Lesego's Memory Spread
Recipe by: Lesego
White Chocolate and Lavender Long John Donuts with Blueberry Jam (Lesego’s Memory)
Donuts
Ingredients
10g instant yeast
3 1/4 cups flour
1 cup whole milk
60g butter
3 egg yolks
1/4 cup castor sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp ground lavender
Method
- In a stand mixer bowl, sift in the flour then gently whisk in your sugar lavender and instant yeast. Add the salt.
- In a bowl melt your butter then add your milk. The liquid should be warm to the touch (not too hot and not too cold). With the dough hook start mixing your bread dough on a low speed setting and add the egg yolks, when the flour starts to clump slowly, stream in the milk and butter mixture and continue to knead until the dough is smooth.
- Allow the dough to rise and double in size. After the first proof, divide and shape the donuts into long thin donuts and let them rise before frying.
- Heat oil on a medium heat. Deep fry for about 4 minutes on each side until a deep golden brown.
Lavender Syrup
Ingredients
1 cup water
1 cup sugar
3 tbsp dried lavender
Method
- Cook the sugar, water and lavender in a saucepan until sugar has completely dissolved.
- Allow lavender to steep for further 5 – 10 minutes and then strain the syrup and *brush
over cake sponges.
Blueberry Compote
Ingredients
2 cups blueberries fresh or frozen
2 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon water
1 tsp cornflour + 1 tbsp water
Method
- Add the blueberries, sugar, lemon juice and water to a pot, stir and bring to the boil. Allow it to boil for about 5 minutes, stirring often to stop it from scorching.
- Reduce the heat to low and let it simmer and thicken for 10 minutes. It will thicken further as it cools. If necessary, stir 1 teaspoon cornstarch into 1 tsp water, add it to the blueberry compote and cook for a further minute.
Caarmelised White Chocolate Pastry Cream
Ingredients
300g milk
120g caramelised white chocolate
1 tsp vanilla extract
50g sugar
6 egg yolks
20g flour
20g cornflour
Pinch of salt
50g butter
Method
- Start by caramelising the white chocolate in the microwave using a microwave safe vessel. On a medium heat microwave in 1-minute increments stirring between every heating. As the chocolate begins to develop colour, go down to thirty-second increments, and when you are close to your desired colour, go down to fifteen-second bursts. This method will take between five to 10 minutes, depending on the power of your microwave. It is fastest, but also riskiest, with the most danger of burning so be sure to keep an eye on the chocolate.
- In a saucepan simmer your milk, caramelised chocolate and vanilla.
- In a bowl add the sugar, egg yolks, flour, cornflour and salt. Whisk until light in colour.
- Strain your chocolate milk as you temper the egg mixture with the heated liquid and then
add everything back into the saucepan and continually whisk on a low heat until the
the custard becomes thick. - Strain the custard through and sieve then whisk in the butter.
6. Cover your custard with plastic wrap so that it doesn’t form a skin and set aside OR you
can allow the pastry cream to cool in a piping bag.
Assembly
- Coat the donut in some castor sugar.
- Cut the donut in half and fill with jam.
- Pipe in generous dollops of the custard.
- They’re ready to be served.
Chicken & Mushroom Choux Au Craquelin Pies with Bacon, Mashed Potatoes and Saffron Oil (Chef Luke-Dale Roberts’ Memory)
Choux Pastry
Ingredients
3 eggs
90g flour
140g water
60g butter
10g caster sugar
1 tsp salt
Craquelin
Ingredients
40g butter
25g granulated sugar
2g salt
40g flour
15g black & white sesame seeds
Method
- For the craquelin topping place the butter, salt, and sugar in a bowl and cream the ingredients together until creamy and fluffy.
- Add the flour and sesame seeds then mix until the mixture looks crumbly. Using your hands, bring the crumbly bits of dough together to form a dough.
- Place the dough in between two sheets of parchment paper and roll out to about a 3mm thickness. Place in the freezer to firm up.
- For the choux in a saucepan, combine water, butter, sugar and salt. Over a high heat bring the water to a rolling boil until butter has fully melted.
- Reduce heat to low and add the flour all at once. Stir until the flour is completely incorporated and a thick dough clumps into a ball. Mash the dough ball against the bottom and sides of the pan for 1 minute (this will cook the flour). Remove from heat and transfer to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment or, if using a handheld mixer, a large mixing bowl. Allow to cool down for a few minutes before adding the eggs.
- With the mixer running on low speed, slowly add the eggs in 3-4 separate additions mixing for 30 seconds between each. The mixture will look lumpy at first, but will begin to come together as the mixer runs. Pour in the final addition of beaten eggs very slowly. Stop adding egg when the choux pastry has reached the desired texture (it should be shiny, thick, and smooth with a pipeable consistency but can still hold its shape)
- Set your choux pastry aside in a piping bag.
- Preheat the oven to 190°C.
- On a baking tray lined with a mesh silicon mat pipe choux pastry mounds on the silpat.
Keep the tip upright and pipe out smooth mounds with the piping tip touching the dough’s
surface while you pipe, gently twist and remove the tip when you’re done. - Carefully place a disc of craquelin on top and gently press it into the choux to make sure it
sticks and is stable. - Bake in a preheated oven for 35-45 minutes. Do not open the door before the 30 minutes, to
prevent the pastries from collapsing. The buns should be a deep golden brown.
Chicken and Mushroom Filling
Ingredients
55g butter
1 red onion, finely diced
300g mushrooms, diced
2 garlic cloves, crushed
2 tsp dried thyme
40g flour
150g dry white wine
300ml chicken stock
4-5 chicken breasts
142 ml double cream
Method
- Heat the butter in a large saucepan, add the onion and cook over a medium heat for 5 mins. Add the mushrooms and cook for a further 5 mins. Add the garlic and thyme and fry for 3 mins. Stir in the flour and cook, stirring, for a further 5 mins.
- Add the white wine and the chicken stock, bring to the boil and simmer until thickened.
- Stir in the chicken, simmer for 5 mins, add the cream and season.
- Set aside to fill the choux buns.
Bacon
Ingredients
1 packet bacon
Method
- Pan fry bacon until bacon is golden brown and cut into portions that match the size of the cooked choux buns. Set aside.
Mashed Potatos
Ingredients
2 large potatoes
60g butter
1/4 cup cream
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking powder
Salt
Black Pepper
Nutmeg
Method
- In a large pot place your peeled and cubed potatoes, add 1 tbsp salt and add water so it’s above the potatoes.
- Bring to a boil over high heat then reduce heat so it’s simmering rapidly. Cook until potatoes are very soft (jab with fork to test, they should fall apart).
- Drain well, then pass the potato through a fine mesh sieve for a silky mash and back into the pot. Add the butter and baking powder and mix until smooth.
- Add the nutmeg and seasoning to your preference and reserve the mash in a piping bag.
Saffron Oil
Ingredients
1 tsp Saffron Threads
1⁄2 cup canola
1 tablespoon Dried White Wine
Method
- Take a saucepan and over medium heat simmer the white wine and oil. Then, add crushed saffron threads and let it simmer for 15 minutes. Keep stirring frequently and let the flavors infuse with the oil.
- When the color of the oil is changed, turn off the flame and let it sit to cool.
Assembly
- Cut out a hole on the tops of the choux buns.
- Fill the choux buns with the pie filling.
- Cap the buns with the bacon.
- Pipe a dollop of mash and hollow the center of the mash.
- Pour the saffron oil into the dip and they’re ready to be served.
Steak Braai Taco Board (Fritz’s Memory) Soft-Shell Maize Meal Flatbread
Ingredients
2 cups self-raising flour
1/4 cup maize meal
3 tbsp water
1 tsp baking powder
1 cup plain yogurt
1/2 tsp salt
***Extra flour and maize meal for rolling out
Method
- In a stand mixer with the dough hook, add all ingredients to the bowl and knead until a uniform dough forms. Let the dough rest for a minimum of 20 minutes before handling.
- Flour your work surface with a combination of maize meal and flour and roll out small balls and roll each ball to a flat circle.
- In a heated cast iron pan cook each flat bread for about 3 minutes on each side and set aside. *brush with garlic butter if desired.
Charred Peppers
Ingredients
1 Red bell pepper
1 Yellow bell pepper
Salt and pepper to taste
Method
- Char the whole peppers on an open fire until they’re blackened.
- Set aside to cool. Once they’re cool to the touch, slice the peppers and season with salt
and pepper. - Set aside for plating
Guacamole
Ingredients
2 ripe avocados
1 tsp salt
Freshly squeezed lemon juice
Chilli flakes
Double cream
Method
- This is entirely up to your preference, however start by roughly mashing your ripe avocados, squeeze in some lemon juice, season with salt and taste.
- Adjust as needed then gently fold in the double cream to your liking and set aside to later top with chilli flakes when plating.
Pan-Seared Steak
Ingredients
2 Rump Steaks
1 heaped tsp of salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 tbsp canola oil
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp butter
A few sprigs of thyme
Method
- Start with patting the steaks dry with paper towels. Generously season the steaks all over with the salt and pepper.
- Heat a heavy pan (preferably cast iron or stainless steel) over medium-high heat until it’s VERY hot. Add the canola oil to the pan and heat until it begins to shimmer and move fluidly around the pan. Only add your olive oil now before carefully setting the steaks in the pan, releasing them away from you so the oil doesn’t splatter in your direction. Press the steaks gently against the pan to develop colour, then leave them alone. Resist the urge to peek or fiddle or flip repeatedly; the steaks need a few minutes undisturbed to develop a golden crust.
- Flip the steaks when they release easily and the bottom is a deep-brown color, which should take about 3 minutes. While you have the steak going on the second side, add the butter and thyme then baste the steak as it cooks.
- Remove steaks from the heat and transfer them to a cutting board and let rest, covered with aluminum foil, for 5 to 10 minutes. Trim off the fat and don’t be like me and slice the steaks thinly against the grain.
- Plate your steaks.
Assembly
- On a serving board arrange the flatbreads, steak, guacamole and peppers.
- And the taco board is ready to be served.
Cereal Cupcakes (Zola’s memory)
Ingredients
3 cups flour
1 3/4 cup sugar
2 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
250g butter
4 eggs
2 tbsp canola oil
1 cup milk
1/4 cup plain yogurt
2 tsp vanilla
Method
- Preheat the oven to 183°C and line two cupcake pans with cupcake liners. This recipe will make about 24 cupcakes.
- Combine the vanilla, milk and yogurt in a separate measuring cup and set it aside.
- Next, add the eggs and oil to a separate bowl then whisk and set them aside.
- Add the cake flour, sugar, salt and baking powder to the bowl of your stand mixer with the paddle attachment. You can use a large bowl and an electric mixer if you don’t have a stand mixer, just mix for a bit longer.
- Then add the softened butter to the rest of the dry ingredients and mix on low until the mixture resembles a sandy texture. Depending on how soft your butter is, this might take a minute or two.
- Pour the milk mixture into your dry ingredients and increase the speed to medium. Mix for 1 1⁄2 minutes to develop the fluffy structure of the cupcake. The batter will go from being yellow to a fluffy white. Slowly add your egg mixture in three parts and mix on low until it’s fully combined.
- Fill your liners 2⁄3 of the way full with the cupcake batter.
- Bake the cupcakes for 15-20 minutes or until they are just starting to turn golden brown
and the center of the cupcake springs back when you lightly touch it. Rotate the cupcakes
halfway through baking for even browning. - Let your cupcakes cool in the pans for five minutes, then move them to a cooling rack to
cool completely.
Vanilla Buttercream
Ingredients
250g butter
3 cups powdered sugar , sifted
1/4 tsp salt
2 tsp vanilla
2-3 tbsp boiling water
Method
- In a mixing bowl whisk the butter until pale in colour.
- Add the powdered sugar, vanilla and salt then continue whisking. The mixture should have
a thick consistency, if not add more powdered sugar. - Pour in the boiling water, a tablespoon at a time while whisking to prevent graininess.
Assembly
- Top the cupcakes with the buttercream and sprinkle on some cornflakes and salted popcorn.
- Have fun and remember to bake more memories.
