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A REAL COOK’S COOK RATHER THAN A STUFFY CHEF, IS HOW MARLENE VAN DER WESTHUIZEN, COULD BE DESCRIBED. HER STYLE OF CUISINE IS ALL ABOUT AUTHENTICITY AND REALITY – VISITING MARKETS AND MAKING THE MOST OF EITHER FRESH PRODUCE OR EVEN STORE CUPBOARD STAPLES. HER LATEST BOOK PLATE IS A RARE PLEASURE TO READ.

One thing that comes through strongly in all of Marlene van der Westhuizen’s books is that food is not just about flavour; it’s about place, people, a sense of occasion, of tradition, of enjoyment. They are written by a woman who revels in food and food tradition and shares that passion enthusiastically. “Food, friendship and a glass of excellent wine are, for me, the most important ingredients of a life worth living,” she states on her website. And this diminutive Cape Town cook lives her philosophy, splitting her time between her home in Green Point and an old stone cottage in Charroux in France – a place where she wakes up to the smell of mustard being made and visits brocante markets on weekends.

Anyone who has paged through one of Marlene van der Westhuizen’s seven exquisitely photographed books will know the easy, effortlessly evocative style of her writing – and the fool proof recipes she shares. She has tried them, tested them and refined them. They work!

The images are as evocative as Van der Westhuizen’s writing, making it almost possible to smell the roasted peaches or herb-spiked roasted lamb...

Unlike some of her other books like Delectable, Sumptuous, Abundance or even Lazy Lunches, Plate is about one dish – the main meal of the day, whether it be Thursday night’s supper for the family or a Saturday night or Sunday lunch gathering with friends. With the book comprising just three chapters (Meat, Poultry and Seafood), it’s all about simplicity and flavour.

Quality ingredients are nonnegotiable and if they can be sourced from a local market or greengrocer, ethical butcher or fishmonger, even better.

This book is an easy read: you can page through it, plan meals ahead or even send it to someone as a gift. It will never go out of style or grow old. It’s timeless, elegant and a classic.

CHICKEN WITH PRESERVED LEMONS AND GREEN OLIVES Also known as Djaj Mqualli in Morocco, this is a flavour bomb of a dish. I love serving it in winter with heaps of couscous that I rubbed between my hands to make it just the right kind of fluffy! (For 6)

1.5kg free-range chicken drumsticks and wings Coarse salt 50ml good olive oil 90ml butter 2 large red onions, diced 2 cloves garlic, chopped 2.5ml saffron threads, soaked in hot water 4 bay leaves 5ml grated fresh ginger 2.5ml ground cinnamon 1.25ml chopped fresh chilli 5ml paprika 250ml water 40 depipped green olives 30ml lemon juice 30ml chopped fresh flatleaf parsley Rind of one preserved lemon, thinly sliced into strips 1 Rub the chicken with the coarse salt and let it rest for one hour. Rinse well, then dry with kitchen paper. 2 Heat the olive oil and butter in a large casserole dish, add the chicken pieces and brown lightly on all sides. Add the onions, garlic, saffron, bay leaves, ginger, cinnamon, chilli, paprika and water. Cover the casserole dish and simmer over a very gentle heat for at least one hour. Add the olives after 40 minutes, cover again and cook until the chicken is tender. You can add a little more water whenever necessary. 3 Remove the chicken pieces with a slotted spoon, arrange on a large platter and keep warm. Add the lemon juice to the pan liquids, heat until slightly reduced then pour over the chicken. Toss the chopped parsley with the lemon strips and spoon over the chicken. 4 Serve with couscous.

BEEF BOURGUIGNON Although Beef Bourguignon is very tasty, the meat can be dry. The secret to moist, tender morsels of wine-soaked beef is to leave the meat on the bone until the end of the cooking process, and to allow suffi cient marinating time. A cut of beef with plenty of connective tissue to dissolve during cooking, such as good, old-fashioned stewing chuck on the bone is best. (For 8)

2kg beef chuck, on the bone 45ml good olive oil 500g bacon, diced 6 cloves garlic, peeled but whole 500ml beef stock 500g baby onions 2 carrots, sliced into circles Salt and pepper 50g butter 500g small button mushrooms A handful fresh parsley, chopped Zest of 1 lemon, grated MARINADE 2 x 750ml bottles red wine 30ml good olive oil 1 brown onion, chopped 2 carrots, sliced into circles 1 bouquet garni with parsley, thyme, rosemary and bay leaves 8 cloves garlic, peeled but whole 4 whole cloves 8 black peppercorns 8 juniper berries

1 To prepare the marinade, pour the wine into a large pot, then add the olive oil, onion, carrots, bouquet garni, garlic, whole cloves, peppercorns and juniper berries. Bring to a slow boil and simmer until the alcohol in the wine has evaporated (about 10 minutes). Switch off the heat and allow the marinade to cool completely. Strain, discarding the bits and pieces. 2 Place the beef in a bowl (with an air-tight lid) and pour the marinade over to cover it completely. Cover the bowl and refrigerate for at least 1 day. 3 Remove the meat from the marinade and pat it dry. Reserve the marinade for later use.

4 Heat the oil in a large pot. Braise the beef until the fat starts to run a little and the meat is slightly browned. Add the bacon and braise with the beef. Add the garlic and the stock, along with the reserved marinade and bring all to a gentle, rolling boil. Cover and leave to simmer for two to three hours, then test the meat with a skewer – it should be completely tender. 5 Remove the beef from the pot and let it cool a little before deboning. Slice the beef into nuggets and set aside. 6 Add the onions and carrots to the liquid in the pot and cook gently until it has reduced to a rich, thick sauce. Add the beef to the sauce, season to taste and reheat it. Spoon the meat and sauce into a serving dish. 7 While the sauce is reducing, melt the butter in a small pan and allow it to become quite brown before you add the mushrooms. Caramelise the mushrooms and spoon over the beef bourguignon once you’ve placed it in a serving dish. 8 Garnish with the parsley and lemon zest and serve with crusty bread and a glass of pinot noir.

KINGKLIP WITH CAPERS A plate of food so delicious that I can still taste it – many a day I would arrive home from school to this. (For 6)

1.2kg kingklip, sliced into 6 portions 15ml cake flour Salt and white pepper to taste 30ml vegetable oil 60ml butter Juice of 1 lemon 15ml Worcestershire sauce 30ml capers 150g button mushrooms 30ml chopped fresh parsley

1 Pat the kingklip fillets dry with kitchen paper and toss them gently in a mixture of the flour, salt and pepper. 2 Heat the oil and half of the butter in a large frying pan. Fry the fish for about three minutes on each side until it is perfectly cooked. Lift the fish fillets with a slotted spoon from the pan to a serving dish and keep warm. 3 Deglaze the pan with the lemon juice and Worcestershire sauce, add the capers and cook together for a few minutes. 4 In a smaller pan, melt the rest of the butter over a high heat and quickly stir-fry the mushrooms until they are caramelised. Toss them into the pan with the caper sauce. Add the parsley and spoon the sauce over the warm kingklip. Serve immediately.

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“Food, friendship and a glass of excellent wine are, for me, the most important ingredients of a life worth living.”