overlooking the dam, and, of course, the spectacular Stellenbosch valley beyond.
Visit to revel in the tranquil beauty, relax and unwind at this world-class estate in the heart of the famous Cape Winelands.
Under Covid-19 restrictions, current operating times for Jordan Restaurant are:
From the 1st February, The Restaurant will be open for lunch on Friday, Saturday and Sunday and for dinner on Friday and Saturday night only.
Booking is essential.
So keep an eye on social media and the Jordan website for updates!
Japanese/Peruvian fusion-style sushi at Maaya, Eye Bar, Loop Street, Cape Town. Photo by Jason Read.
Cape Town’s latest foodie hotspot, Eye Bar at Vïb Cape Town, has added exciting, contemporary fresh Japanese/Peruvian-style sushi to its menu.
This unusual culinary marriage is influenced by Nikkei cuisine, born as a result of the fusion of Japanese recipes & culinary traditions incorporating trad, indigenous Peruvian ingredients.
It’s bang on trend, baby, and in Peru, where this fusion originated, it’s MEGA.
The Japanese chefs and immigrants in Peru introduced new ingredients to traditional Peruvian cuisine too – like miso, ginger, soy, wasabi and rice vinegar. The Japanese also integrated ancient heirloom Peruvian ingredients such as aji yellow chilli pepper, Andean potatoes and maize.
Japanese/Peruvian fusion-style sushi at Maaya, Eye Bar, Loop Street at Vïb Hotel Cape Town. Photo by Jason Read.
Eye Bar opened in late December 2020 and serves guests in its ground-floor bar, lounge, restaurant and on the open-air terrace.
There is also an inviting rooftop pool deck, with sweeping views over Green Point and across the ocean.
Rooftop Pool Deck, Vïb Hotel
The newly-introduced Sushi Menu at Maaya on Loop Street serves this unique Japanese/Peruvian fusion-style sushi, found nowhere else in South Africa.
Maaya and Eye Bar have collaborated to bring you the freshest of flavours, whether it’s your favorite standard roll or some tastebud-popping new combinations!
Maaya’s sushi menu have all the standard favorites like salmon + tuna rolls with avocado and Japanese mayonnaise, and classic Panko-crumbed crispy Prawn Rolls.
But wait! From there on in, it all gets much waaay more exciting. If your taste buds like an adrenalin rush, dive headlong into a river of flavour with The Amazon Roll – salmon, tuna, avocado, cream cheese and Japanese mayonnaise.
Then there’s a little something called Trust Me. Cast any doubts aside and taste the WOW! with this sensational combo of marinated salmon, caramelized salmon, avocado and mango.
Japanese/Peruvian Fusion FTW!
If you wanna go even bolder, order the Eight Assassins:Tuna Tartare, Seared Tuna, Avocado and Strawberry will get you addicted in no time at all. Be brave and go for it!
Vegetarians, clap hands, for you too shall get the Royal treatment. Order the Sofia, a sushi roll with pineapple, avocado and asparagus, and a homemade sweet and spicy dipping sauce.
Eye Bar’s Maaya Sushi Menu is available from Wednesday to Sunday from 12h00 to 19h30 during lockdown Level 3.
If you wish to dine on the Vïb Cape Town rooftop deck and make use of the pool facilities afterwards, there is a minimum spend requirement of R300 per person. The best things in life ain’t free, honey! But it’s worth it.
Eye Bar takes reservations for lunch and dinner. Current opening hours are from 06h30 to 20h00.
Outside of lockdown curfew, the regular closing time is 23h00. Eye Bar is open 7 days a week, 365 days a year, including Public Holidays.
For more information and to read the full menus for Eye Bar, please visit www.vibcapetown.com
Tip-toe along the pool at Steenberg, Eat, Play, Love Valentine’s Spa Break
Warning: these photos will place you at serious risk of making an immediate booking at Steenberg Estate to celebrate Valentine’s.
Did I hear a moan of ‘Aaaah bliss?’ Yes, exactly.
Eat, Play, Love at Steenberg for the entire month of February!
Put the stresses of a challenging year on hold and take a 24-hour breather with your beloved at Steenberg Hotel & Spa, the ultimate Valentine’s retreat in the enchanting Constantia Wine Valley.
Spoil yourself at Steenberg for Valentine’s with their Eat, Play, Love Special OfferSteenberg Valentine’s Eat, Play, Love Valentine’s Spa Break
Framed by vineyards and majestic mountain views, this magical setting is the ideal backdrop for a day of romance and friendship on Valentine’s Day and beyond.
For the entire month of February, couples can shut out the world by making this 5-star property their one-day home away from home dedicated entirely to themselves.
If you are single and longing for some precious time to reconnect with a dear friend or two after yet another lockdown, make Steenberg your safe haven.
Steenberg’s boutique selection of elegantly appointed rooms, suites and villas, secluded outdoor spaces and breathtaking, verdant landscape, sets the mood for an intimate escape.
Bliss awaits you at Steenberg for Valentine’s
Self-contained accommodation stretched across the property with the option of your own private deck, assures a high level of privacy for an overnight catch up of love and laughter.
Steenberg EstateSteenberg Estate, the home of luxury pampering
Social distancing is effortless on Steenberg’s vast groundsand winding pathways through the vines for a romantic stroll, morning run or cycle.
The resplendent gardens afford guests the freedom to lose themselves safely away from the madding crowd with only the colourful, conceptual sculptures by abstract artist Edoardo Villa watching over them.
Avid golfers can tee off together at the adjacent 18-hole championship golf course, followed by a revitalising couple’s massage in the Scented Garden. Shaded by an old oak tree and infused by fragrant herbs and flowers, this little piece of spa heaven is a sensorial paradise of complete privacy.
A joyous pamper also awaits Steenberg Spa guests during February with poolside manicures and pedicures. Linger for longer by the pool with a good book after your treatment and give yourself a little love by investing in some ‘me’ time.
No celebration of love and friendship is complete without culinary bliss.
Steenberg Executive Chef Kerry Kilpin has you covered at the beloved Bistro Sixteen82 at the cellar door, or enjoy the relaxed ambience of stylish Tryn Restaurant.
Romantic lunch, Steenberg Farm for Valentine’s MonthLunch alfresco at Tryn’s restaurant, Steenberg Valentine’s
Tryn’s modish cocktail lounge offers a fine selection of pre-dinner drinks including an array of virgin mocktails, while the terrace hits the spot for relaxed sundowners overlooking the vineyards.
Chef Kerry’s alfresco brunch and lunch boxes make for a picturesque picnic on the lawns on a hot summer’s day.
A feast of pursuits awaits you at Steenberg Hotel & Spa during the month of love including a romantic Valentine’s turn down service for all couples.
Romantic turn-down service at Steenberg for Valentine’sRomance HQ, Steenberg, Eat, Play, Love Special Offer Valentine’s
Beat “Janu-worry” and plan now for the Month of Love! Catch the luurve vibe this February at new Vïb Hotel in Green Point, with their unbeatable Staycation Special.
The traditional festive season splurge means tight-tight household budgets in January, hence the term ‘Janu-worry’!
So, come 01/01/whatever year, we’re all looking for affordable relief. Especially with February’s Valentine’s Day romance plans on the horizon!
Added to your typical broke new year strains and pains, January & February 2021 will be spent with lockdown level 3 restrictions, (implemented in late December 2020), which will stay in place until 15 February 2021 (and possibly beyond).
It means we can’t enjoy the same fun activities we usually would, since all public beaches, pools and parks are closed, with a strict curfew enforced at night.
This, combined with the pandemic, financial stress and overall concern for loved ones’ wellbeing, means many of us are still in dire need of a holiday!
Good news: that is still possible!
If you want your partner to feel like the fairy king or queen from Shakespeare Midsummer Night’s Dream, then treat your Oberon or Titiania to a budget-friendly staycation at Cape Town’s vibiest new Atlantic Seaboard Hotel, Vïb.
Vïb Cape Town welcomes guests with a dinner, bed, and breakfast special offer so incredible you’d be forgiven for thinking you were dreaming!
The “Midsummer Night’s Vïb” lets you and your Significant Other enjoy a glorious staycation that’s easy on the pocket and 100% defs designed to help you unwind.
Vïb Hotel Check In
Check in during the afternoon, then relax on the guests-only rooftop pool deck with spectacular views of Green Point and beyond.
Or, if you’re up for action, hit the hotel’s private gym.
Slowing down more your style? Browse the contemporary art exhibition, Gathering, at the Jaffer Modern art gallery on the penultimate floor of the hotel. Or, do it all!
But taking in the summer sunset on the deck is certainly a must-do.
Before dinner, guests will be treated to a mezze platter for two, served on the pool deck. Revel in panoramic views at sunset, sip and enjoy.
‘Shall we all say ‘Aaaah’?
Afterwards, move on to Eye Bar for your delicious dinner. Dig into grilled queen prawns for two, with sides of chips, rice or panzanella salad, plus a free zero- alcohol beverage.
The morning after, you two can enjoy Vïb Cape Town’s generous Continental Breakfast in the same venue, before checking out mid-morning.
All this for only R1 300 in total – that’s a mere R750 pp for dinner, bed and breakfast!
The “Midsummer Night’s Vïb” Special Offer was created as a romantic getaway soother to beat the January blues.
The “Midsummer Night’s Vïb” Special Offer is valid until 28 February 2021.
T&Cs apply.
Please quote “Midsummer Night’s Vïb” with your booking request.
Eye Bar is a stylish new foodie hot-spot with a contemporary menu. Located on the ground floor of the new Vïb Cape Town – the first Vïb by Best Western in the Southern Hemisphere – Eye Bar is a cocktail bar, a grab ‘n go coffee station, an indoor restaurant and an alfresco terrace.
The venue is open daily to both members of the public and guests of the hotel alike.
Eye Bar serves breakfast, lunch and dinner as well as tapas-style sharing plates.
Once we’re past the lockdown #alcoholban restrictions, Eye Bar will once again serve its signature cocktails, wine, spirits and soft drinks.
Find all the menus for Eye Bar by clicking on this link: www.vibcapetown.com
ABOUT VÏB CAPE TOWN:
Best Western Internationals newest hotel offering, Vïb is short for ‘vibrant’ and pronounced vibe. Located in Green Point on the Atlantic Seaboard, Vïb Cape Town is a stylish, techno-centric hotel specifically created to meet the needs of today’s urban traveller. Designed by well-known local architect, Robert Silke, Vïb Cape Town is a first for Africa.
It’s one of only 4 in the world and the only Vïb by Best Western in the Southern Hemisphere!Located in Green Point, close to the V&A Waterfront and within walking distance of many famous local landmarks – such as the Green Point Urban Park, Sea Point Promenade and a host of other amenities – the eight-storey hotel not only affords visitors magnificent views, but also 76 expertly designed, eco-conscious hotel rooms.
Vïb Cape Town has added pluses, like the on-site contemporary art gallery, Jaffer Modern, which is open to the public.
Visit www.vibcapetown.com for more information on the hotel and www.jaffermodern.com for more information on the gallery. Follow the hotel on social media: @vibcapetown.
AQUASKY® cultivates their water directly from the clear blue sky.
Thought that’s impossible? Well, it’s the latest thing in bottled water!
This is done by drawing in the air onto chilled coils that then cool and condense the humidity, ultimately forming the crisp yet soft drops that is AQUASKY.
Filtering and sterilising through ultraviolet light ensure the pure quality of each drop, without depleting any of the earth’s precious resources.
We call this the art of pure water !
Pure goodness from AQUASKY water
AQUASKY took the Atmospheric Generated Aqua still further by having a direct bottling line, with PET, PLA and glass bottles in both still and sparkling waters in a range of sizes, thus entering the bottled water market like no other before it.
Made quite a splash, they did!
At the core of their service lie efficiency, sustainability and competitively-priced products.
This was achieved by their world-class bottling plant expanding from a small, hand-made factory process to a bigger, slicker operation on a wine farm in Paarl.
Using their own intellectual property to create further humidity on days when there might be none, allows AQUASKY to keep on growing. They’re now able to offer many more venues their unique products, to great acclaim and satisfaction.
AQUASKY’s glass bottle range offers the old-school style milk bottle system of returning, sterilising and recycling empties from their clients.
Recyclable AQUASKY glass bottles
They deliver fresh, newly-bottled waters, while collecting the empties and crediting clients for these empties too. It’s a win-win situation for everyone!
The sustainability cycle grows by taking glass bottles from the dreaded single-use to a better multiple-use system. Goodbye, single-use plastic bottles, bane of our lives and of our oceans!
Cleaner beaches, cleaner oceans with AQUASKY
The AQUASKY glass bottles are sanitized, washed at high temperature and then refilled.
Knowing that it takes 16 times more energy to make one glass bottle than it does to collect, sterilise and refill just one bottle, this reusable system has proved vital for AQUASKY and reflects the core value system.
AQUASKY soon found their niche as hotels, restaurants and wine farms, under increasing pressure from their patrons to add further green initiative ideas, rapidly adopted AQUASKY as their preferred choice of bottled water.
Constantly trying to move away from PET, AQUASKY was one of the first companies to release a Plant-Based Bottle (PLA), made entirely of sugarcane that is 100% compostable within a few short weeks.
In addition to the PLA bottle itself, filling them with water created from natural humidity became a massive hit in the tourism market, at eco-conscious estates, on farms, golf courses, in national parks, and many hospitality venues around the beautiful city of Cape Town.
Prior to the first lockdown, the PLA bottle supply was growing exponentially for those companies that couldn’t take glass but wanted to stay clear of the plastic PET bottles. They soon found that the AQUASKY PLA bottles were a fantastic solution for them.
AQUASKY has no doubt it will continue to grow, once life & the economy return back to a more recognizable pattern for business and tourism, when social activities increase once again.
AQUASKY strives for more ecologically-friendly solutions in packaging to compliment their unique waters, while looking for increased opportunities to position their products as the preferredbottled water for the hospitality industry.
You can do your bit to be a more conscious consumer, too. Look for AQUASKY, ask for it when you next dine out. Create the demand for AQUASKY and help grow the market for environmentally-safe bottled water.
You know you want to 😉
AQUASKY refreshes the parts other bottled waters don’t reach…
La vie en rose! Yes, even duringyetanother lockdown, there’s a silver lining, andLa Paris Bistrodoes its part.Located on La Paris Estate just outside Paarl, it’s a favourite destination for food lovers. Great service, beautiful gardens, amazing food.
Linefish Ceviche Tacos (left) and Mexican Chilli Spiced Beef Quesadilla (right) on La Paris Bistro’s Street Food Style menuPulled Pork Burger, in Carolina-style Mustard & Vinegar BBQ sauce, Slaw, Smoked Mayo, Cos Lettuce, Tomato & Pickled Cucumber La Paris Bistro
Visit the Bistro on Friday and Saturday evenings from 17h00- 19h00 (close at 19h30) and enjoy their delightful Street Food as Take Out or Sit Down.
Pre-order and collect to enjoy your favourites in the comfort of your own home or relish your meal in the beautiful surroundings of La Paris Estate itself.
Seating is available inside, in the pergola and underneath the large oak trees.
Shady verandah at La Paris Bistro
La Paris Bistro has added some Mexicano zing to their daily menu. Check this out, amigos!
Linefish Ceviche Tacos
Mexican Chilli Spiced Beef Quesadilla
Tandoori Chicken Pizza with Pickled Onions and Coriander Yoghurt
Pulled Lamb and Feta Nachos
And why not enjoy a zero-alcohol Lockdown Sundowner while you wait?
Options include Soda Floats or Milkshakes, Virgin Cocktails or % alcohol Blue Becks and The Duchess alcohol-free Gin & Tonic. So there, #alcoholban 😉
Vanilla Soft Serve with Fresh Berries! Great Shakes & Soda Floats at La Paris Bistro
Dessert is always a good idea at La Paris Bistro. Satisfy your sweet tooth with these tantalising Vanilla Soft Serve combo’s:
Butterscotch Salted Caramel & Pistachios
Berry Coulis and Fresh Berries
Toasted Almonds and Honey
Or treat yourself to a Vanilla or Chocolate Soft Serve Sugar Cone with a Chocolate flake on your way out.
Vanilla or Chocolate Soft Serve Sugar Cone with a Chocolate flake, La Paris Bistro
La Paris Bistro, Wemmershoek Rd, R301, Franschhoek, 7690
Jordan Estate is making sure your Valentine’s Day will be extra special this year, with two irresistible offerings for lunch on the 14th of February.
Deck tables alfresco at The Bakery, Jordan Estate, Valentines Day
Valentine’s Day lunch at The Bakery
Take a breather and soothe yourself with the fresh Winelands air, and visit Jordan Wine Estate for Valentine’s Day this year, Sunday 14th February 2021.Chef Thys Esterhuysen from The Bakery at Jordan has designed a delicious 3-course lunch to entice the senses and wow your taste buds!
The Bakery, Jordan Estate
Unwind and relax in the tranquillity of the estate with your beloved, underneath the trees on the deck of The Bakery at Jordan, drinking in the unforgettable views of the spectacular Stellenbosch valley.
Tranquility, lake and views, Jordan EstatePeace! Valentine’s Day lunch at Jordan Estate
Start your celebration lunch with a Valentine’s Day favourite, Oysters (you know why, wink, wink) served three ways: Bloody Mary, Cucumber, Ginger & Sesame, and Passionfruit & Lime.
For main course, choices are:
Beef Fillet wrapped in leeks with sweet potato and beetroot crisps, demi-glacé & red pepper pesto, microgreen salad with pickled cucumber and radish.
OR
Creamy Porcini and Walnut Potato Gnocchi with pak choi, micro greens and Parmesan shavings.
End the perfect meal with individual Pavlovas served with berries, Crème Patissière and Chantilly cream.
Alternatively, why not book a picnic in a private picnic pod?
Valentine’s Day picnic lunch, Jordan EstateWhat a spread! Valentine’s Day picnic lunch for 2, Jordan EstateValentine’s Day picnic lunch hamper, Jordan Estate
Spend the afternoon on the lush lawns of Jordan, in your semi-private picnic pod which will be yours exclusively for the remainder of the afternoon.
Picnic baskets are filled to the brim and serve 2 people sharing.
The Valentine’s Day lunch is R350 per person for a 3-course lunch, excluding beverages.
Picnics are R595 per basket, serving 2 people, excluding beverages.
Should the weather not be suitable for outdoor dining, lunch will be served inside the cosy bakery.
Mocktails are available flfrom The Bakery and can be enjoyed with your lunch or picnic.
Jordan Wine Estate has strict Covid-19 protocols in place, including sanitation stations around the estate to ensure you have an enjoyable and safe day with them.
When it comes to South African food culture, we stand truly united at the Braai.
As families in lockdown together, with closed parks and beaches, in summer it’s an even better excuse to get together around the braai. As if you needed any prompting!
Cookbook author, culinary creator and celebrity baker Grace Stevens’ Best Braai Recipes
Cookbook author, culinary creator and celebrity baker Grace Stevens says the privilege of braaiing all over South Africa, taught her that what makes South African braai culture so special is that every region has its own delicacy!
Some of Grace’s favourite prepare-ahead braai day treats:
Fig & Blue Cheese Skewers for the Braai, by Grace Stevens
Fig & Blue Cheese Skewers
Delicious, sweet and savoury skewers – a fantastic appetiser, and great alternative for vegetarians that puts dry vegetable patties to shame. Roasting fruit briefly before the cheese melts off completely over the open fire encourages sticky caramelisation that balances the salty tang of the blue cheese perfectly, with walnuts adding a nutty crunch. (Soak wooden skewers in water for an hour before adding fruit to prevent the skewers from scorching.)
Biltong stokbrood
Biltong is a South African classic. This stokbrood uses biltong powder and fresh thyme in the dough, adding delicious herby, meaty flavour. Grace says one of her favourite childhood braai experiences involved making stokbrood and she vividly remembers the feeling of ‘survivalist’ cooking, twirling the dough-wrapped sticks over the coals.
To this day her favourite braai moment is sliding the cooked bread off the stick and filling the space left with a delicious piece of boerewors for the best kind of homemade boerie roll. Try it, you’ll like it!
Cheese and onion braai bread
Based on the best cheese and onion braaibroodjies Grace ever had, this loaf incorporates fresh dough, chopped onions and a sprinkling of cheese, making it the perfect companion to a Braai.
The chopped onions are kneaded into the dough itself, adding delicious juices & a flavourful steam, resulting in a nicely fluffy loaf. (Get ready-made bread dough from your favourite supermarket’s baking section.)
Butter loaf well on the outside, on both sides, before it hits the grill.
Lemon Verbena Gin Lollies by Grace Stevens
Lemon Verbena Gin Lollies
Long summer days full of sunshine, fresh fruit, and braaivleis deserve the perfect cooling cocktail.
These Lemon Verbena Gin ice lollies are a refreshing way to add a little cheek to your weekend and are a revelation in natural botanical flavours.
Use one of South Africa’s splendid craft gins to add more flavour, from orange to ginger, buchu to rooibos.
Strawberry Ice Cream, by Grace Stevens
Strawberry Ice-Cream
Ingredients:
450g strawberries, washed with tops cut off and quartered
250ml milk
250ml (1 cup) white castor sugar
5ml vanilla extract or 1 vanilla pod, slit open, seeds scraped out with a teaspoon and set aside on a small saucer for adding later. (Keep the pod, you can shove it into a sugar canister to make vanilla sugar.)
500ml cold pouring cream
Method:
1. Blend strawberries in a food processor to a smooth puree, stopping the machine now and then to scrape down any chunks and blend them in.
2. Bring milk to a gentle boil. If using a vanilla seeds, add to milk before simmering gently for 10 minutes, to infuse the milk with flavour and aroma.
3. Take milk off the heat, add sugar while milk is hot, and stir until sugar has dissolved. Set aside to cool completely, then add to strawberry puree in the blender.
4. With processor still on, slowly pour cold cream into the strawberry puree and blend well. Leaving the processor on at this point aerates the ice cream mixture, creating bigger volume and a creamier mouthfeel.
5. Place a small glass bowl inside a larger glass bowl filled with ice water to create an ice bath.
6. Pour ice cream mixture into the smaller glass bowl, & leave to cool to room temperature, about 30 minutes. You’ll know it’s ready when all the ice has melted.
7. Once mixture has cooled, pour it into a metal container. Grace prefers using cake tins, but 1kg loaf tins lined with clingfilm also work well. You can add fresh fruit, caramel, chocolate sauce, nuts and any other sweet treats at this point. It’s important to use a metal container, as this will help your ice cream set quickly.
8. Cover metal tin with tinfoil and pop ice cream in the freezer overnight to set and harden.
9. Garnish with mint, fresh strawberries or any other condiments your heart desires.
Perfect for a hot summer’s day, with fresh fruit, chocolate sauce, crushed-up meringue or even with your favourite warm pudding.
The strawberries can easily be substituted with any gorgeous, ripe seasonal stonefruit or other berries.
From cheese and tomato braaibroodjies, kerriesosaties to pap, wors and chakalaka, South African braai cuisine truly celebrates our diverse cultures, coming together for a great time with fabulous food.
For more delicious tips and treats, follow Grace on Instagram @ grace_stevenschef or visit www.gracestevens.co.za
Dorah Sitole’s Perfect Roast Chicken, from her last cookbook, ’40 Years of Iconic Cooking’African food legend, cook, food editor and writer, Dorah Sitole
African food legend, cook, food editor and writer Dorah Sitole, died recently. Much-loved and treasured, her passing leaves a gap that can never be filled.
She said “I believe we are on the cusp of an African food revolution. With this book, I seek to strike a balance between paying homage to traditional cooking methods and putting my own, modern, interpretation on authentic dishes.”
’40 Years of Iconic Food’ is a celebration of Dorah Sitole’s own culinary journey, which has taken her from a hungry childhood in the townships to kitchens and cuisines across Africa and beyond.
Her remarkable career in food has led to her becoming the exceptional food icon and beloved household name that she is today.
Dorah Sitole was the former editor and food editor of True
Love magazine.
An accomplished food writer, food stylist, recipe developer and a trained Cordon Bleu chef, Dorah travelled and cooked internationally, showcasing South African cuisine in places like Memphis, Tokyo and Rome. Dorah lived in Bryanston, Johannesburg.
Her last cookbook, ’40 Years of Iconic Cooking’, was recently published by Human & Rousseau.
To celebrate her life and work, we share with you the recipe for Dorah’s Perfect Roast Chicken, which is in her book. Enjoy!
The perfect roast chicken
Serves 4-6
Ingredients for chicken:
1.75 kg whole chicken
salt and ground black pepper
1 lemon
1 onion
6 whole cloves
4 medium potatoes
50 g butter, melted
Stuffing ingredients:
200 g minced beef
2 cloves garlic, crushed
100 g (1 cup) fresh bread crumbs
grated zest and juice of 1 lemon
65 ml (¼ cup) chopped fresh, rinsed and patted dry Italian parsley (use absorbent kitchen paper to pat dry the parsley before chopping it
100 g butter, melted
1 egg, beaten
salt and ground black pepper
Method:
Preheat the oven to 200 °C. Wipe the chicken inside and out, and season generously
with salt and pepper. Slice the lemon in half, and stick the cloves into the onion. Insert lemon halves and onion in the cavity of the chicken.
Peel and quarter the potatoes.
Make the stuffing by mixing all the ingredients together. Use some of the stuffing to stuff the neck end of the bird by lifting the skin and spreading the stuffing as low as you can go along the breast, making sure not to tear the skin.
Fold the neck skin over the stuffing to enclose it and secure the skin to the flesh with toothpicks. Shape the rest of the stuffing into little balls.
Insert the lemon halves and onion into the cavity of the bird. Truss the chicken with kitchen string to keep it in shape; cross the drumsticks, tie securely with a string and fasten to the tail.
Place the chicken in a large roasting pan. Brush with the melted butter. Arrange the stuffing balls and peeled, quartered potatoes around the chicken.
Cover chicken with foil and cook for 60 minutes. Remove the foil 10 minutes before the end of the cooking time, to allow chicken to brown.
6. Serve chicken with the roast potatoes and your choice of vegetables in season, and gravy made with the pan drippings.
Roasting times:
Allow 20 minutes per 450 g plus an extra 20 minutes in a hot oven 200 °C.
If the chicken is over 2.5 kg e.g. Cornish hens, lower the heat to 180 °C.
Yes, maybe not right now, but
yes, you will have alcohol again,
one day soon. So why not get
game ready by saving these
lekker classic cocktail recipes?
Oh, and when picking up your
favourite tipple, remember that
essential little bottle of Angostura Bitters, right? No cocktail worth a sip should be served without it.
You might be looking forward to the end of yet another lockdown with #alcoholban and more curfews but, bytvas, one thing’s for sure: summertime always puts a bit of a jiggle in our step.
This summer, enjoy the ultimate collection of Angostura aromatic bitters-inspired cocktails for a warm-weather buzz!
So, if your summer trip was cancelled, why not bring the vacation home and get mixing!
It is the perfect time to indulge in some chilled summertime sippers…
Here are Angostura’s top DIY summer drink recipes for you to whip up in your own kitchen or home bar, since home entertaining with friends and family is a hot trend this 2021!
(PSST: there’s a zero-alcohol cocktail recipe right at the end, so keep on scrolling!)
Angostura Summer Cocktails Frozen Mojito
FROZEN MOJITO
Ingredients:
60ml gold rum 60ml sour mix* (see recipe below)
30ml simple syrup 5 dashes Angostura aromatic bitters 8 to 10 sprigs mint 2 cups ice
Method:
Put all ingredients in a blender. Blend at high speed until smooth, then pour libation into a highball glass. Enjoy! And drink it quickly before the crushed ice melts! Then make another one. Frozen Mojitos are the very best.
*DIY sour mix:
Combine 1/2 cup simple syrup, 1/4 cup lemon juice, 1/4 cup lime juice, set aside and refrigerate overnight.
The Summer Old-fashioned Cocktail with Angostura
THE SUMMER OLD FASHIONED
Ingredients:
50ml dark rum
3 dashes Angostura aromatic bitters
10ml (2 tsp) sugar syrup
20ml (4 tsp) fresh-pressed apple juice
Orange peel, to garnish
Method:
Combine the rum, Angostura aromatic bitters and sugar syrup in a tumbler glass and fill with ice.
Stir briskly until the glass is chilled and the liquid has doubled in volume. Top up with a little more ice until the glass is filled, and gently pour in the apple juice so that it floats on top.
Twist the strip of orange peel, spritzing its aromatic oils around the glass before placing it in the drink.
Daiquiri Angostura Summer Cocktail
DAIQUIRI
Ingredients:
60ml white rum 20ml fresh lime juice 45ml simple syrup 3 dashes Angostura aromatic bitters
Slice of lime, to garnish. Cut halfway towards the core of the lime slice, then slip it onto the rim of the chilled cocktail glass.
Method:
Shake all ingredients together in an ice-filled shaker and strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with slice of lime as shown in the photo above.
Wedge of fresh lime (quarter of whole lime, that is)
Method:
Fill a highball glass with sparkling water. Splash in with four dashes Angostura aromatic bitters and garnish by squeezing a lime wedge into the drink.
For more information on the Angostura range and delicious food and cocktail recipes please visit www.angosturabitters.com.
