ChefPaida Bwerinofa

Barley Salad

By Chef Paida Bwerinofa, Limpopo Chef’s Academy

Serves 6 portions

Ingredients

• 3 cups cooked barley

• 1 cup of corn from the cob

• ½ cup cucumber

• ½ cup red onion

• ½ cup red pepper

• 1 garlic clove, minced

• 3 tablespoons lime juice

• 4 tablespoons olive oil

• 1 red chilli, chopped

• ½ teaspoon salt and pepper

• 2 tablespoons coriander

• 2 peaches, sliced

Method

1. Cook barley as per package instructions. Barley can be hulled or pearl

2. For more flavour use stock.

3. Stock can be beef, chicken or vegetable.

4. Grill corn on the cob, baste with butter mixture, cut corn kernels off the cob. Optional; you can par cook sweetcorn before grilling.

5. Dice cucumber, red onion and red pepper.

6. Cut chilli in half, length ways.

7. Remove seeds and finely chop chilli.

8. Finely chop coriander.

To make the dressing:

1. Mix lime juice, olive oil, coriander and chilli. Add salt and pepper to season.

2. Slice peach, brush with olive oil and grill to give char lines.

To assemble salad:

1. In a bowl mix barley, corn kernels, cucumber, red onion and red pepper.

2. Pour salad dressing over salad and mix.

3. Mix in peach slices or use to decorate salad.

Bottled Gold

Denneboom Extra Virgin Olive Oil is patiently hand crafted to ensure flavour perfection. Enjoy the herbaceous and fruity flavour with notes of almonds and pine.

www.denneboomvineyardsandwildlife.co.za

Duck And South African Plum Salad

By Anna Stanford, Anna’s Family Kitchen

Serves 4

Ingredients

• 4 South African Plums, stoned and quartered

• 4 duck legs

• ½ teaspoon Asian Five Spice

• 100g salad leaves

• 4 spring onions, trimmed and shredded or sliced

• ½ cucumber cut into batons

• 1 chilli deseeded and sliced

For the dressing:

• 1 tablespoon honey

• 3 tablespoons soy sauce

• 1 teaspoon sesame oil

• 1 tablespoon olive or ground nut oil

• 1 garlic clove crushed

• 1 teaspoon grated ginger

• Juice of 1 to 2 limes

Method

1. Put the duck legs onto a rack above a roasting tray. Prick the skin of the duck all over using a fork. Season, sprinkle with the Five Spice and roast for 60-70 minutes at 180˚C with fan until the skin is crisp. Shred the meat off of the bone using two forks.

2. Shake together all your dressing ingredients in a jar or whisk in a jug.

3. Combine all the salad ingredients finishing with the dressing and serve!

For the vegan option:

1. Switch the honey in the dressing for Agave Nectar.

2. Seitan can be baked for 15-20 minutes and sliced. Jackfruit is best slow cooked.

3. Rinse it in a colander, add to an oven-proof dish, sprinkle with the Five Spice and cover with water.

This warm salad is the perfect antidote to Winter. Duck and plum sauce are a classic pairing but in this recipe there’s no sticky sweet plum sauce! Instead, this pairs the duck with seasonal South African plums and a fresh Asian dressing.

4. Put a lid on the dish or cover tightly and bake in an oven at 140˚C for 3-4 hours. @annasfamilykitchen

For a vegan or vegetarian alternative to the duck, try using Jackfruit or Seitan – just follow the methods at the bottom of this recipe.

How to correct a mistake in a recipe

Add something to it. Salt is the most common solution as it enhances the flavours you already have. However, you can also add sweetness, spice, acid, or whatever flavour you’re trying to make the focus of your dish.

Adding herbs and spices to fix the flavour can also potentially save the meal.