'Tis the season to be EATIN’

FESTIVE FOOD

LET’S CELEBRATE! EAT, DRINK AND BE MERRY – WHETHER YOU’RE CELEBRATING CHRISTMAS WITH FAMILY OR ENTERTAINING FRIENDS AROUND THE POOL THESE HOLIDAYS, HERE’S A FEAST OF FOOD PACKED FULL OF VARIETY, SIMPLICITY, FLAVOUR AND CREATIVITY

It’s the most wonderful time of the year – fun, festivities, holidays, family and friends. And let’s face it, more so than any other year, this festive season is meaningful, momentous and will be about making magnificent memories. We made it! Let’s celebrate this holiday season with the people we love most, sweating our butts off in the kitchen and eating ourselves into glorious, hallucinatory comas. Enjoy!

food ant ellis and phillida ellis assistant brendon newport, pictures sally chance

�PHILLIDA’S KICK-ASS

PORTUGUESE MUSSELS VINAIGRETTE

Light, bright and perfect for a sweltering Durban day. For best results, wash down with enormous, ice-cold beer shandies.

WHAT YOU NEED:

24-30 medium mussels *

1/2 cup olive oil *

3 Tbsp red wine vinegar *

1 tsp capers, chopped *

1 Tbsp onion, minced *

1 Tbsp pimento or red pepper, minced *

1 Tbsp flat leaf parsley, minced *

salt and pepper *

1 thick slice lemon*

TO MAKE:

In a bowl whisk together oil and vinegar. Add capers, onion, pimento, parsley, salt and pepper. Leave aside to combine flavours well. Pour about a cup of water into a large frying pan, add lemon slice. When hot, but not boiling, add mussels and bring to the boil. Remove and cool. When cool, remove the mussel meat from the shells and mix into the vinaigrette. Cover and refrigerate overnight. Clean mussel shells and place in a bag in the fridge overnight.

To serve, return the mussel meat to the shells and pour over a little vinaigrette, making sure each mussel gets some of the minced onion mix. Serve at room temperature with crusty bread – essential for soaking up remaining dressing.

�APPLE AND FENNEL SALAD WITH BLUE CHEESE, CANDIED NUTS AND RANCH DRESSING

This is one of my versions of a salad we loved in New York City. Crisp, fresh and summery, it’s a winner every time. The ranch is a USA staple, and this cheat’s recipe comes close to the real thing that’s usually made with buttermilk.

WHAT YOU NEED:

Salad: 2 apples, cored and sliced thin *

1/2 a red onion, sliced thin *

1 fennel bulb, topped and tailed and sliced thin *

mixed salad leaves of lettuce, spinach and cress *

1 cup walnuts *

1/2 cup brown sugar *

100g Blue cheese (any mature soft cheese or even feta will work)* great) *

fennel fronds*

Ranch Dressing:

1 cup mayonnaise *

1/2 cup sour cream *

1/2 tsp chives, fresh chopped or dried *

1/2 tsp parsley, fresh chopped or dried *

1/2 tsp dried dill *

1 garlic clove, minced *

1/2 tsp onion powder *

1 tsp vinegar *

a drop each of Tabasco and Worcestershire Sauce*

Pinch each of salt and ground black pepper*

TO MAKE:

Salad: Prepare the candied nuts. In a pan add sugar and stir over high heat until melted. Add nuts, stir quickly to coat. Spread on a non-stick baking mat or heavily greased wax paper sheet and allow to cool. Don’t touch it!

Spread a generous layer of washed lettuce leaves in your bowl or platter. Layer with apple, fennel and red onion. Bash the nuts a bit and sprinkle over salad, with dots of Blue cheese. Decorate with fennel fronds and serve with Ranch Dressing. Ranch Dressing: Add all ingredients to a mixing bowl or blender, mix thoroughly. »

�SPICED GAZPACHO WITH GRILLED PECORINO TOASTIES

I’m not really a fan of cold soups, but this is the absolute bomb. It’s refreshing and delicious, and a great way to kick off a festive feast.

WHAT YOU NEED:

5 slices white bread *

1 garlic clove, minced *

80ml olive oil *

60ml red wine vinegar *

2 fresh tomatoes, chopped *

1 tin whole Italian tomatoes *

250g cucumber, peeled, deseeded and chopped *

200g red pepper, chopped *

1 red onion, chopped *

80ml orange juice *

fresh parsley *

ice-cubes (traditional, optional) *

sliced baguette *

Pecorino cheese*

TO MAKE: Trim the bread and tear the insides into pieces. In a bowl combine bread, garlic, oil and vinegar, stand for half an hour. Blend the bread mixture with tomatoes, cucumber, red pepper, onion and orange juice until smooth. If you prefer a smoother gazpacho, strain. Cover and refrigerate. To serve, top with a drizzle of olive oil, diced fresh cucumber and chopped parsley. Top your baguette slices with Pecorino and grill until melted and golden.

MAINS

�CHEF P’S MOROCCAN BUTTERNUT

WHAT YOU NEED:

2 butternuts *

125g couscous *

sprinkle of dried chilli flakes * 1

/2 cup pistachio nuts, plus extra for garnish *

6-8 soft eating dried apricots, coarsely chopped * 6

Medjool dates, coarsely chopped * 1

/2 cup olives, coarsely chopped (black or green are both great) *

1/2 cup slivered almonds*

Squeeze of lemon juice*

salt and pepper*

1/2 cup pomegranate rubies*

good bunch of fresh coriander, chopped*

TO MAKE: Cook couscous according to packet instructions, adding chilli flakes to the mix. Dry roast the pistachio nuts, set aside to cool. When the couscous is done, add the dried apricots, dates, olives, 2 heaped tablespoons of chopped coriander, pistachio nuts, almonds and lemon juice. Fork through and leave to stand on a warm surface. Season to taste. Roast butternuts whole at 180°C, skins on. When almost cooked remove from heat and cut off tops. Scoop out seeds leaving a bowl for filling. Fill with couscous mixture. Warm in the oven at 180°C to heat through before serving. Serve sprinkled with extra pistachios, pomegranate rubies and coriander leaves.

�ANT’S CIDER AND CRANBERRY GLAZED GAMMON WITH STONE FRUIT

It’s usually a honey or apricot jam glaze, but this is better. Serve hot with grilled fruit and gravy, or cold with wine. Lots of wine.

WHAT YOU NEED:

Gammon: 2kg boneless gammon *

2 onions, quartered *

2 carrots, roughly cut into 3cm chunks *

2 celery stalks, roughly cut into 3cm chunks *

3 bay-leaves*

10-12 black peppercorns*

8-10 cloves Glaze: 300ml apple cider*

100ml cranberry sauce Fruit: nectarines, stoned and halved *

whole cherries*

TO MAKE:

Glaze: In a saucepan, add cider and cranberry sauce and bring to the boil. Reduce to a syrup and cool.

Gammon: Place gammon in a pot. Cover with room temperature water and bring to the boil over a high heat, boil for 5 minutes. Drain, add fresh water and remaining ingredients. Bring to the boil. Reduce heat, cover with lid and simmer gently for 20 minutes per 500g, turning the gammon over halfway. Once cooked, remove gammon from water and set aside to cool. Preheat oven to 200°C. Line a roasting tin with foil. Using a small, sharp knife, remove rind from gammon, leaving as much of the fat intact as possible.

Place gammon in roasting tin and brush liberally with glaze. Roast in the centre of the oven for 10 minutes, then take out and brush again with glaze. Continue to roast for a further 15-20 minutes, brushing with any left-over glaze halfway through cooking time. The gammon is ready when the fat is glossy and golden. Cover with foil if the top begins to get too dark.

Remove from oven and set aside for 15 minutes before carving. Slice gammon and serve with fruit, gravy and mustard. Fruit: Brush gammon juices on to a hot skillet. Add cherries and nectarines directly into the skillet until fruit softens slightly and caramelises.

�EASY CHICKEN, CHORIZO AND OLIVE TRAY BAKE

It’s hot. You’re knackered. Make this super easy, a Spanish-style one-tray wonder that’ll satisfy everyone and keep your drinking arm free.

WHAT YOU NEED:

1-1,5kg chicken thighs and drumsticks, bone-in and skin on *

olive oil *

1 onion, cut into eighths *

150g chorizo, sliced *

150g green olives, pitted and halved *

1 bulb garlic, halved and loose skin removed *

2 lemons, halved *

1/2 tsp dried oregano *

1/2 tsp dried thyme*

salt and pepper*

2 cups chicken stock*

TO MAKE: Preheat oven to 200°C. Add a good glug of oil to a roasting tray. Add onion then chicken, then fill the gaps with chorizo slices and olives, and nestle in the lemon halves and garlic bulb. Season with salt and pepper, sprinkle with herbs and pour in the stock until the chicken is just over half-submerged. Cook for 10 minutes, then reduce heat to 180°C. Cook for a further 60-70 minutes or until chicken is tender throughout. Serve with rice or mashed potatoes.

SIDES

�BRUSSELS SPROUTS WITH LEMON, CHILLI AND PROSCIUTTO

Brussels sprouts are a Christmas tradition and done right, they are nuggets of goodness. Try this kickin’ East Coast twist on the old boiledto-death ones.

WHAT YOU NEED:

250g Brussels sprouts *

2 Tbsp olive oil * 20g butter *

juice of half a lemon *

1 red chilli, finely chopped *

salt and pepper *

6 slices prosciutto, fried until crispy and chopped (streaky bacon is fine)*

TO MAKE: Slice off the bottom of the sprouts and cut a cross in the base, a few millimetres deep. Blanch in boiling salted water for 3 minutes, drain and cool. When cool, cut into halves. Heat a pan, add oil and butter until melted, then add sprouts and fry for 6-8 minutes, tossing often. Add chilli and lemon juice, cook until tender and golden. Season to taste. To serve, top with crispy prosciutto and an extra squeeze of lemon juice.

�MY YUMMY ROCKING CHRISTMAS STUFFING BOMBS

If you aren’t doing a turkey but love the flavour of stuffing, my reinvention of the tradition is for you. It’s pure Christmas in every bite, that is if you don’t swallow them whole.

WHAT YOU NEED:

8 pork sausages *

3/4 cup breadcrumbs *

1/2 cup dried apricots, coarsely chopped*

1/2 cup dried walnuts, coarsely chopped *

1 tsp dried sage *

1/2 an onion, finely chopped *

pinch of nutmeg *

pinch of tarragon *

zest of half an orange *

salt and pepper *

8 slices streaky bacon*

TO MAKE: Preheat oven to 180°C. Cut the sausage skin and squeeze meat into a bowl. Add remaining ingredients except bacon, mix thoroughly with clean hands. Line the walls of each cup of a muffin tray with a slice of bacon, then fill each cup with sausage mix. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until top edges are crisp.

�MEDITERRANEAN SMASHED POTATOES

Easy. Quick. Delicious. And don’t leave out the balsamic, it’s next-level goodness.

WHAT YOU NEED:

medium potatoes, roughly one per person *

olive oil *

balsamic vinegar *

fresh rosemary *

salt and pepper*

TO MAKE: Keep the skins on the potatoes and microwave until half cooked. Remove from oven. Using a potato masher, press down on each potato to slightly bust open the skin. Pour olive oil and some balsamic vinegar over, season liberally with salt and pepper, and toss on a good few rosemary twigs. Roast at 180°C until golden brown and crisp. To serve, swap out the roasted rosemary with fresh and you’re good to go.

DESSERTS

�MOCHA AFFOGATO

Coffee and chocolate are a match made in Christmassy heaven. Dig into this top notch sweet ending, paired with your favourite liqueur.

WHAT YOU NEED:

top quality, full cream chocolate ice-cream *

1 espresso shot per person *

your favourite milk chocolate bar, for grating *

1/2 cup brown sugar, for toffee shards*

TO MAKE: Make toffee shards by melting sugar in a hot pan. When it’s liquid, pour out on to a nonstick baking sheet or a properly greased sheet of wax paper and spread to 2-3mm thick. Cool. To serve, add a scoop of chocolate ice-cream to a bowl, cup or mug. Pour hot espresso shot around ice-cream, finely grate chocolate over and decorate with shards of toffee.

�FRUIT SORBET WITH FRESH BERRIES AND MINT

Fresh fruit sorbet is a light and bright way to end off a big meal. You can make an easy sorbet with pretty much any fleshy fruit, using this method and not much effort.

WHAT YOU NEED:

900g fresh fruit (5 cups after prepping and slicing) *

1 cup sugar *

1 cup water *

freshly squeezed lemon juice *

fresh berries of your choice for decoration *

sprigs of mint for decoration*

TO MAKE: Make a simple syrup by combining water and sugar in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Dissolve all the sugar and reduce by about 1/5. Peel, de-seed and chop your fruit, then freeze. Add frozen fruit, a tablespoon of lemon juice and 1/2 a cup of syrup into a blender, food processor or bowl.

Blend until smooth. Strain if desired. Pour into a pre-chilled container and freeze overnight. Serve with berries and a sprig of mint.

Until next time, enjoy this well-earned, well-deserved and magically sub-tropical East Coast holiday season, drink good drinks (no driving please), and Rock the Kitchen with everything you've got.

FOR MORE INFO: Talk to me at ant@rockthekitchen.co.za