Apologies

Hello to all my avid blog readers and followers,

I have to apologize for the lack of posting anything new since last year, but in the restaurant business, summer seasons are really hectic, I am planning my year ahead with recipes and busy setting up schedules to post recipes, so please bare with me. I will be posting my first post in about 5 days.

Until then, bon appetit and happy cooking

Chocolate Olive Mille Feuille with Lindt Ecuador 70% Chocolate Ganache and White Chocolate Mousse

This was something a little special that I have been wanting to try for a while, it is not my own original recipe that I would have to pay my respects to David Everitt-Matthias for creating, although this one has some slight changes to the recipe, it starts off the the chocolate shapes to make the Mille Feuille with, then the Lindt Ecuador 70% dark chocolate ganache, and then finally the white chocolate mousse on the top.

I must strongly warn that this dessert is a serious chocolate fix and is not for the faint hearted when it comes to eating it, or making it.

Serves 6
Difficulty Hard
Prep-time 4hr 30 minutes
Cooking Time 20 minutes

Ingredients
...for the chocolate shapes
250g 50% dark chocolate
120ml Extra Virgin Olive oil

.....for the ganache
400g lindt 70% Chocolate (I usually use a Ecuador chocolate as i like its flavour profile, but it is up to you)
200ml Cream
50g unsalted butter

....for the white chocolate mousse
400ml Cream
500g White Chocolate
3 gelatin leaves
3 egg yolks
30ml port or sherry
25g castor sugar

Method
.....for the Shapes
Melt the chocolate over a double boiler, remove from the heat and whisk in the olive oil 1 third at a time, then spread out onto acetate or silicon lined grease proof paper that has been cut into into a 30cm square, when it has set cut it out into 18 equal triangles.

....for the Ganache
Heat the cream until it reaches boiling point, remove from the heat and whisk in the butter, when the butter has melted add this to the chocolate and mix until all the chocolate has melted, leave this to cool slightly so that you can pipe it onto the chocolate triangles, then pipe it onto 12 triangles, and layer the triangles ontop of each other, with the 3rd triangle on the top with nothing on it.

....for the Mousse
Whisk the eggs yolks, sugar and port over a double boiler until it reaches ribbon stage (like making sabayone) leave this to cool slightly.
Whip 300ml of the cream to soft peak and keep aside
soak the gelatin in a little cold water for 5 minutes and the squeeze all the water off, bring the remaining 100ml cream to the boil, add the gelatin to this.
Melt the chocolate over a double boiler, then whisk in the cream/gelatin mix, fold in the "sabayone" and finally fold in the whipped cream, leave to set for at least 3-4 hours in the fridge.

Then spoon onto the dessert as per picture above.

Here is a friendly reminder to vote for my "breakfast" recipe

I would really like you to read the challange and look at the list of ingredients that we were given when I created this dish, it was quite a feat if I can say so myself.

Breakfast with a twist

‘Breakfast'

By Bradley Castle (The Hungry Chef)

Inspiration behind this recipe: The story behind 'Breakfast' (AKA 'Caramalized pain perdu, set vanilla rice pudding, butter bavarois and tomato leek jam')...Do you remember being told off for playing with your food? I’ll never say that to my kids. And this is why.Thinking outside the menu box comes easily to me, because I’m inspired by left-of-centre gourmet greats: Ferran Adria, Heston Blumenthal and Pierre Gagnaire. Why stick with what you know, when you can flip ordinary into extraordinary using a dash of creativity and a dollop of chutzpah?So, since this week's ingredients are savoury, I decided to do dessert. But why stop there? Push the boundaries and go over the top with a va-va-voom version of pudding… as breakfast. You’ll see what I mean. 

And please – don’t ever stop playing with your food.

Ingredients

For the tomato, leek and thyme jam:

4 leeks, chopped
3 Tbsp butter
1 can PnP chopped tomato
2 sprigs of thyme
1 cup brown sugar

For the caramelised French toast:

2 eggs
2 Tbsp sugar
4 Tbsp vanilla milk
8 slices of baguette (left in the fridge overnight to go stale)
½ cup brown sugar

For the butternut egg yolks:

100g butternut, cubed
2 cups water
1 sprig of thyme
Pinch of salt
2 Tbsp brown sugar
½ cup vanilla milk
2 Tbsp butter
1 tsp gelatin powder

For the rice pudding egg white:

½ cup Spekko Parboiled Long Grain Rice4 cups vanilla milk
2 Tbsp water
Pinch of salt
2 Tbsp white sugar
1 tsp. gelatin powder
Pinch of salt

For the tomato, leek and thyme jam:

Saute leeks in butter until golden brown. Add in the rest of the ingredients and let simmer until it reaches 107 degrees on a sugar thermometer. Let it cool slightly. Place in a food processor until it is smooth. Press it through a very fine sieve. (The idea here is that it looks like tomato sauce.)

For the caramelised French toast:

Beat together eggs, white sugar and milk.

Soak baguettes in this mixture.

Cook baguettes over a low heat for about 5 minutes on each side. Place on paper towels to drain off all the excess oil.

Melt brown sugar in a non-stick saucepan. Toss the French toast around in it until it is evenly coated. Place on grease-proof paper to cool down.

For the butternut egg yolks:

Boil butternut with the 2 cups of water, thyme and salt until tender. Drain and place in a food processor.

Melt the sugar in a saucepan until it starts to change colour to dark golden brown. Add in butter and take off the heat. Whisk in the butter and add to the butternut in the food processor with the remaining ingredients (except gelatin and 2 tablespoons water). Blitz for about 5 minutes.

Soak gelatin (as above method). Add this to the mixture. Blitz for a further 30 seconds.

Place mixture into any heat-resistant moulds you have that are the shape of egg yolks (I have metal measuring spoons that I use). Set in the fridge for about 2 hours. When set, gently place the bottom of the mound in some hot water to release the 'yolk'. Invert these on to the 'egg whites'.

For the rice pudding egg white:

Overcook rice in vanilla milk on a medium heat with the pinch of salt. When cooked, add in sugar to dissolve.

Soak the gelatin in the water for 5 minutes. Place in the microwave for 5 seconds. Add it to the rice mixture.

Place everything into a food processor. Blitz until it becomes a smooth paste. Strain through a muslin cloth

Take an egg ring and place it on a piece of grease-proof paper. Spoon in the 'egg white' mixture and place in the fridge to set; about 2 hours.

Meet the Bloggers - Freshly Blogged Competitors

Today's post is a post with all the competing bloggers from the Freshly Blogged Competition here they are in no specific order

Jackie Buss (Inspired By Food)

'I am inspired by local, fresh, free-range, organic, home-grown food'

Food has always been my passion and inspiration for as long as I can remember. Even from an early age I remember being in the kitchen and always trying something different every time. I would not use recipes except for guidance, but rather make up my own dishes and flavours. It must have run in the family because both my mother and father have also always been passionate about food and this has lead me to be passionate about food, local ingredients, local producers, organic, free range and home grown wherever possible. My passion has also lead me to starting my own business, running my own food business at Cape Town’s food markets.

Jessica Ulyate (Tiny Oven Adventures)

‘I enjoy experimenting with new recipes, and I've got a soft spot for baking and cake decorating.

I'm a 20-something electronic engineer working in the mobile-application security field. I love technology and working with it, but I'm passionate about all things food related!

Evelyn Thomas (shades of cinnamon)

'My every waking moment involves food'

I am a cook, recipe developer and stock photographer from Durban. My love for food and photography has developed into a passion that is the driving force behind my blog, Shades of Cinnamon. My every waking moment involves food. Thinking about what to cook next, trying new ideas, finding the right light in order to take the perfect photograph, writing each post… And, at the end of the day, reaping the rewards, by sitting down with a glass of wine, or a cup of tea, and eating the finished product. Food sustains us, comforts us in our darkest hours and helps us celebrate our happiest moments.

Shafeeqa Effendi (Crushland)

'I started my blog to share all the things that inspire me, and celebrate all the things I love'

I started cooking, baking and painting as a young child, with my little pink camera in tow. Now years later, I’m still doing the same thing! Except now I have a very patient and understanding family, in the form of my beloved husband and two dear sons, who know when not to bother me in the kitchen (and how to hold that 'natural' pose between bites). You’ll find me at an arts and crafts market selling my watercolour paintings on the last Sunday of every month, doing the odd wedding or family shoot, and sometimes creating weird and wonderful cake creations with buttercreams and fondant for special people on special occasions. (My favourite brief is: Surprise me!)

Anél Potgieter (lifeisazoobiscuit)

‘I want my blog to be a happy place’

My blogging journey was born out of a demotivating experience. In 2012, I was incredibly depressed after being rejected on MasterChef, after making it into the top 35. So I started eating my favourite cookies, zoo biscuits −and couldn’t stop. A few weeks later (still eating zoo biscuits for comfort), I woke up one morning (12 April 2012, to be exact) and decided enough was enough. I needed to write about food. And so I started my blog, lifeisazoobiscuit. Since then, life has not been the same. My heart has healed. My life really is like a zoo biscuit – happy, colourful and full of joy! Through my blog, I want others to experience this, so my recipes are all tested and cooked with so much love and photographed by myself. I my blog to be a happy place. In March, my blog received the 2013 Eat Out DSTV Food Network Produce Best Food Blog of the Year Award.

Joanne Clegg (The Food Crew)

My experience has included cooking in private homes, working for reputable caterers and running an on-board yacht cookery course. I stumbled upon my life’s calling: I was the girl who was kicked out of Home Economics in high school because I had no notes in my file! Extramural Home Ec lessons got me through Matric, and when my travels took me to the island of Mallorca, I began working on luxury yachts. It was either manage the galley or live below deck as a glorified chamber maid. Thanks to the bounty of delicious produce from the Mediterranean, I soon began a love affair with food. I returned home in 2008, and finished my chef’s diploma with a distinction – and a bun in the oven! My relaxed rustic-fusion style embraces family dining. It’s unpretentious, focuses on flavour and cooking the ingredients with respect.

Sam Taylor (pomegranate days)

‘I’m enjoying being executive chef of my own kitchen’

I live in the beautiful Paarl Valley. I am the mother of two and the wife of one Dear Husband. I love where we live… that I drive past cows and sheep (and the occasional donkey) on the way home… that from wherever I stand in Paarl, I am surrounded by its glorious mountains. I qualified as a chef de partie from Christina Martin School of Food and Wine in Durban in 1992. For the next 18 years I worked hideously antisocial chef hours on game farms and in restaurants and hotels. The less glamorous side of chef life didn’t diminish my passion for all things culinary. After working over hot passes and nursing scorched hands, leaving the dynamic environment of restaurant and hotel kitchens has heralded in a (relatively) quieter season of my life. I am enjoying being the solitary executive chef of my kitchen.

Kate Liquorish (undomestiKATED)

'Food will always fascinate me'

Food fascinates me. It always has, always will. As an actress by profession (and what an interesting job it can be!), I’ve had the joy (and pain) of a lot of free time in-between work, auditions, post-audition drinking. In this time, I found myself cooking. It soon snowballed: dinner at home became dinner for friends became dinner for 12 became a party became a wedding… Before I knew it, I was working as a caterer and was often asked for my recipes, which I’d never taken the time to write down. Then one day a friend persuaded me to start a blog. So I did… And here I am.

Hila Jonker (Add to Taste)

‘Cooking and baking for me is like meditation.’

I’m a wife, a mother, a full-time worker, and I love food. I love cooking it. In fact, I’d rather cook a meal than snuggle under the duvet! I love eating food – anything from mouth-watering gastronomic experiences to wholesome, down-to-earth fare. I appreciate all good food (and it shows!). My little family of three (my husband and tiny toddler) get to experience all things foodie – from my Romanian heritage to my Israeli roots and my current culinary explorations through cookbooks, blogs and Food TV.

Shirley Berko (CuiZine)

‘I hope to be part of the food community that puts Durban on the map’

I am a graphic designer from Durban who aspires to cook confidently, bake without setting things alight and record the results of my adventures on my blog. When I started varsity, my cooking skills extended to microwaving frozen fish and boiling potatoes. Inspired to change that, my passion for food (and often my overheated frying pan) became inflamed. Since then, I've progressed to cooking with fresh fish and making confit potatoes… and keeping a fire extinguisher handy. Almost as much as I love food, I love my little city of Durban. Our city is often underestimated, but I hope to be a part of the growing food community that puts Durban on the map. I hope to do this by cooking well… and not setting any more baked goods alight!

Candice Bresler (The Gorgeous Gourmet)

'I want to help people rediscover the joy of cooking.'

I’m a vanilla-obsessed eater, baker and cook. I live in a beautiful corner of Cape Town, and I document my adventures in and out of the kitchen from my corner of cyberspace – The Gorgeous Gourmet. It began when I was a little girl, ‘helping’ my mom in the kitchen (really, just licking the bowl). After graduating from UCT (English and Politics), I moved to the French Alps for a year while working in the hospitality industry. There, I happily embraced a world of cream, cheese and bread – ingredients that still weigh heavily in my heart and hips. Now, I spend my days working with premium kitchen brands, and my nights and weekends writing for The Gorgeous Gourmet. I strive to find the balance between fresh vanilla pods, butter and cream, and time at the gym.

Lara Johnson (How to Cook an Elephant)

‘Pinterest feeds my interest in organic gardening, food photography and recipes’

I’m an administrator at a remedial school in Cape Town. Influenced by my German grandmother and English heritage, I learnt to cook at a young age, and chose to pursue my love for cooking by studying in Stellenbosch. After a stint of living in London, and picking organic grapes in Tuscany, I returned to Cape Town and started my blog, How to Cook an Elephant, in May 2009 for a bit of culinary ‘fun on the side’. I live with my husband, Brett, and our puppydog, Tosca… as well as a slowly growing fortune of Le Creuset cookware, kitchen gadgets and cookbooks. Here you will find me in the kitchen or pottering in the backyard garden.

Jessica Franks (JessKa's Kitchen)

'By the time I’m 80, I’m going to need my own cookbook library!'

I like food. A lot. I take a million photos of whatever and wherever I'm eating. So much so, the photos on my phone are 80 percent of food; 20 percent of my dogs, Basil and Pickle. (They had to have food names, even though my friends voted we call them Batdog and Robin.) My food blog is called JessKa's Kitchen (pronounced like a lazy two-syllable Jessica without the i) and I’ve been blogging since 2011. My blog is home to all my favourite recipes, restaurant reviews and other food-related awesomeness. I’m based in Johannesburg, and by day, I’m a network engineer for one of South Africa’s telecommunications companies.

Barry Gerber (Cape Cook)

'My love for cooking stems out of my love for making other people happy'

I’m 45 years old and from Bellville, Cape Town. I grew up in Malmesbury, and still love the Swartland and West Coast very much. The people are like my cooking: honest, without pretence. I didn’t grow up watching my mother cook. I played outside like most boys. But when I left home at 18 I started cooking for myself and friends - sometimes with success; sometimes with disastrous results! My love for cooking stems from my love for making people happy. My cooking style is rustic, with influences from boerekos and the country-style cooking of France and Italy, with occasional attempts at fanciness.

Amy-Louise Rankin (20-something in Cape Town)

'I’m a wine-guzzling, food-loving word-nerd'

Growing up on a farm in Limpopo, I clearly remember the day my mom first brought home olive oil. Even then, I hated ‘fake food’ (read: processed cheese and polony). But my real culinary journey (and my ‘winecation’!) began when I moved to Cape Town to study 10 years ago, and had to teach myself how to cook. Once I started working in publishing, I was regularly invited to food events and launches. I started my blog, 20-somethinginCapeTown, to share my discoveries. Nine months ago, my husband and I blended our own wine for our wedding. I’d love to make a batch of beer one day, too. Until then, I’ll just keep consuming the wondrous products around me – making sure I occasionally run to stave off extra kilos!

Teresa Ulyate (Cupcakes and Couscous)

‘My goal is to spread the foodie love’

My passion for food had its roots in childhood. I have fond memories of baking mince pies and biscuits over the Christmas holidays, granny's apple pie and custard, mom’s muesli slowly baking in the oven… After school I completed a National Diploma in Food and Nutrition, then began working at an upmarket food store in Cape Town. After a brainwave, I approached the owners with a product idea. They agreed to give me a chance, so I grew a business with several product lines, including handmade chocolate truffles and iced tea. After selling my business to travel with my husband, I worked as a product developer for a food company in Cape Town until I had my daughter. As a busy mom, I tend to revert to the same recipes, but I plan to challenge myself, too... (And to share the results on my blog, of course.)

Nicola George (Wots For Lunch?)

‘I’m a Capetonian, food geek, lunch-box packer, software developer and more…’

It’s no surprise that I love food − my mom tells me it was even my first word! My blogging journey began with the Arthur Golden book Memoirs of a Geisha. After reading it, I developed an obsession with all things geisha, which developed into a fascination with Japanese culture and, eventually, bento meals. I discovered blogs like Cooking Cute, Just Bento and Adventures in Bentomaking and was inspired by the compact, balanced and cute packed meals they featured. In 2007 I created a blog on 24.com, but in 2010 I decided to go it alone and moved my blog to Wots For Lunch? I blog about the lunches I pack for myself, the occasional recipe, and lately I’ve been having fun with Instagram, posting monthly roundups of the food-themed photos I share there.

Tandy Sinclair (lavender and lime)

‘Food is about feeding the soul’

My journey with food started when I got to cook with my paternal grandmother and her aunts for the Jewish high holy days. My grandmother was an artist by profession and I always say that I found my art form in the kitchen. Since I moved out of home, I have created dishes in my kitchen like an artist. Some of them have not worked out well; some have gone on to win awards. In September 2009 I started a food blog and as it has grown, I have grown along with it. I try to use regional and seasonal produce wherever possible, and I support as many local farms, industries and shops as I can. To me, food is more than just about feeding the stomach: It’s about feeding the soul.

Zirkie Schroeder (PinkPolkaDot)

'Zirkie is my name, foodblogging is my game!'

I grew up in the beautiful bosveld town of Bela Bela. My Afrikaans mother cooked real boerekos. If she had her way, we’d have eaten meat three times a day. My mom enjoyed cooking and baking, and it wasn’t long before her interest became mine. At 12, I started making breakfast menus for my school holidays. Later I started cooking lunch and dinner, too. Food took a backseat when I started a career in the IT industry. After my son was born in 1995, I was often away from home for work. So in 2001, when I got the chance to make a career change, I bought a coffee shop. For seven years, I baked all the cakes, most of the muffins and all of the quiches myself. Friends and family kept requesting my recipes, so I decided to start blogging on Food24. To my surprise, my blog became popular.

Saaleha Bamjee (Electric Spaghetti)

‘I’m a freelance writer, designer, editorial consultant and amateur food photographer.’

When I'm not making, eating or taking pictures of food, I’m working towards completing an MA in Creative Writing (with a specialisation in Poetry) through Rhodes University. I’m based in Johannesburg.

Bradley Castle (The Hungry Chef)

‘I love to mix old-world recipes with new-world techniques to create something that’s even better than the original.’

I’m a self-taught chef who got into the industry because of my passion for food and my understanding of how to put somebody at peace with a plate of food. I make everything myself – from my own cheeses, artisan breads and stoneground, pure-butter puff pastries. I’ve cured my own meats and I’ve made my own sausages. My hunger for knowledge about food is ongoing, hence the name “the hungry chef”. I specialise in Indian curries, Thai foods, Mediterranean cuisine and cooking with sustainable seafood. I also love German and Korean foods.

Rosemary Gough (Homemade Heaven)

'Everything that is eaten in our home is always made from scratch.'

I have no problem writing (and talking) about food, hiking, other people, other places… actually I can fill your whole day with words – except about myself. Here goes! I started blogging in August 2007, as a way to share my life and recipes with my family, far and near. What started as the odd recipe and photo soon grew into an all-consuming hobby that interrupted family meal times! I now feed a household of seven people, ranging in age from 22 months to 58 years old (including two hardworking 18 year olds). While my blog Homemade Heaven had to slow down when life caught up with me, I’m still passionate about blogging and cooking

Natasha Silva (Eazy Peazy Lemon Squeazy)

‘I’m still in utter awe of the fact that I can combine two of my biggest passions in a way very few other people can.’

While I’ve always felt a strong pull towards writing (ever since my early teen-angst, diary-owning days!), I only recently discovered that my love for eating can actually take me places. I always seek out rustic classics with a twist. Being only 22 years old (nearly 23!), I have a lot to learn. At the moment, all I’m seeking are learning opportunities that can help grow my passion for cooking (as well as my skill, of course). I really enjoy trying out new recipes at home and discovering new dishes at new restaurants.

Andanté Wiehahn (Lekkerbek)

'Graphic designer by profession, PR by experience and food lover by passion.'

My family has always been obsessed with food. As a child, my parents each ran a restaurant. I recall falling asleep under tables, playing hide-and-seek in enormous kitchens and not thinking it strange to see a live crayfish being turned into our dinner. When I was 10 my mom asked me what I wanted to serve at my birthday lunch and I said artichokes (don’t think that went down to well with my tomato sauce-obsessed peers!). Four years ago, my mother, Wirie, had a concept for a gourmet gifting company, and that’s how LekkerBek started. In the meantime, I also met my husband Wiets. Together we have travelled the world tasting as many delicacies as our tummies (and wallets) would allow. Now I spend endless hours experimenting in the kitchen – it’s creative therapy.

Chicken liver parfait, tomato and coffee jam with crème brulee, spiced ice-cream and stewed fruit

Chicken liver parfait, tomato and coffee jam with crème brulee, spiced ice-cream and stewed fruit

By Bradley Castle (The Hungry Chef)

Inspiration behind this recipe: The inspiration for these dishes came from many influences during my studies and career thus far. It was also the chef in me, who loves to create unique flavour combinations that marry together in a soft, subtle way; complementing each other so well, after every mouthful you just want more and more.
These dishes are a little technical, but they make a great meal in the end. They're well worth trying if you are the type who likes to experiment in the kitchen a little.

Ingredients

For the dessert:

Spiced white chocolate ice-cream:
80g white chocolate; 8 egg yolks; 1/4 tsp Robertsons cayenne pepper;500ml milk

Stewed fruit:1 packet PnP dried fruits (all fruits except prunes, which go in liver parfait); 1/2 cup of sugar; 1 cup water

Vanilla-cinnamon creme brulee:1 vanilla pod, scraped; Robertsons cinnamon; 200ml cream; 100ml milk; 3 Tbsp sugar; 4 egg yolks

Tomato-coffee jam: 1kg tomatoes, skinned and pitted (reserve pips and inner flesh); 2 red peppers, roasted and skinned; 6 coffee beans; 1 tsp vinegar; 100ml olive oil; 150g icing sugar (placed over reserved pips and flesh and left in a warm place for 3 hours); Salt and pepper to taste; 1/2 tsp Robertsons cayenne pepper

Melba toast: 500g white bread flour; 15g fresh yeast; 15g sugar; 300ml warm water; 10g salt

For chicken liver parfait: 250g PnP chicken livers; 1 Tbsp olive oil; Prunes from the packet PnP dried fruits; 1 vanilla pod, scraped; 1/2 tspRobertsons ground cinnamon; Salt and pepper to taste; 50g butter; 50ml PnP cream

For spiced white chocolate ice-cream:

Melt chocolate over a double boiler. Cream chocolate into eggs with cayenne pepper. Add in heated milk and return to a low heat. Stir with a wooden spoon until it thickens like custard. Leave to cool to room temperature, place in the fridge until cooled, then place in the freezer for about 4 hours. Remove and blitz in a food processor. Repeat this step 3 times, then leave in the fridge overnight for the ice-cream to set.

For the stewed fruits:

Place ingredients in a saucepan over a medium heat and let simmer for about 30 minutes.

For vanilla-cinnamon creme brulee:

Infuse vanilla and cinnamon in cream and milk on a low heat for about 30 minutes.

Cream together the sugar and egg yolks and then slowly add in the hot cream mixture.

Strain into ramekins and bake in the oven at 120 degrees Celsius for 45 minutes or until set. Take out of the oven and leave to cool.

Once cool, sprinkle with white sugar and brulee it with a gas torch.

For melba toast:

Preheat oven to 200 degrees Celsius.

Combine yeast and sugar with water and leave to activate. (It usually takes about 10 minutes and you will see a froth develop on the top.) Mix this into the remaining ingredients and knead for 10 minutes. until the dough is smooth. Cover with a damp tea towel and leave to prove for about 45 minutes.

Knock it back, cut and shape into the shapes you want to make and leave to prove, covered again, for another 45 minutes.

Bake in a preheated oven for 25 minutes. Take out and leave to cool. Cut paper thin and bake again in the oven for about 5 minutes, until toasted.

For tomato and coffee jam:

After the pips and flesh have macerated for 3 hours, strain off the liquid and add it to the remaining flesh of the tomatoes that have been finely cubed with the red pepper.

Add together with all the remaining ingredients and cook on a medium heat in a small saucepan until it has reduced to a jam consistency. Serve on top of the chicken liver.

For chicken liver parfait:

Saute chicken livers in olive oil until cooked all the way through. Add all ingredients into a food processor and blitz until smooth. Pipe into a serving glass.

Pear frangipane, dark chocolate ice cream and Amarula custard

This is my new recipe for the freshly blogged competition, please follow the link to go and vote for my recipe
http://freshlyblogged.co.za/recipe/pear-frangipane-dark-chocolate-ice-cream-and-amarula-custard/

Inspiration behind this recipe: Decadent dessert – a childhood delight! It's amazing what magic can be created with a few, simple ingredients. This sweet, comforting treat is a nod to nostalgia; I remember helping my granny to make something similar many moons ago.

I'm inspired by the concepts of 'mystery basket' meets 'late-night craving' in this dish. It's super-easy to whip up a delicious pudding with ingredients from your kitchen. While Amarula liqueur, ground almonds and dark chocolate aren't your average store cupboard staples, these simply add a hint of gourmet flavour (they can be substituted with other items for a midnight quick-fix treat).

Frangipane was my favourite dessert as a child. I patiently helped my granny to crush the biscuits for the base and today, while putting together this recipe, so did my daughters.
Sadly, frangipane has fallen out of flavour recently, so a new twist adds modern dining excitement : the pairing of hot, steaming custard with cold, homemade chocolate ice cream.

Pears are a perennial fruit choice in the colder months, so they're an ideal, juicy topping, and they slice through the sticky sweetness too.

Cheers to childhood. Memories are made of this.

Ingredients

For the Amarula custard:

1 cup milk
8 egg yolks
1/3 cup sugar
1/2 cup Amarula

For the chocolate ice cream:

500ml milk
80g dark chocolate
10 egg yolks
1/2 cup sugar

For the pear frangipane:

1 pkt PnP cream crackers
2 Tbsp white sugar
3 Tbsp butter
100g flaked almonds, ground into a powder
2 medium eggs
2 Tbsp cake flour
1/4 cup white sugar
80g butter
2 pears, peeled, cored and sliced

Amarula custard:

Heat up the milk to just below boiling point, remove from the heat, In a separate bowl whisk the egg yolks and sugar until pale then slowly whisk in the heated milk, return back to a low heat and stir with a wooden spoon until it thickens like custard, then add in the Amarula and leave to cool or serve hot.

Chocolate ice cream:

Heat up the milk to just below boiling point, remove from the heat and add in the chocolate and whisk until combined. In a separate bowl whisk the egg yolks and sugar until pale then slowly whisk in the chocolate mixture, return back to a low heat and stir with a wooden spoon until it thickens like custard. Leave to cool to room temperature, then place in the fridge until cooled, then in the freezer for about 4 hours. Take it out and blitz in a food processor, repeat this step 3 times, and then leave over night for the ice cream to set.

Best of all is that no ice cream maker is needed for this!

Pear frangipane:

Preheat the oven to 180 degrees. In a food processor, blitz the cream crackers, 2 Tbsp sugar and 3 Tbsp butter until it resembles wet bread crumbs, this is the base for the frangipane. Line a 23cm tart tin with these crumbs.

Now in the food processor add all the remaining ingredients except for the pears and blitz together, spread this evenly over the crumb base, then slice the pears and arrange them on the almond base.

Bake for 30 minutes.

LOCAL BIRD MEETS CORNY BRAAI IN FRUITILICIOUS FUSION DISH

The dish : Ostrich koftas – traditional Indian meatballs – paired with herbed cornbread, dried fruit compote and a red wine reduction

I’ve had a lingering love affair with fusion food since my rookie days as a virgin chef.

There’s nothing more satisfyingly risky than pairing x, y and z from vastly different continents and cultures…and discovering that, really, they were meant to be mixed after all.

Fusion food is the gastronomic equivalent of democracy. Every ingredient is equal – no matter what it looks like or where it comes from.

This week’s dish reflects everything I relish about Indian, South African and classic French cuisine : tasty, tantalising and pleasingly easy on the eye.

Ostrich meat, too, deserves pride of place on our dinner tables. It’s one of the healthiest animal protein sources available – yet so under-rated.

So, I threw together the traditional South African braai, a couple of Indian Koftas, a French plating and red wine sauce.

The result? Magic.

Ingredients for Herbed Corn Bread

500g Mealie Meal (I like the course braai pap, but this is up to your preference)

700g White Bread Flour

35g Fresh Yeast

50g White Sugar

25g Salt

50ml Olive Oil

2 Eggs lightly beaten

700ml warm Milk

30g Chives chopped

1 Onion finely diced

Method for Herbed Corn Bread

Get the braai ready, I have learnt that briquette’s work best when making braai breads.

Mix together 1 TBSP of the sugar with the fresh yeast and “cream” them together, add 1 TBSP white bread flour to this and mix for another minute, add this to the warm milk and leave to form a sponge on the top of the milk, it can take up to 10 minutes to do so.

mean while mix the mealie meal with the remaining sugar, flour, salt, chives and onion.

When the yeasty mixture has formed a sponge, add in the eggs and olive oil, mix lightly.

Add the yeasty mixture into the flour mixture and knead for about 5 minutes, leave the dough to stand in a draft free place for about 40 minutes, place the dough onto a lightly floured work surface and stretch it into a big square about 60cm x 60cm, then fold the bottom half up to the middle, fold the top half down over that, fold the right side in to the middle and fold the left side over that, place back in a container and leave to proof for another 30 minutes, repeat this 4 times, after the 4^th time leave to stand for 1hr30min, then take it out and place into a oiled potjie pot, leave to rest for 10 minutes then place this in the fire place with about 8 briquettes underneath the pot, and about 8 on the lid of the potjie pot, keep replacing  with hot briquettes for about 1hr 30 minutes until it is cooked.

Ingredients for Red Wine Reduction

500ml Drostdy-Hof Pinotage

500ml Beef Stock

1 Bay leaf

1/2 Onion finely diced

2 TBSP butter

1 tsp white sugar

Salt and pepper to taste

Method for Red Wine Reduction

Sweat off the onions with the butter, add in the rest of the ingredients and let simmer on a low heat until it has reduced down to only a ½ cup of liquid, strain and it is ready to use

Ingredients for Ostrich Kofta’s

500g Ostrich Sausage out of the skin

3 tsp Mild Curry Powder (depending on how spicy you like it)

1 Onion finely diced

2 Eggs lightly beaten

½ cup Toasted Bread Crumbs

3 TBSP PnP Peach Chutney

Prunes for 250g packet PnP Mixed Dried Fruit finely diced

Salt and pepper to taste

Method for Ostrich Kofta’s

Pre-heat the oven to 180˚c

Mix all the ingredients together until well combined. Divide the mixture into 12 equal size balls, roll them tightly and place onto a roasting tray rubbed with oil and bake in the oven at 180˚c for 12 minutes

Ingredients for Fruit Compote

250g PnP Mixed Dried Fruit – Finely diced

2 TBSP White Sugar

1 tsp Mild Curry Powder

2 TBSP PnP Peach Chutney

250ml Drostdy-Hof Pinotage

250ml Vegetable Stock

1 Cardomom Pod

Method for Fruit Compote

Place all the ingredients into a small sauce-pan and leave to simmer for until almost all the liquid is gone, take off the heat and keep aside until ready to serve.

Freshly Blogged Week 3 challange

Hello All,
Here is my awesome week 3 challenge on freshly blogged, please follow the link and vote.
http://freshlyblogged.co.za/recipe/local-bird-meets-corny-braai-in-fruitilicious-fusion-dish/

Your votes needed!!!!!

I need your votes.........
As most of you know I have entered the Pick n Pay, Fresh Living, Freshly Blogged Competition, it is a great competition that is taking place from now until 23 September 2013, it involves you the public to vote for your favourite recipes and food bloggers which I hope is me, it is a quick and easy vote to do here is the link and just click vote for recipe.  http://freshlyblogged.co.za/recipe/baby-corn-soup-thai-stir-fried-veg-on-noodles-brie-spring-rolls-with-thaia-marmalade/


Many thanks
The Hungry Chef

Freshly Blogged Voting has opened

Hello All,

Voting has opened today for the Freshly Blogged Competition, please go onto the site and vote for your favorite recipe, hopefully it is mine, but i do understand if it isn't. Here is the link to the site http://freshlyblogged.co.za/ this is a very interesting competition and it a load of fun for myself and I am sure the fellow competitors feel the same, follow the competition week to week to see who gets voted off, who makes it through and who is tops.
Happy Cooking

Christmas in July Dessert........Deconstructed Eton Mess

Before I get into part 3 of Christmas in July, I just want to mention to those of you who follow this recipe of the week loyally, I am taking part in a very interest cooking competition that is online from Freshly Blogged, the competition starts on the 8^th July 2013, and I will be needing your votes to make it through to the next round, so please go onto the Freshly Blogged website and register as a voter and see what I am going to create in the weekly challenges.

Now for today’s dessert, a quick and sexy little dessert that has the Christmas flavours running through it, berries, brandy, cream, meringue hmmmmmmm everything you need, so myself and newly appointed pastry chef, Elri Booyse who I hope I get to work with for a decent while as she is talented and creative, sat and thought a little out the box and came up with this one….

Serves: 4

Difficulty: Easy

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cooking Time: 1 Hours

Ingredients for the meringue

4 egg whites

½ tsp lemon juice

200g castor sugar

Method

Place the egg whites in a mixer and whisk until they start to form soft peaks, then add in the castor sugar a little at a time so that the last bit is totally incorporated before you add in the next bit, when it is at stiff peak add in the lemon juice.

Pipe onto a baking tray lined with grease proof paper and bake at 150˚c for 1 hour.

Ingredients for the Berry Compote

600g mixed berries

150g treacle sugar

1 vanilla pod scraped

¼ tsp cinnamon

2 cloves

100ml brandy

100ml water

Method

Place all the ingredients into a pot onto the stove and let simmer for about 10 minutes until the liquid start to thicken, take off the heat and leave to cool.

Ingredients for the Amarula Creme

500ml Fresh Cream

100ml Amarula

Method

Whisk the cream until it starts to thicken, then whisk in the Amarula and whisk until stiff peak.

Now to build your master piece, break up the meringue and place this at the bottom of your serving dish, I have gone with Martini glasses as they are sexy, then take a very little bit of the cream and spread a layer on top of the meringue, this will stop the red juices of the berry compote from going into the meringue so you will have a perfectly layered dessert. The place a layer of berries on top of that and then top it all off with the crème.

I have garnished this here with an edible flower and a bit of sugar work, but I think that will take a little more explaining in person to do, you can replace it with the pods of the vanilla you have scraped.

Bon appetite