Lorna Maseko is a woman of many talents. Besides owning and running her own events production company, she’s a talented dancer, TV presenter for Top Billing and aspiring cook.
Lorna loves food and loves eating, although you would not say so with her slim, trim figure. She loves experimenting with different flavours and her favourite dish to cook at home is oxtail.
Depending on what mood she is in, her taste ranges from homely comfort foods to spicy, strong-flavoured dishes. She loves watching cooking shows on TV and gets inspired to cook many of the recipes she sees.
She will spend Valentine’s Day with her husband, GC Lukhele, who will get to enjoy this special menu which I invited Lorna to cook in the Angela Day Kitchen in Randpark Ridge.
SALMON CEVICHE
Serves 2
200g piece of the best quality Scottish salmon
grated rind of 1 lime
30-40ml lime juice
5ml grated fresh ginger
5ml sesame oil
15ml olive oil
30-40ml soy sauce
1 red chilli, seeded and chopped
for serving, baby gem
for serving, chopped coriander
Finely chop the salmon and place it in a bowl.
Combine the lime rind, juice, ginger, sesame oil, olive oil, soy sauce and chilli and add to the salmon.
Adjust the ingredients to suit your taste.
Spoon the mixture into lettuce cups to serve. Sprinkle with chopped coriander.
DUCK WITH PLUM SAUCE
SAUCE
2 large red plums
250ml water
125ml sugar
150ml red wine
30ml brandy
3 whole cloves
1 star anise
rind and juice of 1 orange
5ml Dijon mustard
45ml redcurrant jelly
15ml cold butter
DUCK
2 duck breasts
salt and pepper
SAUCE: Slice the plums and discard the pips.
Combine the water and sugar in a pot and bring to the boil. Simmer for 5 minutes. Add the plums and simmer until soft.
Cool and purée with a stick blender.
Combine the plum purée, wine, brandy, cloves, star anise, orange rind and juice, mustard and redcurrant jelly and simmer over a medium heat until reduced and thick.
Just before serving, stir in the butter to give the sauce a nice glossy appearance.
DUCK: Score the duck breasts and place them skin-side down into a heated pan. Cook until the skin is nice and crispy.
Remove and place on an oven tray. Season with salt and pepper.
Roast at 200°C for 10 minutes until done to your liking. Medium rare is best.
Serve the duck on some wilted baby spinach with creamy mashed potatoes and the plum sauce.
PANNA COTTA WITH BERRY JELLY
This is inspired by TV chef Lorraine Pascal’s recipe.
Makes 4
250ml cream
1 vanilla pod, |seeds scraped out
125ml castor sugar
10ml gelatine
30ml water
250ml Greek yoghurt
JELLY
500ml pomegranate or cranberry juice
1 packet of raspberry jelly
5ml gelatine
pomegranate rubies for decorating
Combine the cream, vanilla pod and seeds and sugar in a pot and heat until the sugar has dissolved.
Sprinkle the gelatine over the water and leave it to become absorbed. Microwave on full power for 10 seconds. Stir into the cream mixture.
Set aside to cool for 15 minutes.
Remove the vanilla pod and stir in the yoghurt.
JELLY: Heat 250ml |of the juice in a small pot. Combine the jelly powder and gelatine and stir into the heated juice. Sit until completely dissolved.
Remove and cool before stirring in the remaining juice.
To create the split effect with the jelly, find a way to angle some champagne glasses. Pour in the panna cotta mixture and place in the freezer until set.
Stand the glasses upright and fill up with the jelly mixture. Place in the fridge to set.
Serve decorated with pomegranate rubies.
The panna cotta and jelly can also be set in any decorative glasses with the panna cotta layer at the bottom and the jelly layer on top.
Angela Day, The Star