South African winter warmer recipes

Our Executive Chefs at both 12 Apostles Hotel and Bushman's Kloof have curated the perfect warming dishes that will fill your home and heart with cosy, winter comfort. The first recipe is a favourite of the Executive Head Chef at 12 Apostles Hotel, Christo Pretorious, who enjoys making these dishes when there is a special wine dinner or to showcase the beautiful produce and seafood we have in the Western Cape. The second recipe is a staple dish at Bushman's Kloof Wilderness & Wellness Retreat curated by their Executive Chef, Oliver Coetzee. 

Baby Squid and Sorghum Risotto

This dish is always a great winter warmer. The grain used is Indigenous to South Africa and not used frequently in many dishes. The crispy sorghum rice gives the dish a beautiful nutty, popcorn-like flavour and works very well as a risotto. 

Ingredients | Makes 15

2            White onions 

1500ml   Vegetable stock

250ml     White wine

500g     Sorghum risotto rice

60g       Chopped chives 

60g       Chopped parsley 

100g      Butter

50g        Grated parmesan

125g      Roast onion and garlic puree (mixed)

Method:

• Cook the garlic puree and chopped roasted onion with 50g butter in a large sauté pan over a medium heat for 3 minutes or until onions is translucent.
• Add the Sorghum risotto rice and cook for 2 minutes, stirring frequently.
• Slowly add 250ml of white wine and stir until it is completely absorbed.
• Slowly add 250ml of stock and stir until it is completely absorbed.
• Add 1000ml of stock, 500ml at a time, stirring continuously with a smooth, gentle motion until the liquid is completely absorbed before adding more.
• The risotto will take 40 to 50 minutes to cook completely.
• Do not stop stirring.
• Fold in the puree, butter, parmesan, chopped chives, parsley and season to taste with salt and pepper before serving.

Smoked Snoek Ravioli 

Dive into a harmonious blend of South African flavours as this delicate ravioli envelopes succulent, smoky Snoek fish. Topped with a tantalising sauce, this dish showcases the culinary artistry of the Cape, served at Bushman's Kloof Reserve & Wilderness Retreat. 

Ingredients | Makes 5

1              Smoked snoek fillet (or 650g of smoked fish)                                          

700g        All purpose flour                

7             Egg yolks 

1             Egg white               

1 Tbsp      Sea salt                                  

1 Tsbp      Olive oil                                 

1/4 Cup    Dried apricots 1/2 reserving to make Beurre Blanc                 

1 Tsbp      Freshly chopped thyme           

1 Cup       Fish sauce                             

1/2 Cup    White wine                            

4 cubes    Cold butter to enrich the sauce                        

6             Capers                                    

1 Tsbp      Lemon juice

2 cloves    Garlic                   

Method:

• Shred the snoek making sure all bones are removed.
• In a bowl cutter combine the flour eggs yolks, salt, oil and make pasta cover and allow to rest for 15 minutes.
• For the ravioli filling, blend together the smoked snoek with garlic, 1 egg white and chopped parsley.
• Roll out pasta to number 8 on a pasta machine (if you have one) and make raviolis.
• Place raviolis on a baking sheet with polenta so they don’t stick.
• Freeze the raviolis (raviolis are cooked from frozen)
• To make the apricot beurre blanc, soak the apricots overnight in water.
• The following day, cook the apricots in a thermoblender (if you don't have one, simply boil the apricots in a sauce pan until very tender and subsequently blend in a food processor until silky smooth) with the white wine and fish stock.
• To serve: Cook the ravioli in boiling salted water, place a spoon of the apricot in a sauce pan with a pinch of thyme. Whisk in a knob of cold butter. Spoon sauce into a pasta bowl and top with 3 raviolis and finish with caper apricot black butter.