Lessons in originality - recipes

Published Sep 20, 2014

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Developing recipes is my business, so I was delighted to be invited to a recent presentation by students who had been asked to concoct new culinary products.

I was impressed by the innovation shown in the assignment by students at Pretoria University’s Department of Consumer Science, which offers a four-year degree course concerned with foods, clothing and textiles.

As part of their studies, final-year students were asked to develop recipes for specific clients or situations.

The recipes had to be standardised for mass production where required, then styled for a professional photograph.

Some students were given unusual ingredients to work with, others had to develop new products for a supermarket chain and some had to develop recipes showcasing the use of an appliance company’s products.

I chose four recipes that would be accessible to home cooks and tested them in the Angela Day Kitchen.

* For more information about the course, contact Dr Gerrie E du Rand at 012 420 3547 or visit web.up.ac.za

 

MARISKA MEYER

This 23-year-old from Pretoria Gardens is doing a BCom Communications course, but has included some food courses in her final year. She is hoping to find a position that combines her three passions of marketing, communications and food.

Mariska had to develop a product for a supermarket and came up with a Satie dog, a cross between a sosatie and a hot dog. She loved the flavours of a sosatie and the convenience of being able to put it in a roll, making it portable.

To save costs, she replaced cubes of meat with meat balls that had all the flavours of a sosatie.

SATIE DOGS

Makes 6

150g dried apricots

30ml olive oil

1 large onion

10ml aniseed

10ml curry powder

10ml turmeric

10ml ground ginger

1 bay leaf

30ml chutney

60ml amasi (a curdled milk drink)

45ml brown sugar

200ml vinegar

5ml black pepper

5ml salt

2 slices of brown bread

500g beef mince

1egg

1 green pepper, cubed

1 red onion, cut into wedges

wooden skewers

rolls for serving

Pour boiling water over the apricots and set aside for 20 minutes. Then drain, put them into a processor and pulse until finely chopped. Set aside.

Heat the oil and fry the onion. Add the spices and fry for a minute. Add the bay leaf, chutney and amasi and mix well.

Stir in the brown sugar, vinegar and seasoning and simmer for 3 minutes.

Remove from the heat and add the slices of bread. Soak until soft.

Put the mince in a bowl and add in the chopped apricots. Remove the bread from the marinade and add to the mince with about 30ml of the marinade. Add the egg and mix well.

Shape the mixture into balls. Heat a little more oil in the frying pan and fry the balls until golden but not cooked through. Remove and cool.

Thread the balls on to wooden skewers with the green pepper and red onion.

Place on an oven tray and brush with some of the remaining marinade. Cook at 200°C for 10-15 minutes, basting frequently with the marinade.

When the meat is cooked, brush the cut bread rolls with some of the marinade and place the kebab on the roll to serve.

 

GOMOLEMO MAHLARE

This 23-year-old from Brooklyn in Pretoria loves cooking for her friends and family. She loves food so much that she intends to do a BSc in nutrition after graduating from this course.

Gomolemo had to develop a recipe for an appliance company. She chose to try to make the traditional vetkoek, which many countrymen pick up on their way to work, a little healthier.

She tried baking the vetkoek instead of frying it, but that didn’t work so she decided the vetkoek could be improved by using wholewheat flour and with a healthier filling.

WHOLEWHEAT VETKOEK

Makes 8-10

10g instant dry yeast

10ml honey

500-600ml warm water

500ml wholewheat flour

500ml cake flour

30ml sugar

10ml salt

vegetable oil for frying

Add the yeast and honey to the water and stir until the yeast has dissolved. Set aside.

In a large bowl, mix together the flours, sugar and salt.

Slowly add the water and yeast mixture to the dry ingredients and stir until the mixture comes together to form a dough that is soft but not sticky.

Turn out the dough on to a lightly floured surface and knead for 15 minutes or until smooth and elastic.

Grease a clean glass bowl with oil. Put in the dough and cover with a damp cloth. Leave to rise until doubled in size.

Shape the dough into balls and leave for 10 minutes to rise again.

Heat oil in a deep-fat fryer or large pot.

Deep fry the vetkoek, a few at a time, for 3-4 minutes on each side.

Drain on paper towel.

Serve with a filling of your choice.

 

ELMARIE KRIEL

The 22-year-old from Pretoria has a sweet tooth and loves baking, so she was thrilled to develop something decadent for a supermarket.

She wanted to make a crumpet with a twist that would be tempting to shoppers. Her marshmallow and hazelnut chocolate-filled banana crumpets were a winner with her fellow students.

Elmarie would like to work in five-star establishments to gain experience and then open her own bakery one day.

CRUMPETS WITH MARSHMALLOW

Makes 12-14

MARSHMALLOW

17ml powdered gelatine

60ml cold water

250ml castor sugar

60ml boiling water

5ml hazelnut liqueur

2 drops of pink liquid food colouring

1 drop of ivory liquid food colouring

125ml chocolate hazelnut spread

CRUMPET BATTER

2 eggs, separated

250ml buttermilk

250ml cake flour

3ml bicarbonate of soda

pinch of salt

10ml sugar

30g butter, melted

butter, for frying

2 bananas, peeled and thinly sliced

MARSHMALLOW: Line a small Swiss roll tin with parchment paper and dust lightly with icing sugar.

Sprinkle the gelatine over the cold water and allow it to become absorbed. Melt the gelatine in the microwave for 15 seconds. Add the melted gelatine, castor sugar and boiling water to a bowl of an electric mixer. Using the whisk attachment, mix on high speed for 8-10 minutes until the mixture is thick and sticky.

Add the hazelnut liqueur and keep mixing. Add the food colouring and mix well.

Pour the mixture into the prepared pan and smooth the top. Refrigerate until set.

Using a cookie cutter, cut out round shapes.

CRUMPETS: Whisk the egg whites with an electric hand mixer until stiff. Set aside.

Combine the egg yolks and buttermilk.

Mix all the dry ingredients together in a mixing bowl. Add the egg and buttermilk mixture and whisk until smooth. Do not overmix.

Add the melted butter. Fold in the egg whites. Let the batter stand for at least 5 minutes before using.

Heat a non-stick pan lightly with a little butter and spoon the mixture into the pan in small batches of about 40ml.

Cook until crumpets form bubbles. Place three thin slices of banana on the half-cooked crumpet. Flip over to finish cooking and until the banana slices are caramelised.

Remove from the heat and place on a cooling rack. Repeat the process until all the crumpets are made.

To assemble, spread a layer of hazelnut spread on one side of every crumpet, place the hazelnut marshmallow rounds on it and top off with the second crumpet.

 

TAWONGO KALUA

The 20-year-old from Murrayfield in Pretoria East was hoping to enter the hospitality industry, but found a new passion in completing her assignment.

Tawongo chose to make caramels with a uniquely South African flavour. After graduation, she’d like to develop artisanal sweets and confectionaries and perhaps start her own sweet company.

Tawongo went through many batches in perfecting her rooibos caramel recipe. She found that many factors such as the weather, the consistency of the mixture and the way you boil the caramel can determine its success or failure.

ROOIBOS CARAMELS

Makes 20-30 squares

200ml water

4 rooibos tea bags

180ml sugar

100ml condensed milk

125ml golden syrup

75g butter

15ml vanilla essence

5ml salt flakes

In a medium saucepan, over medium heat, combine the water and tea bags and boil tea for 5-8 minutes.

Remove from the heat and allow to steep for 10-15 minutes. Remove and discard the tea bags.

Add the sugar and heat gently until sugar has dissolved.

Add condensed milk and cook for a further 5 minutes.

Add the golden syrup and cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture is thick and forms a firm ball when a little is dropped into cold water.

Add the butter and stir until fully incorporated. Cook for a further 15 minutes.

Stir in the vanilla essence and salt and cook for 5-10 minutes.

Pour into a pan that has been oiled and allow to set. Cut into desired shape and wrap in parchment paper.

Store in an airtight container.

Angela Day, The Star

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