9 minute read
MasterChef at home
BECOME A MASTER CHEF Mastert art
Miso pork belly, spicy pear & apple purée and compressed potatoes. Recipe on page 80
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Watching TV and wishing you could cook like that? Luckily for you, we can show you how – without the pressure of cameras and a ticking clock! Grab your apron for a masterclass in fl avour combinations, cooking and plating
PHOTOS: DIRK PIETERS RECIPES AND STYLING: GAIL DAMON FOOD ASISSTANT: KRISTEN SCHEEPERS
Miso paste is a quintessential Japanese ingredient made from fermented soybeans – savoury, with a rich umami fl avour that transforms any dish into something exquisite. Note that the pork needs to be cured overnight.
GOOD IDEA Serve with burnt butter– not only does it smell good but it also elevates each element on the plate with its nutty fl avour. Melt ½ cup (125g) butter cubes on medium heat, swirling the pan or stirring, for 5-8 minutes (it will foam and sizzle at fi rst, then turn golden-brown). Serve immediately. Pork belly:
1kg boneless pork
belly
Coarse salt ¼ cup (60ml) miso
paste
¼ cup (60ml) mirin or rice wine vinegar 5cm knob fresh ginger, grated 2 cloves garlic, minced 2-3 Tbsp (30-45ml)
hoisin sauce
Purée:
1 onion, chopped 2 cloves garlic, minced ¼ cup (60ml) butter 2 Tbsp (30ml) honey 3 apples, peeled and cubed 3 pears, peeled and cubed 1 Tbsp (15ml) Korean chilli fl akes or
gochujang paste
Salt and milled
pepper
Potatoes:
4-5 medium potatoes, very thinly sliced Salt and milled
pepper
½ -1 cup (125-250ml) grated parmesan 2 cloves garlic, minced 1 cup (250ml) cream ¼ cup (60ml) butter, melted
For serving:
1 packet (200g) PnP tasty stem broccoli, blanched or grilled 1 packet (200g) sugar snap peas, blanched or grilled Sliced radish and
micro herbs
SERVES 4-6
Score pork belly fat with a sharp knife, taking care not to cut into the meat. Rub pork generously with salt and leave overnight to cure in fridge (uncovered). Brush off salt and pat pork dry. Combine remaining pork belly ingredients and rub all over pork. Marinate for 1-2 hours in fridge, bringing to room temperature half an hour before roasting. Sauté onion and garlic in butter for 5 minutes. Add remaining purée ingredients and cook for 12-15 minutes until caramelised. Cool completely, then blitz in a food processor and season. Roast pork at 160°C for 35-45 minutes until meat is tender and skin crispy. Set aside to rest. Increase oven heat to 180°C, and line a 20x12cm loaf tin with baking paper. Tightly pack a single layer of potato slices in loaf tin. Season and sprinkle with some parmesan. Repeat potato and cheese layering (save some cheese for topping later). Combine remaining potato ingredients and pour over. Weigh potatoes down with a loaf tin fi lled with rice or beans, and bake for 35-40 minutes. Remove weight, top with leftover cheese and bake until golden, about 15 minutes. Cool, then remove and cut into squares. Serve pork belly with potato, purée and greens (see right).
HOW TO PLATE LIKE A MASTER CHEF
➊ Transfer purée to a piping bag or squeeze bottle. Pipe 4 horizontal lines in the centre of the plate.
➋ Place a piece of pork diagonally on top left side of the purée.
➌ Add 3 squares of compressed potato (it should not form a straight line).
➍ Arrange vegetables on plate, fi lling spaces between the potatoes and purée but not overcrowding it.
➎ Garnish with radish and micro herbs.
PRICES AVAILABLE IN STORE
The key to this classic dish is top-quality meat, plus timing your cooking to perfection.
Béarnaise sauce:
3 Tbsp (45ml) white
wine vinegar
¼ onion, grated 3 cloves garlic, chopped 3 egg yolks 2-3 cups (500-750ml) melted butter Salt and milled
pepper
Handful fresh parsley, chopped
4 medium potatoes, cut into 2cm-thick matchsticks Salt and milled
pepper
1 (300-500g) PnP
wagyu rib-eye
steak, at room temperature Glug olive oil 2 Tbsp (30ml) butter 3 cloves garlic, skin on, lightly smashed 2 sprigs rosemary Oil, for deep-frying
SERVES 2
Combine vinegar, onion and garlic in a pot and simmer for 8-10 minutes. Transfer to the jug of a blender and mix in egg yolks, one at a time, making sure it’s smooth before next addition. Add butter in a thin, slow stream while motor is running, and process until sauce thickens. Season and stir through parsley. Set aside (keep warm in a bain-marie). Parboil potatoes in salted water for 5-8 minutes. Cool on a baking tray. Fill a large pot halfway with oil and heat on high. Deep-fry potatoes in batches for 8-10 minutes (they should not colour). Season steak on both sides. Heat a cast-iron or heavy-bottomed pan over high heat until smoking hot. Add oil, butter and aromatics to pan and sear steak about 4-5 minutes per side (for medium-rare). Rest for 10-12 minutes before slicing. Refry potatoes just before serving for 5 minutes until golden. Season. Serve sliced steak with béarnaise sauce and fries.
PAIR WITH
KAAPZICHT SHIRAZ
A juicy Shiraz with mulberry notes and hints of oak.
DID YOU KNOW? Wagyu (pronounced ‘wag-you’) is one of the most sought-after meats in the world. What makes it so special is its copious marbling (the small fl ecks of fat between muscle tissue). When heated, the fat melts into the meat like butter, resulting in a rich, luxurious piece of steak.
Make like a ef:
Why triple-cook? Parboiling ensures that the inside stays soft and fl uffy, the fi rst fry seals in that fl uffi ness and starts the crisping, while the last fry crisps it up perfectly.
SALMON TARTARE WITH CRISPY SKIN
A harmony of Asian flavours with buttery salmon, creamy avo and a zesty sauce.
3 (500-600g) salmon fillets, skin on Canola oil, for deep-frying Micro herbs, for serving
Marinade:
¼ cup (60ml) ponzu sauce (citrus soy) 2 Tbsp (30ml) mirin 1 tsp (5ml) sesame oil 1 tsp (5ml) chilli oil 1 tsp (5ml) honey 1-2cm knob fresh ginger, grated 1 Tbsp (15ml) Korean
gochujang paste
(fermented chilli, rice and soybeans) Juice (60ml) and grated peel of 1 lemon Salt and milled
pepper Purée:
1 avocado, peeled and cut into chunks Handful coriander Juice (60ml) of 1 lemon
SERVES 4-6
Remove skin from fish (start by pulling up the skin on the corner of the tail and sliding a sharp knife in at a 45° angle). Pat skin dry between two pieces of paper towel. Set aside. Cut salmon into 1-2cm cubes and combine with marinade ingredients. Season. Marinate in the fridge for at least 30-40 minutes, then remove and bring to room temperature. Heat oil in a pot and deep-fry salmon skin until crispy, about 5-8 minutes. Drain on paper towel and set aside. Combine purée ingredients in a blender and blitz until smooth. Season. Spoon avo purée onto plates and top with 2-3 Tbsp salmon tartare (use a mould for a perfect round). Top with shards of crispy skin and garnish with micro herbs to serve.
Make it like a chef:
Use fresh salmon for tartare, as frozen fish will have a slightly different texture. Serve at room temperature, not cold from the fridge. The colder the food, the less flavour you taste.
CARAMELISED WHITE CHOCOLATE MOUSSE
You read that right – you can turn white chocolate into caramel! The sweetness pairs perfectly with the tartness of granadilla.
Granadilla curd:
1 tub (240g)
granadilla pulp
¼ cup (50g) sugar Juice (60ml) and grated peel of 1 lemon 4 egg yolks, whisked 1/³ cup (80g) butter
Vanilla crumble:
½ cup (125g) cold butter, cubed 1 cup (150g) cake
fl our
extract
Mousse:
300g white chocolate, chopped 2 Tbsp (30ml) canola
oil
¼ cup (60ml) cream + 1½ cups (375ml), for whipping 4 egg yolks, whisked 2 gelatine leaves, soaked in cold water for 5-10 minutes Seeds of ½ vanilla pod or 1 tsp vanilla
extract
Fresh granadilla, for serving
SERVES 8-10
Heat granadilla pulp, sugar, lemon juice and peel in a pot over medium heat, stirring until sugar dissolves. Remove from heat and add to egg yolks in a thin stream, whisking vigorously to prevent eggs scrambling. Return mixture to heat, stirring for 10-15 minutes until thickened. Stir in butter, remove from heat and cool. Preheat oven to 180°C. Grease a baking tray. Mix butter into fl our with your hands until it resembles coarse breadcrumbs. Mix in the remaining crumble ingredients. Spread onto baking tray and bake for 15-20 minutes until golden. Remove from oven and reduce heat to 150°C. Toss chocolate chunks in oil and spread in a single layer on a baking tray. Bake chocolate for 40-50 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes, until it becomes golden and caramelised. (If lumpy, blitz to get it smooth again.) Heat caramelised chocolate and ¼ cup cream in a pot over low heat, stirring until well combined. Remove and cool before adding egg yolks. Return to heat and stir until thickened, about 5-8 minutes. Remove and cool slightly before
SIMONSIG KAAPSE VONKEL SATIN NECTAR
A Demi-sec Cap Classique with aromas of peaches and tropical fruits that gives it a sweet fi nish.
stirring in gelatine until dissolved. Add vanilla and cool completely. Whisk remaining cream to medium peaks and fold through mousse. Set in fridge for 1 hour. Smear curd on serving plates, add some fresh granadilla and sprinkle with crumble. Top with mousse and serve with an extra dollop of fresh granadilla.
Make like a ef:
Use vanilla extract or paste (made from the seeds in vanilla pods). This is the ‘real deal’, with natural sweetness and a much punchier fl avour. Swap the tub of granadilla pulp for 4-5 of the fresh fruit. The intense fl avour is more tart, so you can omit the lemon juice in the recipe.
