Archive for June, 2011

Uniquely South African Bobotie

Bobotie is a uniquely South African meal and its origins can be traced back to the eastern influence on South African culture and cuisine. The Cape Malay society is famous for cooking this dish and it is usually served with yellow rice.

Ingredients

1 kg minced lamb
125ml milk
1 thick slice of white bread, crust removed and soaked in milk
2 roughly chopped onions butter
Salt
1 tablespoon of curry powder (mix the hot and the Cape Malay versions for a good flavour)
1 chili, finely chopped (optional and only if you like your food quite hot)
½ cup vinegar
1 tablespoon of lemon juice
1 teaspoon of brown sugar
1 tablespoon of chutney
8 -10 crushed almonds (optional)
3 eggs
1 clove of garlic, crushed and finely chopped
6 bay leaves
1 orange, sliced in wheels
1 lemon, sliced in wheels
Oil for cooking

Instructions on how to make it

Heat the oil in frying pan and add the garlic, onion and curry power. Cook over medium heat for three minutes, then add the mince meat. Fry until the meat is almost done, then using your hands, squeeze the milk from the bread. Discard the milk and add the bread, vinegar, lemon juice, sugar and chutney to the mince. Fry for a minute or so and then remove from heat.
Take a pie dish and place three bay leaves, two wheels of orange and two wheels of lemon at the bottom. Now scoop the mince mixture into the dish. Decorate the sides of the dish with the rest of the lemon and orange wheels, wedging them between the mince and the sides of the dish so that only a third protrudes. If you are using almonds, push them into the mince. Beat the eggs and 125ml milk, and pour over the meat. Put three bay leaves on top of dish. Place the dish uncovered in the oven and cook for about 30 minutes at 160 deg Celsius.

Serve with a plain green salad or chopped tomato and onion, sprinkled with a little vinegar. Make sure you have

some chutney near at hand. Serve piping hot with the yellow rice.

Recommended wine. The uniquely South African Kumkani Pinotage will pair well with this truly South African dish.

Source: rainbownation.com

Some food and wine connoisseurs have made food and wine pairing so rigid that they are missing the point completely. Traditionally, certain wines are recommended to be served with certain dishes. The “rules” state that red wine will complement red meat, while white wine is recommended with fish or fowl.

Some people who are not huge fans of white wine, instead, prefer a Pinot Noir – which is a light-bodied red wine – with salmon or fish. If someone does not particularly enjoy red wine, you simply can’t force them to pair a Cabernet with steak.

New food and wine pairings are all about bending the rules to suit your palate. For example, uniquely South African Pinotage with medium body is also delicious served with seafood such as salmon.

The only “rule” to remember is to match the wine intensity or body with the flavour of the food so that the wine does not overpower the food, or vice versa. Even a so-called untrained palate seeks what it likes – trust your tastebuds and mix and match until you find something that you enjoy. Rules? You know what to do them! Wine is simply something that must be enjoyed – regardless of perfect pairings.

The medium to full bodied Kumkani Pinotage is a versatile wine  with a great finish.

Source: pioneerlocal

When entertaining friends and family sometimes it’s best to go back to the basics. Nothing beats this good old-fashioned roast beef recipe, which is guaranteed to have guests asking for seconds!

Ingredients:

4 small onions, quartered

1 tablespoon olive oil

Salt and pepper

1 1.8 kg boneless rib or roast

Method:

Heat oven to 190° C. In a roasting pan, toss the onions, oil, ½ teaspoon salt, and ½ teaspoon pepper. Push the onions to the edges of the pan. Season the beef with 1 teaspoon each and pepper and place in the center of the pan.

Roast the beef to the desired doneness, 65-80 minutes for medium-rare (remove from oven when the internal temperature registers 50° C).

Transfer the beef to a cutting board, tent loosely with foil, and let rest for at least 15 minutes. Slice and serve with the onions.

Recommended Wine: This dish goes well with big wines like the multi award winning  Kumkani Cradle Hill Cabernet Sauvignon.

Source: Real Simple Magazine

A few of our wines received medals at this year’s Old Mutual Trophy Wine Show.

The Welmoed Heyden’s Courage 2009 (white)  and the Kumkani Cradle Hill Cabernet Sauvignon 2007 received  silver medals.

The Arniston Bay Bushvine Pinotage and Chenin Blanc both scored a bronze. Congratulations to the winemaking team.

Here is the full list of winners-  winemag.co.za

We’re having another Market Day wine sale at our Welmoed cellar door in Stellenbosch.

Dates: 2 June -5 June 2011

Venue: Welmoed Cellar door. Directions to Welmoed

The following wines will be on sale:

If you’d like more details regarding the sale, please contact the Zoliswa at our cellar door on 021 881 8062