12 | FOOD & WINE 10
What's Cooking
13 November 2019
Going green with Chef Shane Shane Sauvage, here bringing a Tempeh steak to the table, is a passionate chef and a generous host who enjoys nothing more than spoiling his guests.
By Hedda Mittner
C
hef Shane Sauvage of La Pentola is as well known for his generous support of marine conservation as he is for his unique style of fusion cooking that keeps diners flocking to his restaurant on the waterfront, with its panoramic views across Walker Bay. Partnering with environmental role players such as the Dyer Island Conservation Trust, White Shark Projects and Whale Coast Conservation, Shane has for several years actively participated in fund-raising and regularly hosts charity dinners. He has also been instrumental in driving the initiative to eliminate the use of plastic straws by restaurants in the Overstrand. “Single-use plastic straws constitute only one item on the ever-growing list of single-use plastic litter items, which in turn contributes to the overwhelming problem of human beings simply producing too much waste for our planet, and especially our oceans, to cope with,” he says. Driven by his passion for the ocean – the very reason why he relocated with his family to the Cape seven years ago – Shane went a step further by banning other items such as plastic bottles of water, single-serving butter or jam containers, sweets in wrappers, and polystyrene take-away containers, and opting instead for eco-friendly alternatives. He’s even done away with tablecloths and serviettes that need to be washed regularly, which adds to the contamination of our water. This passion and dedication is typical of Shane, whose mission to ‘go green’ has extended not only to his restaurant but also to his personal life. Like many of us who work too hard, eat and drink too much, and move too little, Shane says he was feeling sick and lethargic. “I realised that my body was becoming toxic and that I needed to be more mindful of what I was putting into it.” Embarking on a ‘clean eating’ regime,
Clockwise from top left are some of the dishes on La Pentola’s vegetarian ‘Go Green’ menu: Island-style salad with fresh papaya, basil leaves, pineapple and coconut, drizzled with lime and sesame oil and cajun-toasted sliced almonds; Warm baby marrow carpaccio, dressed with lemon, olive oil, coriander and a touch of chilli, dusted with Parmesan and feta cheese, then baked; Huckleberry Haloumi with grilled Cypriot goat’s cheese served with fresh, macerated strawberries and mint; and a chocolate fondant served with salted caramel ice cream. he says he started by drinking less wine and more green tea, cutting down on meat consumption, and eating more brown rice and vegetables. He also took up yoga and pretty soon the kilos started melting away. His transformation has been gradual but dramatic, so that people who have not seen him in a few years don’t always recognise him. More importantly, Shane says his mental and physical vitality increased so much that he felt like a brandnew person. He has since stopped eating meat and consuming alcohol altogether (although, as a lacto-vegetarian, he still eats cheese). “I feel happier, healthier and more energised than ever before,” he says. And it certainly shows. “I have come to realise how precious your health is and how much more you can accomplish when you are healthy. Without your health you can’t do anything.” Shane states this simple truth, adding that a vegetarian lifestyle is not only good for your health but also for the planet. With the latest research on climate change again highlighting the impact of industrial livestock farming on the environment, it has become imperative for all of us to cut down on our
consumption of animal products, especially red meat. The health benefits of vegetarianism are something that Shane is keen to share with his patrons. It has also inspired his creativity and prompted him to develop a variety of innovative new vegetarian dishes for his ‘Go Green’ menu that are guaranteed to knock your socks off. Not only are they colourful and beautifully presented but they taste delicious. Unlike most restaurants where the vegetarian offering is hopelessly limited and uninspiring, Shane offers a wide variety, from fresh salads that combine leaves, herbs, fruits and nuts, to a hearty Tempeh steak made from soya beans, blackened with a tomato crust, drizzled with a lemon and herb sauce and topped with smashed cayenne pepper avo and roasted cashews. His vegetarian take on the classic Avocado Ritz is served sans shrimps but with the addition of asparagus fried in a lemon-butter herb sauce, doused in white wine and topped with chunky cottage cheese and toasted almond flakes. And then there are the decadent desserts such as a warm chocolate fondant made from 95% dark choc-
olate, which is sugar-free, dairy-free and gluten-free, served with a vegan ice cream; or a tropical Pavlova made with egg-free meringue and dairyfree granadilla ice cream – both dreamy! Almost a third of the dishes on La Pentola’s extensive menu are vegetarian, and among the blackboard specials there is always at least one vegetarian dish. The menu also indicates which dishes are vegan (100% plant-based). Never satisfied with the ordinary, I think it is safe to say that Shane has taken vegetarian gastronomy to a whole new level and these dishes are as seductive as any of those featured in his three cookbooks, The Edge of Fusion (2007), In Fusion (which won Best South African Chef’s Book at the Gourmand Awards 2009) and Cape Fusion (2015). “Fusion cooking is all about combining different ingredients and flavour components to create a new harmonious whole,” says Shane. Jokingly referring to himself as a ‘dinosaur’ and a ‘veteran chef’, the development of these new vegetarian recipes has presented him with a fresh challenge that he has embraced with his
signature passion and exuberance. It leaves me in no doubt that he has a new cookbook up his sleeve… We’ll keep you posted – and until then, do yourself a favour and tuck into these vegetarian dishes. I can guarantee that you will not miss the meat that is missing from your plate. And remember that even if you cut down on red meat and only consume it once or twice a week, you will still be making a meaningful contribution towards combatting global warming – and improving your health. Bon Appetit! What is the difference between a vegetarian and a vegan? Vegans eat only plant-based foods and no animal products, while vegetarians don't eat animals, but may eat products that come from them. Lacto-ovo vegetarians eat dairy and eggs, but no meat, poultry, fish or seafood Lacto vegetarians eat dairy products but no meat, poultry, fish, seafood or eggs Ovo vegetarians eat eggs but no meat, poultry, fish, seafood or dairy products Pesco vegetarians eat fish and other seafood but no meat or poultry.
