5 recipes (with videos) from South Africa’s celebrity chefs

Celeb chefs are broadcasting from their home kitchens during lockdown

With restaurants closed and fast food deliveries suspended, you’re probably been cooking a lot more than usual. If you’re running out of ideas or want to change things up, watch as five of South Africa’s most well-known chefs share their favourite recipes - from haddock mac and cheese to chocolate fondant. 

LUKE DALE ROBERTS’ SMOKED FISH PARFAIT AND TUNA “BARIGOULE” SALAD

Roberts is an award-winning chef and founding owner of both The Test Kitchen and The Pot Luck Club. In this video tutorial, he talks you through a fresh take on a Nicoise salad, with the tuna prepared in a barigoule. It’s a classic French cooking technique that is simple but bound to impress. He serves it with toasted bread and a smoked fish parfait: it’s a healthy, flavourful weekend lunch. The recipe is simple but relatively involved, so it’s great if you’re looking for a little bit of a challenge and distraction. 

SIBA MTONGANA’S SUNDAY ROAST LAMB
Mtongana is an award-winning freelance food writer, celebrity chef and food judge on Chopped South Africa. She’ll show you how to prepare a succulent, meat-falling-off-the-bone roast lamb, infused with classic flavours of mint and garlic. She’ll also guide you through making a tasty gravy and side dishes like stuffed butternut and chakalaka. It’s a simple recipe and the oven does most of the work, so it’s great if you don’t want to spend all of Sunday morning in the kitchen.

DAVID HIGGS’ HADDOCK MAC AND CHEESE
The slightly colder weather has us all craving comfort food, and David Higgs has a recipe to take a homely classic to new levels of flavour. The restaurateur, award-winning chef and cookbook author put up a video tutorial on Instagram, in which he adds a bit of zest to everyone’s favourite dish, the good old mac and cheese. Learn how to poach haddock, make a perfect creamy white sauce, and add a sprinkle of blue cheese for extra flavour. It’s quick and easy, and the kids will love it.

LORNA MASEKO’S CREAMY CHICKEN LIVER AND MUSHROOM PASTA

You probably know international celebrity chef Lorna from Celebrity Masterchef SA and Top Chef SA Host. She’s also the author of the cookbook “Celebrate”. This meal is ideal if you want to prepare something in a hurry (perfect for those days when you want something delicious but don’t want to spend hours in the kitchen). It doesn't require too many ingredients either: the flavour comes from simple elements like  peppers, mushrooms, beef stroganoff dry cook-in-sauce, and crushed chilies for a bit of bite. 

 BERTUS BASSON’S CHOCOLATE FONDANT
You may have seen Basson as a judge on Ultimate Braai Master. He was also named Eat Out’s San Pellegrino and Acqua Panna Chef of the Year 2019. He will demonstrate that this dish of chocolatey goodness is easy enough to whip together while holding a toddler. He’s been using this recipe for 20 years, and has finally shared it with the good people of Instagram Obviously, no meal is complete without dessert, and this one is great for special occasions. If you’re planning a lockdown date, anniversary dinner, or other special celebration, this is a must-try.

GET THE INGREDIENTS DELIVERED TO YOUR DOOR
Many of these recipes use simple staple ingredients, a lot of which you likely already have in your cupboard. You may, however, need to stock up on fresh fish, meat, vegetables, dairy products, eggs, and chocolate. Luckily for you, you can get most of the ingredients you need delivered to your door. Check out our list of places in Cape Town that are delivering groceries and supplies during lockdown.

By Daryn Wood

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STAY UP TO DATE ON ALL THINGS CORONAVIRUS-RELATED

The situation is ever-changing and our team is committed to bringing you all the latest updates on COVID-19 in Cape Town. Stay up to date with what the lockdown means for you and check out our daily lockdown diaries. Find out which public facilities are closed and get notified when they reopen. Read about the governmental restrictions on liquor sales. Find out how you can support small businesses during these challenging times. 

PLUS: YOU CAN STILL LIVE A LITTLE

You might have cancelled many plans, but there’s still plenty to do to keep yourself entertained this weekend. Use this social distancing period to work on your cooking skills with our homely, classic Cape Town recipes. If you're a parent, try one of the many things to do with kids while in lockdown. Celebrate local female talent for a heartwarming cause with The Venus Project. Cook along with top Cape Town chefs and UCOOK’s for Restaurants.