March 8 is International Women’s Day, which celebrates “the social, economic, cultural, and political achievements of women”.
This International Women's Day, we are raising a toast to the bold and the beautiful. New-age women are picking up their kitchen knives, breaking through the culinary boundaries of a traditionally male-dominated industry and cooking up a storm.
They say a woman should be two things: classy and fabulous, just like these recipes.
Pepper-crusted ostrich fillet by Angelique Fassom
Ingredients
250g ostrich fillet
Mashed potato
80g sautéed spinach
50g roasted baby onions
50g sautéed button mushroom
Chef’s red wine jus
2 tsp olive oil
2 shallots, finely chopped
175ml port
175ml red wine
1 rosemary sprig
1 bay leaf
800ml beef stock
2 tbsp butter
Pinch of sugar
Method
Pepper crust the ostrich fillet and cook to the desired temperature, best served medium rare as ostrich is a lean meat.
Place a basting spoon of mashed potato on the centre of the plate, place sautéed spinach on top.
Slice ostrich fillet and place next to mash then add sautéed pearl onions and mushrooms, drizzle with chef jus.
Chef’s red wine jus
Put the olive oil in a large frying pan over medium heat and fry the shallots until golden and caramelised, about 10 minutes.
Add the port, wine, and herbs, and simmer for 10 minutes or until reduced by half.
Pour in the stock and cook until reduced by half again, then strain, discarding the shallots and herbs.
Transfer the sauce to a new pan and bring to the boil. Remove from the heat and whisk in the butter, then season to taste.
Nectarine and sorghum salad by Mokgadi Itsweng
Makes: 4 – 6
Ingredients
1 cup sorghum grain (soaked for at least 2 hours) or 1 cup pearl barley
200g rainbow baby carrots, washed
200g broccoli tender stems
1 tbsp olive oil
4 nectarines, pitted and cut into halves
1 tbsp oil
2 tbsp coriander, chopped
2 tbsp mint, chopped
2 tbsp parsley, chopped
50g sunflower seeds, toasted
Dressing
½ cup orange juice
½ cup lemon juice
60ml olive oil
½ tsp cumin
1 tbsp honey
1 tsp garlic, crushed
1 tsp ginger, grated
Method
Preheat oven to 200ºC
Cook sorghum in 4 cups of water for 90 minutes at medium heat until the sorghum is soft but still chewy. If the water dries out before the sorghum is cooked, add an extra 2 cups of hot water.
Drain the grain and allow it to cool.
Place the carrots and broccoli on a baking tray drizzle with olive oil and grill for 15 minutes, turning halfway through.
While the vegetables are grilling, heat a griddle pan until smoking. Brush the nectarine halves with a little oil and grill the nectarines on the flat side for 2 minutes, until nicely caramelised, but still firm. Remove from heat and allow to cool before serving
Make the dressing by mixing all the dressing ingredients in a blender, and setting aside.
To serve, mix the drained sorghum, herbs, and half the dressing.
On a platter, layer the dressed and herbed sorghum with the grilled veg and nectarines.
Drizzle the remainder of the dressing over the salad and top with roasted sunflower seeds.
Za’atar and cheese scones by the Chilli Chocolate Chefs Faatimah and Zainab Paruk
Ingredients
350g flour
4 tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
100g butter
150g grated cheese
2 tbsp crushed garlic flakes
2 tsp fennel seeds
150ml milk
2 eggs
Za’atar spice
Method
Heat the oven to 180ºC.
Mix flour, baking powder, and salt. Add the butter and break it into small pieces.
Add in the cheddar, garlic flakes, and fennel seeds.
Whisk the eggs and milk and form a light dough. Do not over-mix.
Lightly flour the tabletop and place dough.
Cut into rounds and place on baking paper.
Brush scones with egg and sprinkle with za’atar and extra grated cheese.
Bake until golden.
Serve warm with butter.