Titillating Tantalizing Teasers

These are the delicious dishes I enjoyed making this weekend.  Besides the spicy, fruity, home-baked hot cross buns I gobbled up as soon as the oven door opened and the dozens of Easter eggs that disappeared down the hatch, I also loved sharing these starters, salads, and desserts with family and friends.

Precious was so inspired by the Mussels steamed in white wine that I had on Saturday for lunch that he went off at low tide to harvest some himself.     He scrubbed until his shoulders hurt and his fingers bled, and as his assistant, I painstakingly pulled out the beards.   My take on this classic French dish was a proud moment, and I hope you'll enjoy it as much as we did!

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MARICHA’S PERFECT MOULES MARINIÈRES

Steam 30-50 large, scrubbed black mussels in a large pot.

Once the water boils, add the mussels (either in the steam basket or added to the water) steam for approx.  8 minutes or until all the shells open.  Steam the Mussels in batches of 15 mussels at a time.
Do not use any unopened mussels.
Reserve 500ml of the stock once cooked and all the mussels have opened.  (If you buy tinned mussels reserve the liquid)

STOCK:

1. In a large saucepan, heat the olive oil, add the chopped onion, garlic, and chilli, and sauté until the onion has softened and is translucent.
2. Turn up the heat slightly, add the white wine and bay leaf, boil until the wine has reduced by half and all the alcohol has evaporated.
3. Add the stock and simmer for 5 minutes
4. Taste and season as desired with a good grinding of pepper.
5. Add herbs and mussels, heat through
6. Add the cream just before servingServe in individual bowls with a crusty French loaf.

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BEETROOT AND CARROT SALAD WITH BASIL-MINT YOGHURT

DRESSING

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MOM’S FAVOURITE MANGO AND PRAWN SALAD VIETNAMESE STYLE

DRESSINGS:

Pour the lime juice into a small bowl, add sugar, and stir to dissolve.   Add the remaining ingredients, stir, and dress the salad.

METHOD:

1. In a large mixing bowl, place the mango, poached prawns, onion, 250ml mint and basil, 10ml sesame seeds, and dressing.
2. Season to taste with freshly ground black pepper
3. Scoop salad onto a pretty platter and garnish with the fried shallots, a drizzle of oil, and some sesame seeds.
4. This salad may be served with a Chilli dipping sauce (good commercial one)

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OUR FAMILY FAVOURITE SELF-SAUCING CHOCOLATE PUDDING (VREET MY OP)

1. HEAT AND MELT Melt Milk, butter and vanilla essence in a saucepan
2. Whisk the liquids into the dry ingredients; pour into a buttered ovenproof dish.  
3. Make the sauce and pour carefully, using the back of a tablespoon placed just over the pudding to guide the liquid evenly over the top and prevent a hole from forming.
4. Bake at 180°C for 30 minutes.

SAUCE:

Mix all the ingredients, stir until the sugar has melted, and pour over the pudding before baking.

EXTRA CRUNCH: cracked walnuts may be sprinkled over the pudding before pouring the sauce over it.

EXTRA EXTRAVAGANCE: cracked chocolate blocks may be plunged into the pudding before saucing, too.  I’ve added white chocolate, which gives a marbled effect.

SERVE:  serve at room temperature with a good ball of Vanilla ice-cream (Tin Roof ice cream or a rich chocolate ice-cream may be used to ring the changes) and a dollop of cream or custard (kids’ favourite)

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MALVA PUDDING

This traditional Cape pudding has stood the test of time; unless you have this recipe in your repertoire, you can’t call yourself a Bolander.

SAUCE:

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C.
2. Butter an oven-proof dish (Cook ‘n Spray may be used too)
3. Cream the butter and sugar until pale and fluffy; add the eggs one at a time, whisking well after each addition.   Whisk in the apricot jam.
4. Add the bicarbonate of soda to the milk, stir until dissolved, then add the vinegar; the mixture will become foamy.
5. Fold the dry ingredients into the butter mixture, adding the liquids in increments.
6. Pour into the buttered baking dish and bake for 45 minutes.

SAUCE:

Mix all the sauce ingredients in a saucepan and bring to a boil.  Pour the hot sauce over the pudding as soon as it’s removed from the oven.

SERVE:

Serve at room temperature with a scoop of Vanilla ice cream, custard, or cream (all of the above will do perfectly too)

Bon appétit

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A weekend without a walkabout is unheard of.  On Good Friday morning, we were served coffee, Hot Cross buns, and Easter eggs in bed. After a leisurely morning of chatting and catching up, we headed off to Honingklip Brewery (on the road to Hermanus from Cape Town, just before the Kleinmond turn-off) for a luncheon of craft beer and Wally Everson’s divine Cloudy Apple cider. 

For lunch, we had the Chef’s speciality platters of three different pork sausages and accompaniments, a duck salad, and Mushroom Risotto, which was yummy, nutty, and full of delicious flavour.  The Jalapeño sausage lives up to its name; it’s HOT!

The beer tasting looked interesting and comes highly recommended; I think the Blonde beer is a favourite.  This wasn’t our first visit, and it certainly won’t be our last!

We didn’t stay for dessert but made a quick right turn into Benguela Cove for the Artisan Chocolate and Wine Pairing—a beautiful lifestyle estate with a vineyard, cellar, and tasting room.  The views are magnificent.  We had coffee, and Precious went home with a case of wine.

Now I’m going to toast the very last hot cross bun to have with my mug of coffee on the stoep, while I watch the sunbirds and Cape Robins.

P.S Titillating, Tantalizing, and Teaser can refer to food!