With Christmas fast approaching, now’s a great time to check you’re stocked up with all that you need to cook up a storm on the big day.
Whether it’s a small family dinner or a big get-together, cooking the Christmas feast can be a very stressful thing to do but thanks to our South African chefs who always introduce us to new cooking ideas.
We recently joined Margaret Hirsch and Hirsch’s Head Chef winners Ismael Amos and Havenisha Naidoo for their Christmas cooking where they shared new and innovative ideas on classic Christmas dishes.
Scalloped Hasselback Potatoes with Cheddar
Ingredients
170g shredded mature cheddar cheese
113g shredded pepper cheese
1 cup heavy cream
3 cloves garlic, crushed with press
1 tbsp. packed fresh rosemary leaves, chopped
1kg peeled potatoes
Method
Preheat oven to 220°C.
Line rimmed baking sheet with foil.
Grease shallow 2-quart oval baking dish.
In large bowl, combine Cheddar and pepper cheeses; transfer one-third to small bowl and set aside.
To large bowl with cheeses, add heavy cream, garlic, rosemary, 1 1⁄4 teaspoon salt and 1⁄2 teaspoon pepper.
Very thinly slice potatoes; place in bowl with cream mixture. With hands toss until every slice is well coated.
Arrange slices in baking dish, sides facing up, until entire dish is tightly packed (some slices may not fit).
Pour remaining cream mixture over potatoes.
Place baking dish on prepared baking sheet.
Cover dish tightly with foil; bake 1 hour.
Remove foil and sprinkle top with reserved cheeses.
Bake 55 minutes to 1 hour 15 minutes or until potatoes are very tender and top is golden brown.
Let stand at least 15 minutes before serving.
Havenisha Naidoo, Ismael Amos and Margaret Hirsch PICTURE: Zanele Zulu/ANA