EMILE JOUBERT’S COLUMN

Emile Joubert is a PR practitioner by profession, but a food and wine enthusiast by desire. Check out his blog: www.winegoggle.co.za

FIËSTA-FEES

TEQUILA HET WURMS IN – EN MEKSIKAANSE KOS BESTAAN UIT NACHOS, TACOS EN TAMALES. OF HOE?

Hier aan die suidpunt van Afrika het ons ongelukkig ’n verwronge idee van Meksikaanse kos – net soos die meeste ander lande wat dink dat als brand-sterk moet wees en in ’n wrap toegedraai word voordat jy dit met ’n stewige dop tequila wegsluk.

Meksikaanse kos is lig, geurig en gesond. Maar bowenal vars.

Gesiene dat die land ’n helse lang kuslyn het is seekos volop en heerlik. Een van die lekkerste visbraaie wat hulle doen is die sarandeado – warm kole, gevlekte vis, baie geur.

Diegene wat die deugde van ’n vars vis oor die kole ken sal gaande wees oor hierdie manier wat al die basiese beginsels bevat, maar ietsie anders, ietsie Meksikaans.

Jy benodig:

Een heel vis soos geelstert, geelbek of kabeljou. Kop aan. 5 suurlemoene waaruit jy 1½ tot 2 koppies sap kan druk I middelslag brandrissie – verkieslik serrano 2 eetlepels Worcestersous ½ teelepel swart peper ½ teelepel sout

Metode 1 Vlek die vis langs die ruggraat af sodat hy mooi oopflap. Of kry jou visverkoper om dit te doen. Sny deur die kop – daar is heerlike vleiserige, vetterige goed in die kop. 2 In jou voedselverwerker meng jy die rissie met die suurlemoensap. 3 Sit jou vis in ’n oop, vlak houer met genoeg ruimte om die hele vis te hanteer – en sit dit velkant onder. Gooi die suurlemoen- en rissiesap bo-oor die vis, sowel as die Worcestersous, sout en peper. Laat die vis vir 30 minute in die mengsel lê. 4 Verplaas die vis na jou toeklaprooster en sit oor matig-warm kole. Braai die vleiskant eerste vir 2, 3 minute om kleur te kry. Draai dan so heen-en-weer om vir 20 tot 25 minute – afhangende van hoe warm jou kole is. Bedrup met die mengsel wat in die bak oorgebly het. Die vis is gaar wanneer hy maklik van die graat wegtrek en nie te droog is nie – maar dit weet jy!

As die vis reg is, bring tafel toe en bedien met koolslaai en skywe suurlemoen. ***

Oukei, wat sal iets oor Meksiko wees sonder ’n wrap?

Een van die buitelugkok se grootste begeertes, naas ‘n draagbare skottelgoedwasser, is om koel te wees. Soos om kos te maak wat ook as byderwets en modern gesien kan word. Dit help ook veral om sulke geregte uit te haal nadat die kinders dreig om ná twee weke se braai en potjiekos jou van kinderverwaarlosing aan te kla.

Dra dus altyd ’n paar wraps saam. Dis nou sulke ronde plat en eetbare pannekoek-goed. Die Indiërs het roti. Suid-Afrika circa 2019 het wraps. Jy koop dit by al wat ‘n supermark is, en in hul pakkie verseël hou hulle maande.

Hierin draai jy (“wrap”) kos toe en eet dit met jou hand. Dis maklik, eenvoudig, lekker en wat kan meer hip, cool en happening wees as ’n wrap met modieuse volstruisvleis?

Vat so: (Vir een cool dude) 1 wrap

1 gebraaide volstruissteak (warm of koud) Paar skywe tamatie 1 blaarslaai Paar stukke komkommer Mayonnaise na smaak

Maak so: 1 Sit die wrap in ’n warm pan vir so een minuut aan elke kant. Net om hom wakker te maak. Plaas wrap op tafel. Sny die volstruisteak in skywe en pak op die wrap. Voeg tamatie, komkommer en blaarslaai by. Ander goed soos kaas, rissies, uie, knoffel, soetrissies, ens, ens kan ook binne-in die wrap geplaas word, aangesien jong mense mos in elk geval maak nes hulle wil. 2 Vou die wrap toe sodat jy ’n pakkie smaak, kleur en geur het. Hap laat dit klap, en hou servette byderhand.

En dis nou ’n wrap.

FEAST OF FLAVOUR

CAN YOU IMAGINE LIFE WITHOUT CHOCOLATE? THE WORLD OWES MEXICO A GREAT DEBT FOR INTRODUCING US TO THE DRIED CACAO BEAN AND ITS MULTIPLE USES – WHICH ITS PEOPLE (MAYANS AND AZTECS) KNEW ABOUT 4 000 YEARS AGO!

Happy New Year to you all! Let’s kick the year off on a deliciously spicy note, shall we? Mexican food is arguably one of the most popular cuisines in the world with so many dishes that we know well and love.

The festive season which has just passed would no doubt have been a little less festive were it not for chocolate, not so? Someone, somewhere either received a fancy box as a gift, had an advent calendar for the kids or kept the family tradition of Quality Street going – but did you know that the Aztecs believed cacao beans had religious significance? These ancients considered them a gift from the god of wisdom, Quetzalcoatl.

The point I’m trying to make is that people don’t associate Mexico with chocolate: the average man or woman in the street would think about Switzerland or Belgium instead. But there’s more to Mexican food culture than just chocolate ... I for one am a huge fan and when it comes to dinner I’m always up for a Mexican evening. The great news is that you can easily recreate the taste of Mexico in your own home.

Let’s start with an order of crispy nachos topped with spicy beef and melted cheese … yes please!

It’s served with a fresh and chunky salsa, and all your favourite trimmings like guacamole and sour cream of course. This scrumptious tray bake serves two generously, or a small group of amigos as a side dish.

On the sweet side we have some moreish Mexican hot chocolate cookies. These are usually spiced with chilli or cayenne pepper and cinnamon but I’ve opted to omit the chilli and include plenty of chocolate chips for extra chocolatey deliciousness. The cookies are dusted in cinnamon icing sugar and I can’t guarantee that they’ll last very long in your biscuit tin, they certainly didn’t in mine. Happy feasting!

SPICY BEEF TRAY BAKE NACHOS Serves 2

For the salsa:

2 tomatoes (about 250 g), diced 1 spring onion, thinly sliced ½ green pepper, diced 5ml (1 tsp) cumin Pinch of salt 2.5 ml (½ tsp) garlic paste juice of ½ a lime

For the beef:

10 ml (2 tsp) olive oil 1 small red onion, finely chopped 5 ml (1 tsp) garlic 10 ml (2 tsp) cumin 7.5 ml (1½ tsp) paprika 250 g beef mince 60 ml ( 1

/4 cup) water 15 ml (1 tbsp.) tomato paste Salt and pepper

To assemble and serve: 150 g corn chips 250 ml (1 cup) grated cheddar cheese sour cream guacamole

1 Place all of the salsa ingredients in a bowl and mix together. Set aside while you prepare the beef. 2 To make the beef heat the olive oil in a saucepan over a medium heat. Add the onion, garlic, cumin and paprika and cook for 2 minutes. Add the beef mince, water and tomato paste. Season well with salt and pepper, lower the heat and simmer gently until the liquid has evaporated and the mince has cooked through. Set aside to cool slightly. 3 Preheat the oven to 180ºC and lightly grease a baking tray. Layer the corn chips, mince and cheddar cheese on the tray. Bake for 10-15 minutes until the cheese has melted. Serve immediately topped with salsa, sour cream and guacamole.

Teresa Ulyate is a multi-tasking working mom who juggles a job, children and a blog cupcakesandcouscous.com

MEXICAN CHOCOLATE COOKIES Makes 30

80 ml ( 1

/3 cup) icing sugar 2.5 ml (½ tsp) cinnamon 200 g butter 160 ml ( 2

/3 cup) castor sugar 1 large egg, lightly beaten 5 ml (1 tsp) vanilla extract

375 ml (1½ cups) self-raising flour 60 ml ( 1

/4 cup) cocoa 5 ml (1 tsp) cream of tartar 5 ml (1 tsp) cinnamon Small pinch of salt 100g dark chocolate chips

1 Preheat the oven to 180ºC and line two baking trays with baking paper. Mix the icing sugar and cinnamon until evenly combined, then sift the mixture into a bowl. Set aside. 2 Cream the butter and castor sugar together until creamy. Add the egg and vanilla extract and mix to combine. 3 Sift in the self-raising flour, cocoa, cream of tartar, cinnamon and salt. Mix until everything is almost combined. Add the chocolate chips and mix again to form a dough. 4 Roll the dough into balls and arrange on the baking trays. Press the balls down lightly with the palm of your hand. Bake for 12 - 15 minutes then transfer to a cooling rack to cool for a few minutes. 5 Toss the warm cookies in the icing sugar and cinnamon mix. Set aside to cool completely.