Around SA in 80 Desserts - The First Set of 10 Desserts

As you all may know 'Around South Africa in 80 Desserts' is a culinary challenge with the goal of  making 80 traditional South African desserts. I have posted a list with the first 10 desserts. I will blog about each and every dessert so you as the reader have a chance to try all the delicious desserts yourself. Only after all the desserts on each list has been made and blogged about will I post the next set of 10 until all 80 has been made. 

The first 10 desserts for the 'Around South Africa in 80 Desserts' challenge. 

Gemmerkluitjies

Melkkos van frummels

Pannekoek

Konfyt Tertjies

Appel tert

Melktert

Van der hum liquer

Smutsies

Hertzoggies

Gemmerkoekies

I am making 80 desserts, what are you doing? 

Gemmerkluitjies

Melkkos van frummels

Pannekoek

Konfyt Tertjies

Appel tert

Melktert

Van der hum liquer

Smutsies

Hertzoggies

Gemmerkoekies

Around South Africa in 80 desserts

From sticky Malva pudding to cinnamon dusted milk tarts, coconut ice at church bazaars to marshmallows roasting on an open braai, these are just some of the desserts and sweet things that make South Africa unique.

I have been blogging for a couple of months now and cooking up a storm while sharing my delicious recipes with my avid readers, but yet my blog feels like it is missing that certain ‘je ne sais quoi’. I love cooking and I love writing about it, but I also love a good challenge.

I've decided to set out on a journey into the unknown by making 80 of South Africa’s traditional desserts. This journey will be dedicated to cooking whilst exploring the rich South African culinary history. I will be discovering all of the old school as well as new school desserts, puddings and sweet treats strictly indigenous to our beautiful country.

 My challenge if I choose to accept it:

Cooking my way through 80 of South Africa’s most loved desserts and puddings. 

This challenge will start as soon as this post hits the Internet and will expire at midnight on November 11th 2013. I will have exactly 200 days to complete my challenge and raise R8000.00

So if you are a lover of all things sweet then join me on my journey as I blog my way through 80 South African desserts. Your comments, contributions and support will be much appreciated during this time. At the end of it all I would hopefully have made 80 desserts, and have created the first blog with a vast variety of traditional South African desserts all housed under one cyber ‘roof’.

 So I guess there is only one thing left to say...

Lets cook! 

Tiramisu for Breakfast

The most memorable tiramisus I have enjoyed throughout the ages can be counted on one hand. The most noteworthy being the one served at Nonna Lina’s, a local Italian pizzeria and restaurant in Cape Town. tiramisu evoke nostalgia like very few other things in life and are on par with finally going on that coffee date after having talked about it for two years. This tiramisu was no exception. It was a close enough replica of the one I had the night at Nonna Lina’s after that coffee date many years in the planning.

I have had many tiramisu’s in my life most of which are completely over engineered and lack the traditional and homemade Italian brilliance I crave. Yet again in my opinion simplicity is king. Sometimes a recipe can be unsophisticated and still come together to create a piece of sweet art that resonates with us long after we have paid the bill and slurped the last bit of espresso.

I have had this recipe for many years now and only decided to make it a few nights ago for the first time. After my initial failed attempt, ‘I burned the custard’, I gave it another go and when I tried it this morning, ‘yes I had tiramisu for breakfast’, I was reminded of how amazing something traditional can be. Not only was every taste bud doing the Gangnam Style, I found myself thinking back to that night at Nonna Lina’s and the overwhelming feeling of butterflies I had in my belly as I was sitting there enjoying my espresso and homemade tiramisu.

It is mildly embarrassing to admit that I still do get butterflies, but nowadays few things evoke those fluttery pixies, chocolate, good food and desserts are definitely among them. I know what you are thinking and yes, I thought about it too, but NO, it was NOT a sugar rush. 

This was the two years in the planning coffee date I finally went on, this was the embarrassing moment at Mug and Bean after accidently picking up, swinging and hugging the wrong date, this was the homemade tiramisu I had at Nonna Lina’s on that clear spring night that transported my taste buds back to old Italy and this was the satisfying feeling of sweet, rich custard layered between espresso and Grappa soaked Savoiardi biscuits with a twist of grated sweet chocolate, all coming together as one to create a simplistic but absolutely delicious after dinner or teatime dessert.    

Tiramisu

• 4 tbs freshly brewed espresso
• 2 tbs Grappa
• 6 eggs, separated
• 3/4 cup brown sugar
• 2/4 cup Milk
• 1 ¼ cups heavy cream
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 500g Mascarpone Cheese
• 2 packages Savoiardi biscuits (Ladyfingers)
• Unsweetened Cocoa powder for dusting
• 60 g sweet milk chocolate grated

Step 1 – In a small bowl, combine the coffee and grappa; set aside

Step 2 – In a medium saucepan, whisk together egg yolks and sugar until well blended. Whisk in the milk and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture boils. Boil gently for 1 minute, remove from heat and allow cooling. Cover tightly and chill in the refrigerator for 1 hour.

Step 3 – In a large bowl, beat the cream with vanilla until stiff peaks form.

Step 4 – Whisk the Mascarpone into the cooled egg yolk mixture until smooth.

Step 5 – Split the Savoiardi biscuits in half and drizzle with coffee and grappa mixture.

Step 6 – Arrange half soaked Savoiardi biscuits in bottom of a 18 x 30 centimetre dish.

Step 7 – Spread half of the Mascarpone mixture over the Savoiardi biscuits, then half of the whipped cream over that. Repeat layers and sprinkle with grated chocolate between layers.

Step 8 – Cover and refrigerate 4 – 6 hours before serving.

Step 9 – After 4-6 hours dust with cocoa powder and serve.

Sudafrica Pesce al Sale

Some things in life need to be enjoyed in their simplest form. Fish baked in a salt crust is a perfect example of this. It’s stupidly simply but absolutely brilliant. The salt encloses the fish completely, flavouring the fish and sealing in the moisture, making the flesh succulent and tasty.

I grew up with mutton, lamb and venison so naturally I have pretty strong opinions about fish and seafood. I don’t consider myself a fish purist and in the past I would have mind coming face to face with the animal that I am eating specifically when I am eating it, but nowadays it’s all the same to me. Put a fish in front of me, beady eyes, flapping head, lips, fins-and-all I will love it just as much as a piece of fish stripped down and deep fried into a crispy golden fillet smothered in sauce.

I have made this dish once before and it was absolutely to die for. I decided to try it again but this time with a bit of South African flare. The fish I used for this dish was West Coast Sole, a mouth-watering and scrumptious fish. Size-wise 600g’s did leave is us hungry for more. Luckily for me I bought, yes not made, bought  a fresh Chiabatta that saved the night and helped avoid an embarrassing ‘Please, sir, I want some more’ scenario.

Take a leap of faith and give this recipe a try. It is quick, super easy and very cheap. You will not regret it! It is the easiest dish that you will ever make and the end result will be absolutely scrumptious.

Post your comments! I want to hear from YOU! 

Sudafrica Pesce al Sale

• A sprig of fresh thyme, rosemary or myrtle – “I used Thyme for this dish”
• 1x500-800g West Coast Sole, gutted, head, tail, fins and scales kept on, and gills removed. "Red Mullet, sea breem, seas bass or dover sole works just as great."
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1.3kg coarse sea salt
• 180ml water

  

Step 1 – Preheat your oven to 240C or as high as it will go.

Step 2 – Put the herb sprig inside the cavity of the fish and season generously with sea salt and black pepper.

Step 3 – Mix the course sea salt with the water in a bowel and make 1cm layer of the mixture in an ovenproof backing tray.

Step 4 – Place the fish on top and cover it with more salt, piling it over to coat the fish with a layer 1cm thick. Pat the salt over the fish carefully, following its shape.

Step 5 – Place in the oven and bake for 15 minutes, then take it out and leave it in its salt for about 5 minutes, until cool enough to handle. Break open the salt crust and remove the fish to a warm serving plate. Serve with some lemon and a drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil. Enjoy with a glass of cold white wine. 

Best Chicken Soup

Unpack those designer booties, scarfs and raincoats winter has arrived sausages!

What better way to warm up this season than with a not-so-designer chicken soup?

I know this is a mighty lofty thing to say about a humble recipe I stumbled across in a traditional South African cookbook, but this is by far the best chicken soup recipe…. Ever! There, I said it!

Beyond its curative abilities, chicken soup isn’t something I generally crave or ask for in restaurants. I personally am not a big fan of having my chicken and vegies marooned in a watered-down broth-like liquid. It reminds me of bobbing for apples on All-Hallow’s-Eve. Not a preferred dining experience when I am a walking incubus of viral plague.  

I can’t guarantee that this chicken soup will miraculously cure your cold, but it will soothe your inner foodie, with the kind of lingering umami that will have you smacking your lips long after you’ve slurped the last spoonful of the heavenly soup. The roasted chicken, sweet butternut, celery and herbs add a splash of colour to your dreary winter’s day, while the variety of flavours and textures they provide titillate and warm your numbed senses. I guarantee even the most fussy and picky eaters will be coming back hungry for more.

The secret to what skyrocket’s this chicken soup recipe in an award winning category lies in the delicate roasting of the chicken. Ingredients such as good white wine, fresh herbs, good quality stock followed by gentle simmering of all the ingredients until the soup is full of flavour makes it one of the richest and heartiest chicken soups you will be serving this winter.  

Best Chicken Soup 

• 1 whole chicken
• 5 ml (1 t) salt
• 5 ml (1 t) mixed herbs
• 1 onion finely chopped
• 15 ml (1 tbs) butter
• 15 ml (1 tbs) olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic finely chopped
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 1 carrot finely chopped
• 125ml (1/2 cup) butternut cubed
• 500ml (2 cups) finely chopped celery
• 2 sprigs of thyme
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 sprigs of rosemary
• 2 litre chicken stock
• 250ml (1 cup) dry white wine

Step 1 – Remove the chicken’s skin and season the bird with salt, ground black pepper and the mixed herbs.

Step 2 – Roast the chicken for 40 minutes in a pre-heated oven at 180°C.

Step 3 – Debone the chicken. You need about two cups (500 ml) of the cooked chicken meat.

Step 4 – Fry the onion, garlic, carrot and butternut in the butter and oil.

Step 5 – Flake the chicken meat into little slithers and add to the onion, garlic, carrot and butternut.

Step 6 – Add the celery, herbs, white wine and 2 litres of chicken stock.

Step 7 – Simmer on medium heat for 1 hour.

Step 8 – Remove the thyme and rosemary sprigs.

Add salt, ground black pepper and white wine according to taste.