February is known as the month of love. One can’t talk of love or showing of affection without touching on food, music and wine.
Capetonians were able to get a feel of that as we enjoyed the different wines this country has to offer at the Stellenbosch Wine Festival which took place in Coetzenburg Sport Stadium.
Live local bands serenaded festival goers with beautiful sounds as they were sampling the wines, pairing them with food, deciding wines to purchase and savouring the delectable treats that was available on offer.
This month I’ll be sharing food to prepare and share with the special people in our lives.
This week I’ve put together a starter recipe made up of cauliflower and smoked snoek croquettes served with red pepper sauce. The croquettes can be served with a cheesy sauce and then served with a chilled glass of Sauvignon Blanc. I decided to go with red wine, a cabernet sauvignon and for that a red pepper sauce is able to stand up against the flavours of the wine. Hope you get to try it out! Enjoy!
Cauliflower and Smoked Snoek Croquettes served with Red Pepper Sauce
Makes: 12
15ml (1 Tbsp) olive oil
265ml cauliflower, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
175ml smoked snoek, flaked
30ml (2Tbsp) flour
45ml (3Tbsp) milk
45ml (3Tbsp) cheddar cheese, grated
15ml (1Tbsp) fresh parsley, chopped
Freshly milled black pepper
1 or 2 eggs, beaten
250ml (1cup) fine breadcrumbs
100ml canola oil, for frying
Red Pepper Sauce:
1 red pepper, cut into quarters
1 carrot, peeled, halved and sliced
1 garlic clove
375ml (1½cup) boiling water
5g / ½ vegetable stock cube
Method:
Heat oil in a frying pan and add cauliflower and garlic. Cook until cauliflower starts to soften and turn a little brown.
Add the snoek and stir until blended.
Make a paste with flour and milk. Add the paste to the cauliflower mixture. Stir until the mixture forms a ball.
Add the cheese, parsley and season with black pepper. Stir until blended.
Remove from the stove and form balls using both hands.
Dip the balls in eggs covering all sides. Coat with breadcrumbs.
Fry in heated oil at a medium temperature until all sides are golden brown.
Remove and place on a paper towel to drain excess oil.
Red Pepper Sauce:
Roast red pepper and garlic in a hot oven at 200°C for 20 minutes.
Transfer the roasted pepper and garlic into a food processor, add the rest of the ingredients and blend until smooth. Alternatively, use a stick blender.
Transfer the puree into a saucepan and simmer at a low temperature to reduce.
Transfer the sauce to a small bowl.
Serve with croquettes, garnish with parsley.
l www.mzansistylecuisine.co.za