Toast of the Cape - recipes

Boerewors meatballs on peppered pap with a berry jus

Anneke Burger is the chef-patron of La Feta Vij restaurant in Durbanville, where diners relish her contemporary SA cuisine. The High Street Shopping Village is also the venue of the annual Winter Wine Festival, a popular event which raises funds for Round Table Durbanville.

This year, alongside many wines from Cape cellars, the products of two large renowned Chilean wineries will be poured, and chef Burger was inspired to create a menu of Cape dishes that could partner these wines.

The recipes below bring two southern hemisphere wine producers together in a delectable partnership.

* The 8th Winter Wine Festival takes place from Thursday June 21 to Saturday June 23. Tickets cost R80 online and R90 at the door. Pensioners and groups get discounts. Book through www.ticketbreak.co.za.

*See www.winterwinefestival.co.za for more information.

Smoked snoek burger with grapefuit-infused cream cheese

Chef Anneke Burger of Durbanvilles La Feta Vij restaurant with Moises del Rio, export manager of Concha y Toro wines.

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The Chilean chardonnay was the wine chosen to partner this SA dish.

Snoek patties:

olive oil

1 onion, finely diced

720g smoked snoek, filleted and flaked.

1 medium carrot, grated

15ml Cajun spice

Salt and pepper

250ml fresh cream

2 eggs, beaten

250ml-350ml breadcrumbs

oil for frying

Grapefruit-infused cream cheese:

1 grapefruit, peeled, rind reserved, and flesh chopped

300ml water

400ml sugar

500ml cream cheese

4 hamburger rolls, halved and toasted

butter

Sweet potato French fries:

2 medium sweet potatoes, cut into French fries

oil for deep-frying

salt

Make the patties: Heat a little olive oil, add the onion and fry over medium heat until transparent and tender. Add the snoek, carrots, Cajun spice and season with salt and pepper.

Let the mixture cook briefly. Stir in the cream and simmer until thick and creamy. Leave to cool before mixing in the beaten egg and 250ml of breadcrumbs. Shape into 180g patties, adding more breadcrumbs if necessary. Fry the patties in a little heated oil until golden brown.

To make the cream cheese spread, add the chopped grapefruit flesh and pieces of rind to the water and sugar and bring to a boil.

Cook until syrupy, adding more water if necessary. Cool before removing the rind and folding the syrup and fruit into the cream cheese.

Just before serving, toast and butter the halved buns.

Make the French fries: Heat oil in a deep fryer or deep casserole, add the chips and fry until golden. Season with salt.

To serve, spread bottom half of toasted buttered buns with cream cheese, top with the snoek patty and finish with the top half of the bun. Serve with the fries. Garnish with fresh herbs if liked.

Serves 4.

Boerewors meatballs on peppered pap with a berry jus

Pour a glass of Chilean carmenere to accompany this.

Meatballs:

600g boerewors

2 eggs, beaten

300ml-450ml breadcrumbs

500ml flour

3 eggs, beaten

10ml fresh herbs, such as thyme or rosemary, finely chopped

oil for frying

Peppered pap:

3 cups water

salt

400g mielie pap

butter

cream or milk

salt and ground black pepper

Berry jus:

600ml beef stock

50g fresh or frozen raspberries

Garnish:

fresh coriander leaves

Make the meatballs: Take meat out of sausage casings. Add the eggs, herbs and breadcrumbs until you have a good consistency to make meatballs – about 50g each. Roll balls in flour, coat in beaten egg, then breadcrumbs. In heated oil, fry gently until cooked through and crispy.

Make the pap: Bring water and salt to a boil. Add pap while whisking. Whisk until pap starts boiling. Then, turn down the heat, cover and cook gently for five-10 minutes. Add butter and a little cream or milk if it’s too stiff. Add black pepper and salt.

For the jus, combine the stock and berries in a saucepan, bring to a boil, reduce heat and cook until mixture is thick and reduced. Blend until smooth, and season if necessary. Scoop pap on to each of four plates and top with three meatballs. Pour over the berry jus and garnish with coriander. Serves 4.

Parmesan-crusted ostrich medallions with a chocolate jus and caramel disc

The Chilean merlot-led blend could make a good partner.

Mashed potato:

4 large potatoes, peeled

butter

60ml cream

salt and black pepper

Chocolate jus:

600ml beef stock

fresh rosemary sprigs

60g dark chocolate, grated

Salt and black pepper

Caramel disc:

300g castor sugar

150ml water

Ostrich medallions:

1.2kg ostrich fillet, cut into 12x100g rounds

500ml flour

2 eggs

400g finely grated parmesan

salt and black pepper

oil for frying

Cook the potatoes in salted water until soft. Drain and transfer to a sieve over a large bowl. Sieve potatoes, using a wooden spoon. Add butter, cream, salt and pepper.

Make the jus: Combine stock and rosemary, bring to the boil, reduce heat and cook until liquid has reduced by half. Remove from heat, stir in the grated chocolate and season to taste.

For the caramel disc, spray a sheet of foil on a flat baking tray with cooking spray. Combine sugar and water; bring to the boil. Using a pastry brush dipped in cold water, brush down sides of the saucepan to prevent crystallisation. When mixture has cooked to a light brown, spoon out a little and place in cold water. If it sets immediately, it is ready. Remove pan from heat. Use a spoon to transfer the caramel to the foil, making circles. Cool completely before removing from the foil. Don’t make the discs too thin; they will break.

Cook the ostrich just before serving time: roll medallions in the flour, coat in the beaten egg, then the grated cheese. Fry the ostrich in olive oil until medium rare. Season and serve. On each of four plates, place a spoon of potato mash, three ostrich medallions, drizzle over jus and finish with a caramel disc. Serves 4.