Today Chef Giles, Head Chef at Cape Town’s La Tete, brings you three easy-to-make recipes to bring a unique flare to your next meal. From delicious mussels to inventive goat’s cheese beans and a delicious plum pavlova, these recipes are simple, yet sublime.
Mussels, Leeks & Bacon
Serves: Four
Course: Starter
Ingredients
250 g fresh mussel
100g pancetta cut into medium sized lardons
2 leeks, washed, and cut into barrels 4 cm long
2 slices sourdough bread, cut in half and shallow fried in olive oil.
2 tbspn chop parsley
Butter
Some white wine for cooking.
1 lemon
Method
Mussels
Steam mussels in white wine until they open, strain off liquor and keep. Allow mussels to cool and then pick. Strain the liquor through muslin or mutton cloth to remove any grit.
Meanwhile braise the leeks in butter and white wine until completely soft.
Once you have all your ingredients lined up its time to start. It’s quick to assemble so be sure everyone is ready with wine in hand. In a medium sized heavy pan start your bacon, you want to get some good color on it as you won’t have another chance. Strain off any excess fat. When you are happy with the color, add your leeks and the mussel cooking liquor. Be careful here, as it can be quite salty, so a splash of water might be needed. Reduce the liquor until it starts to thicken up, by about half. Then throw in the mussels, a healthy tablespoon of butter and finely chopped parsley.
Keep moving the pan around gently so the butter emulsifies into the liquor, check seasoning, finish with a squeeze of lemon and devide equally on top of 4 “croutons”.
The idea is the bread will soak up all the juices and be a delightful surprise at the end.
Green Beans, Roast Pearl Onions, Crouton & Goats Cheese
This winning combination created by Chef Giles from La Tete is perfect for an appetizer or as an accompany to any dish.
Serves: Four
Preparation: One hour
Ingredients
200g green beans
50g rocket
100g peeled shallots or pearl onions.
Large handful of croutons
1 stem of picked mint
1 tsp. capers
Note: I like to use the smaller ones, but that’s just me.
100g of your favourite goat’s cheese
Note: I love the Karoo Loxton. It is critical that whatever you use is at room temperature, as all cheese should be
Dressing:
tbsp. dijon mustard
tbsp. white wine vinegar
1/2 lemon juice
100 ml olive oi
Method
For the dressing:
Whisk all the ingredients, except the olive oil, together.
Add the oil slowly to make a lovely versatile mustard vinaigrette.
(This can be used for a host of different dishes from salads to vegetables.)
Preheat oven to 150°C, and roast onions in olive oil, salt and pepper until soft and caramelised.
(You might need to add a splash of water in the roasting tray at the beginning in order to help them along.)
Top your green beans and blanch in salted water for about 4 minutes, or until tender.
Allow to steam dry (because if they’re still wet, the dressing will not adhere to the green beans).
To assemble, place all the ingredients, except the cheese, in a bowl.
Dress appropriately with mustard dressing (you want it to be quite heavily dressed).
Divide equally amongst 4 plates.
Scatter cheese over the top.
Note: This rich starter is surprisingly filling and makes a great accompaniment to any meal.
Plum Pavlova
Serves: Four
Preparation: Three hours in total
Ingredients
50g egg white
100g castor sugar
8 ripe plums
250ml whipping cream
1 vanilla pod
Note: Meringue is great, you can make them and store in a sealed tight containers for days, turn them into Eton Mess and other dishes. Your guests will be impressed and once you have them down they will become so easy. As well as being a great way to use up egg whites!
Method
Pre heat oven to 110°C.
In a clean bowl beat egg white and half sugar until very stiff.
Add remaining sugar and whisk for 5 minutes or until sugar has dissolved.
Line a baking tray with baking paper and scoop meringue into 4 equally sized mountains.
Bake in oven for 2 hours, then turn oven off and open door and allow meringue to cool down inside.
Halve and pip 8 plums.
Sprinkle with 2 tbsp. castor sugar, place in a baking tray and roast at 180°C for twelve minutes.
Allow to cool slightly.
When you are ready to serve, whisk 250ml cream with 2 tsp. castor sugar and seed of 1 vanilla pod to a soft peak.
Spoon the cream mixture onto meringues equally and top with fruit and pan juices.
Note: This cream mixture is called Chantilly. Enjoy!
Where: La Tête, 17 Bree St, Cape Town
Hours: Lunch – Tuesday to Friday 12pm to 2:30pm
Dinner – Tuesday to Saturday 6pm to 11pm
Call: 021 418 1299
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