Kingclip with Mushroom & Leek Risotto

I love Risotto, but have never tried to make it myself.  It was relatively easy, but requires quite a bit of manual labour!  Worth it in the end, and it worked really well with the Kingclip. 

Kingclip with Mushroom & Leek Risotto 

Ingredients:

Kingclip:

- 4 Kingclip Fillets

- 2 lemons

- 2 cloves of garlic

- Fresh Thyme and Sage, finely chopped

- Salt and Pepper

- 4 small slices of butter

Risotto:
- 6 leeks, trimmed and cut into 1cm slices
- 1 pack/6 - 8 Portobello mushrooms, cut into thin slices
- 1 tbsp salted butter
- 1 onion, minced
- 1 tsp fresh chopped parsley
- 1 cup uncooked Arborio rice (Risotto rice)
- 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 4 – 6 cups chicken broth
- 1 cup dry white wine (I chose chardonnay)

- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- Sea salt & pepper to taste

Method:

The Risotto takes quite a bit longer to cook than the Kingclip, but you need to prep everything before you start cooking the Risotto as it has to be stirred constantly.  Pop the Kingclip into the oven when the Risotto is nearly ready.

Kingclip:

1. Preheat oven to 180C

2. Place Kingclip fillets onto a baking tray

3. Place butter, garlic and fresh herbs over fish fillets, and season with salt and pepper

4. Squeeze lemon juice over the fillets, and finish off with lemon slices on each fillet

5. Bake for 15 min, and Grill for an extra 5min (or until golden brown)

Risotto:
1. Have a large pot with chicken stock medium to high heat, ready to add to the risotto when necessary

2. Melt butter in another large pot.

3. Add shallots; cook, stirring frequently, until translucent.

4. Add leek, mushrooms, parsley and rice and toss to coat; cook for 2 minutes.

5. Add lemon juice; cook, until all lemon juice has been absorbed, stirring continuously so rice does not stick to sides of pot, about 1 minute.
6. Add 1 cup of hot broth to the risotto pot at a time; stir until absorbed. Repeat with remaining broth, making sure each addition of broth is absorbed before adding more. This process takes about 20 – 30 minutes. When rice turns creamy and just done (should be slightly chewy and not mushy), remove pot from heat.

7. Add the parmesan cheese and stir well.

8. Season with salt and pepper, and an extra squeeze of lemon juice.

Traditional Afrikaans Koeksisters

Koeksisters are a traditional Afrikaans treat – a crisp, sticky, sugary, deep fried braided donut soaked in syrup!  They are so more-ish, but if you don’t finish them in one go you can refrigerate them.

Traditional Afrikaans Koeksisters

Ingredients:

Koeksisters:

4 cups cake flour

2.5ml salt

30ml baking powder

50ml butter

1 egg

250ml - 375ml milk or water

Oil to deep fry

Syrup:

4 cups sugar

375ml water

2.5ml cream of tartar

2.5ml fine cinnamon

2 sticks of cinnamon

Optional: glycerin

The Koeksisters dough and Syrup need time to rest and cool, and will need to be prepared at least 2 hours before the remaining steps.

Syrup Method:

1. Mix sugar and water, add cream of tartar and cinnamon. Let it boil for 5 mins. You can add 5-10ml of glycerin just before you take it off the stove to give it a nice shine.

2. Let the syrup cool of thoroughly before using it. It HAS to be cold when the Koeksisters are added. An ice bath will also help to keep the syrup container cold while the hot Koeksisters are being added.

Koeksisters Method:

1. Sift dry ingredients together, mix butter in with the points of your

fingers or add it to a table top mixer.

2. Beat the eggs and add to the mixture.

3. Add water/milk until it becomes a soft dough, knead until it is smooth and then let it stand for at least 2 hours.

4. Roll the dough out and cut strips, make them a nice size as the thicker they are the more syrup they absorb!

5. Braid the strips.  Easiest way is to cut a thick strip and then cut 2 lines starting at one end but not going through the other end. Braid the 3 strips all connected together at the top.

6. Heat the oil in a deep pan or pot. Let the oil get nice and hot (like 375C)

7. Add the Koeksisters to the hot oil. Moenie jou vingers brand nie!  Let them go brown on one side and then turn them over.

8. Take them out, and let them drain for a few seconds on a kitchen towel.

9. Add them into the bath of ice cold syrup and allow them to soak up all of the greatness.

10.Take them out and let them dry off on a cookie rack

Kudu & Pinotage Gourmet Burgers

I love a good burger, and my boyfriend makes the BEST burgers.  Here is his recipe:

Kudu and Pinotage Gourmet Burger

Patties:

500g Kudu Mince
1 garlic clove, grated
60ml water
1 egg
15ml Dijon mustard
10ml Worcester sauce
5ml salt
3ml black pepper

Pinotage Sauce:

100ml pinotage
30ml balsamic vinegar
45ml brown sugar
2ml fine cinnamon
2ml salt
2ml ground black pepper

Garnish:

Fresh rocket leaves
100g blue cheese, thinly sliced 
2 large onions, chopped

METHOD:

1. Mix mince and garlic, use your fingers and let the mince get loose

2. Mix a 20ml water, egg, mustard, worcester sauce, salt and pepper. 

3. Add this mixture to the mince, and add the remaining water as required.
4. Mix untill it is all incorporated, separate into individual portions wrapped in cling wrap and then let them cool in the fridge for 30mins. Use this time to prep your onions and mix the pinotage sauce.
5. Caramalise the onions, using butter or oil. 

6. For the pinotage sauce, simply mix all the ingredients together and set aside.
7. In another pan, heat oil and then put patties in.
8. Add the pinotage sauce,and allow to boil in order to reduce and turn into a thick sauce.
9. Turn burgers and coat with sauce until cooked as desired.

10. Place on a bun and garnish with caramalised onions, fresh rocket and blue cheese.