Nolan’s Memory Spread

Method

1. Preheat the broiler.
2. Make the bechamel sauce: In a small saucepan, melt 1 ounce butter over medium heat. Whisk in the flour and cook, stirring constantly, until you smell the flour and butter cooking, 2 to 3 minutes. Do not allow it to brown. Add the milk and bay leaf and cook, stirring from time to time, until the mixture thickens like a soup, 10 to 12 minutes. Remove the bay leaf and stir in the Mozzarella . Transfer to a bowl to cool.
3. Arrange 4 slices of the bread on a flat surface. Top each with 2 to 3 slices of ham. Mix together half of the Cheddar cheese and the bechamel sauce. Taste for seasoning. Spread a little of the sauce on top of the ham and top each with another slice of bread.
4. Heat a large cast iron skillet and, when hot, add half of the remaining butter. Add 2 of the sandwiches and brown on one side, 2 minutes. Turn on the other side and brown for 2 more minutes. Transfer to a baking sheet and repeat with the remaining butter and sandwiches. Spread the remaining bechamel on top of the sandwiches and top with the other half of the Cheddar cheese.
5. Wipe any crumbs from the cast iron skillet and spray with nonstick spray. Crack 4 eggs into the skillet, leaving a little room between each. (Alternatively, fry 2 at a time). While the eggs are frying, place the sandwiches under the broiler and broil until the top becomes golden brown, 1 to 2 minutes. Season the eggs with salt and top each sandwich with a fried egg. Serve immediately.

Ujeqe

Ingredients

1 kg cake flour
2 t salt
2 1/2 cups lukewarm water
30 g butter, melted
2 T sugar
1 x 10 g packet dry active yeast

Method

1. To make the ujeqe, mix the flour and salt. In a separate bowl, mix the water, sugar and yeast. Cover and set aside until the yeast starts to rise, about 15 minutes.
2. Once the yeast has risen, whisk in the melted butter and slowly add the dry ingredients. Mix until a stiff dough starts to form.
3. Knead for 8–10 minutes, until the dough is smooth. Place in a greased heatproof bowl and allow to rise until doubled in size. Knock down and return to the greased bowl. Allow to rise until it has doubled in size again.
4. Steam bread in a large pot with a lid ,filled halfway with water, for 1 hour until cooked .

Roosterkoek

Ingredients

1kg Cake Wheat Flour
10ml Salt
30ml Sugar
10ml instant dry yeast
30ml cooking oil
750ml lukewarm water

Method

1. Sift flour and salt together. Add sugar and yeast.
2. Add oil and enough lukewarm water, cut in with a knife and mix to a soft, sticky dough. Add more water, if necessary
3. Turn out dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 5-10 mins, or until dough is smooth and elastic. Place dough in a large, lightly oiled bowl, cover and leave to rise in a warm place for about 30 mins, or until doubled in size.
4. Knock down dough on a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth. Divide into 6 – 10 pieces and form into rectangles.
5. Place onto greased baking trays. Cover and leave to rise in a warm place for about 15 mins or until balls of dough are well risen.
6. Bake over coals on a braai grid or in an unoiled griddle pan on the stovetop until done.
7. Serve warm with butter, cheese and jam. For a sweet version serve with chocolate spread.
   Boerewors, chicken sosaties, and mayo to serve.

Luke’s Chicken, Mushroom and Ham Tart Tatin

Rough Puff Pastry

Ingredients

1 and 1/3 cups (166g) all-purpose flour (spoon & leveled), plus more for generously flouring hands, surface, and dough
1 teaspoon granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
170g unsalted butter, very cold and cubed
125 ml Tablespoons ice cold water

Method

1. Make the dough: Whisk the flour, sugar, and salt together in a large bowl. Place the cold and cubed butter on top. Gently toss the flour and butter together with your hands, and then briefly rub the butter into the flour to begin combining them, as you can see in the video tutorial above. You do not want to break down the butter too much in this step. This step is only possible if the butter is very cold because if the butter is warm, you’ll end up with paste. I do not recommend a food processor, pastry cutter, or mixer for this step because it will break down the butter too much.
2. At this point, the butter is still in large cubes/chunks. Begin adding the ice cold water 1 Tablespoon (15ml) at a time until dough forms 1 large shaggy clump in your bowl. Use your hands to toss the mixture together after you add each Tablespoon. (I usually start with 2 Tablespoons (30ml) of water before I begin tossing them together.) You can use a spatula or spoon for tossing, but I really do recommend your hands so you get a good feel of the dough. As the dough begins to hydrate after about 4 Tablespoons (60ml) of water, you can start lightly squeezing or clumping the dough together with your hands to help bring it together. Mixture will still be very shaggy, as you can see in the video above and photos below. If your dough feels sticky and wet before adding 6 Tablespoons of water, your butter was likely too warm– you can continue with the recipe, but the dough will not be as flaky.
3. Pour the shaggy clump of dough out onto a lightly floured work surface. There will still be large chunks of butter at this point and that’s a good thing. Begin patting the dough down with lightly floured hands until it’s 3/4 – 1 inch thick, about a 5×8 inch rectangle. Fold the dough into thirds as if you were folding a business letter. Use your hands to gently flatten and smooth out any cracks in your dough. Wrap it up tightly in plastic wrap, parchment paper, or aluminum foil, or place into any tightly sealed container.
4. 1st refrigeration: Refrigerate dough for at least 2 hours and up to 24 hours.
5. Roll & Fold: Take the dough out of the refrigerator to begin the “rolling and folding” process. If the dough has chilled for longer than about 3 hours, it’s likely very stiff so let it rest for about 5 minutes before you begin rolling. Lightly flour a work surface. The dough gets sticky, so make sure you have more flour nearby as you roll and fold. Use your hands to gently flatten the dough into a small square. Using a rolling pin, roll the dough into a 6 inch wide and 12 inch tall rectangle that’s 1/2 inch thick. The exact dimensions are not important, but the thickness is. As you roll, it’s best to flip the dough over once or twice to make sure it’s not sticking to your work surface. Lightly flour your work surface as needed. Fold the rectangle into thirds as if it were a business letter. (See photos and video tutorial.) Turn it clockwise or counter clockwise and roll it out into a 6×12 inch 1/2 inch thick rectangle again. Then, fold into thirds again. Turn it clockwise or counter clockwise. You’ll repeat rolling and folding 4 more times for a total of 6 times.
6. 2nd Refrigeration: Wrap up/seal tightly and refrigerate for at least 15 minutes and up to 24 hours before using in your recipe. You can also freeze the dough at this point.
   When ready to bake , roll out to desired thickness, brush with egg wash and bake until golden and flakey in a preheated oven at 160 degrees Celsius.