meat.

CIDER AND CLEMENTINE PORK BELLY

with Roasted Carrot Mash.

A SLOW-COOKED PORK BELLY HAS TO BE ONE OF MY FAVOURITE THINGS. IT ALWAYS CATCHES MY EYE ON RESTAURANT MENUS AND WINS MY HEART EVERY TIME. HERE, WITH THE SYRUPY CIDER AND CLEMENTINE SAUCE, IT REALLY STANDS TALL.

SERVES 4–6 | PREPARATION TIME 10 minutes | COOKING TIME approx. 3¹⁄₂ hours (mostly unattended)

WHAT YOU’LL NEED

• 1–2 tsp sea salt flakes
• 1–2 Tbsp olive oil
• 1.5 kg pork belly, scored (or use boneless pork loin)
• 1 × 340 ml can cider
• juice of 1 clementine or orange
• 1 thumb-sized stick of fresh ginger, roughly chopped
• 2 Tbsp light brown sugar or chutney
• 4 large carrots, roughly chopped
• ¹⁄₂ tsp ground coriander
• knob of butter, for serving
• salt and freshly ground black pepper

WHAT TO DO

1. Preheat the oven to 220 °C and line a deep baking tray with tinfoil (for easier cleaning later).
2. Rub about 1 tsp sea salt flakes and a drizzle of olive oil into the skin of the pork belly and into the scoring marks.
3. Place the pork in the baking tray and add the remaining ingredients, ending with a sprinkling of ground coriander over the carrots. Roast for 30 minutes on the middle shelf at 220 °C, then turn the heat down to 170 °C and roast for a further 2¹⁄₂–3 hours, or until the crackling is crisp and the meat is cooked through. Leave to rest for 15–20 minutes before carving and serving.
4. While the meat rests, remove the carrots from the roasting tray and mash roughly with a knob of butter. Add salt and pepper to taste.
5. Serve the pork with the carrot mash and a drizzle of the pan juices.

Note: Add a bowl of steaming olive-oil dressed peas on the side to add some extra colour.

STICKY GINGER AND HOISIN PORK

with Pak choi and Noodles.

THIS IS STIR-FRYING AT ITS BEST. SUPER SPEEDY AND FULL OF PUNCHY ASIAN FLAVOURS, AND WHEN YOU BRING IT ALL TOGETHER WITH ITS DARK AND GLOSSY SAUCE, IT’S HONEST TO GOODNESSLY DELICIOUS.

SERVES 4 | PREPARATION TIME 15 minutes | COOKING TIME 15 minutes

WHAT YOU’LL NEED

• 1 Tbsp cooking oil
• 750 g pork fillet, cut into 2 cm cubes or strips
• 1 heaped tsp grated fresh ginger
• 2 spring onions, sliced diagonally, including the tops
• 1 fresh chilli, deseeded and finely sliced
• 1 clove garlic, chopped
• 3 Tbsp hoisin sauce
• 1 Tbsp soy sauce
• 1 Tbsp sesame oil
• 1 Tbsp honey
• 4–6 heads baby pak choi, halved length-ways (or Savoy cabbage or baby spinach)
• 400 g udon or rice noodles
• lime wedges, for serving
• 1–2 Tbsp chopped fresh coriander or basil, for serving
• 2 Tbsp salted peanuts or slivered almonds, for serving

WHAT TO DO

1. Heat the cooking oil in a heavy-based pan over medium-high heat and add the pork along with the ginger, spring onions and chilli. Fry for 3–4 minutes, or until the pork is starting to caramelise on the outside.
2. Lower the heat to medium-low and add the garlic, hoisin sauce, soy sauce, sesame oil and honey and cook for another minute. Add the pak choi, cabbage or spinach and toss gently, then leave to cook for another 1–2 minutes, or until the pak choi has wilted.
3. Meanwhile, prepare the udon or rice noodles according to the packet instructions.
4. To serve, divide the noodles between warmed bowls and spoon over the pork and pak choi. Add a drizzle of the sauce from the pan, a generous squeeze of lime juice, sprinkle over the chopped herbs and nuts, and serve immediately.

Note: This recipe would also work well served with ¹⁄₂ cup jasmine rice, cooked according to packet instructions.

WORS ROLLS

with Pear and Red Onion Relish.

OH HOW WE LOVE A BOERIE ROLL IN SOUTH AFRICA. THEY ARE, UNASHAMEDLY, ONE OF MY VERY FAVOURITE THINGS TO EAT. IT’S REALLY JUST A SIMPLE SAUSAGE, USUALLY MADE FROM BEEF OR LAMB, AND IT’S COOKED LOVINGLY OVER BLISTERING HOT COALS AND SERVED IN A STILL-WARM BREAD ROLL. WHEN YOU ADD THE PEAR AND ONION RELISH, THIS BECOMES A CLASSIC CASE OF SOMETHING BEING SO MUCH MORE THAN THE SUM OF ITS SIMPLE PARTS.

SERVES 4 | PREPARATION TIME 15 minutes | COOKING TIME approx. 20 minutes

WHAT YOU’LL NEED

PEAR AND ONION RELISH

• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 Tbsp butter
• 1 large or 2 medium-sized red onions, chopped
• 2 tsp lemon juice
• 1 sprig fresh rosemary
• 4 ripe pears, peeled, cored and roughly chopped
• 2–3 tsp light brown sugar
• pinch each of salt and freshly ground black pepper

WORS ROLLS

• 4–6 pieces of good-quality beef or lamb boerewors
• salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 4–6 fresh hotdog rolls, sliced in half and lightly buttered

WHAT TO DO

1. For the relish, heat the olive oil and butter in a heavy-based frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook for 7–10 minutes, or until they have softened. Add the remaining ingredients, turn down the heat and leave to simmer for about 10 minutes, or until the pears can be roughly mashed with a fork. Check for seasoning and set aside.
2. Meanwhile, for the wors rolls, season the boerewors lightly with salt and pepper and cook over a braai or in a griddle pan over medium-high heat for 15–20 minutes, or until the meat is just cooked through.
3. Place a piece of wors into each roll and top with a generous spoonful of pear and onion relish. Serve immediately.

Note: This relish works just as well with apples, and you can also cut the rolls in half and serve them as snacks.

SIRLOIN STEAK SARMIES

with Chimichurri and Roasted Tomatoes.

A STEAK SARMIE CAN SO EASILY BE JUST A STEAK SARMIE. HERE, WITH THE SEARED SIRLOIN AND ZESTY, FRESH, HERBY CHIMICHURRI (SOUTH AMERICA’S ANSWER TO PESTO OR GREMOLATA), IT CAN SIT PROUDLY AT ANY TABLE. I’VE MADE THESE INTO OPEN SANDWICHES SO THAT YOU USE JUST ONE SLICE OF BREAD, BUT YOU CAN ALSO TURN THIS INTO A CARB-FREE FEAST AND SERVE THE STEAK OVER A SIMPLE SALAD.

SERVES 4 | PREPARATION TIME 10 minutes | COOKING TIME 10–15 minutes

WHAT YOU’LL NEED

• 1 Tbsp olive oil, plus extra for drizzling
• 400–500 g sirloin steak, lightly seasoned with salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 Tbsp butter
• 2 whole cloves garlic
• 1 cup rosa or cherry tomatoes
• 4 slices ciabatta or sourdough bread
• 1 small red onion, thinly sliced
• small handful roughly torn fresh flat-leaf parsley, for serving

CHIMICHURRI

• 2 Tbsp chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 1 Tbsp chopped fresh coriander or oregano
• 1 clove garlic, crushed
• ¹⁄₂–1 fresh chilli, deseeded and chopped
• ¹⁄₂ tsp salt
• 2 Tbsp lemon juice (or red wine vinegar)
• 2 Tbsp olive oil

WHAT TO DO

1. Add the olive oil to a large pan over medium-high heat. Add the steaks and cook for 3–4 minutes (depending on thickness), then turn over and add the butter and garlic cloves (you don’t want to add the butter at the start as it might burn). Cook for a further 3–4 minutes and then remove the steak from the pan and set aside to rest.
2. Fry the tomatoes in the same pan as you used for the steak, for 3–4 minutes, or until they have softened and are starting to colour. Mash roughly with a fork, season with a little salt and pepper and set aside.
3. Make the chimichurri by blitzing all the ingredients together using a stick blender or pestle and mortar.
4. Slice the steak diagonally into thin slivers. Drizzle the bread with a little olive oil and toast in a dry pan or under the grill until golden.
5. To assemble, spoon some tomatoes over each slice of bread, followed by a few slices of red onion. Top with the steak and a generous drizzle of chimichurri. Garnish with a few extra parsley leaves and serve immediately.

SPRINGBOK FILLET

with Roasted Beetroot and Mozzarella Salad with Watercress Dressing.

I GREW UP EATING VENISON AND AM RIGHT AT HOME WITH IT. IT’S WONDERFULLY LEAN, HEALTHY AND VERSATILE. SOME PEOPLE JUST CAN’T DO IT THOUGH, SO IF YOU’RE ONE OF THOSE THEN YOU ARE WELCOME TO MAKE THIS USING BEEF FILLET, OR EVEN SIMPLE LAMB CHOPS.

SERVES 4–6 | PREPARATION TIME 10 minutes | COOKING TIME 30 minutes

WHAT YOU’LL NEED

SPRINGBOK

• 1 kg springbok fillet or deboned leg
• 1 Tbsp butter
• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 clove garlic, mashed
• 1 heaped tsp Dijon mustard
• zest of 1 lemon
• juice of ¹⁄₂ lemon
• 1 Tbsp brandy
• generous pinch of salt and freshly ground black pepper

BEETROOT AND MOZZARELLA SALAD

• 4–6 fresh beetroot
• salt and freshly ground black pepper
• handful mixed salad leaves
• 100 g mozzarella cheese
• small handful toasted pine nuts, or any roughly chopped roasted nuts, for serving

WATERCRESS DRESSING

• 40 g watercress
• zest and juice of 1 lemon
• 2–3 Tbsp olive oil
• pinch each of salt and sugar

WHAT TO DO

1. Remove the fillet from the fridge about an hour before you start cooking so that it can reach room temperature. About 10 minutes before you start cooking, preheat the oven to 180 °C.
2. Remove the stems from the beetroot (using kitchen gloves if necessary to avoid staining your hands). Simmer the beetroot in a saucepan, with enough water to cover them, over medium-high heat for about 40 minutes, or until cooked through and they can be easily pierced with a knife. Drain and set aside to cool.
3. When cooled, peel and quarter the beetroot. Season with salt and pepper and set aside.
4. Mix the remaining springbok ingredients together to make a basting and coat the fillet with the mixture.
5. Sear the fillet with 1 Tbsp extra olive oil in a heavy-based pan over medium-high heat, turning until all sides are golden. Then transfer to the oven and roast for a further 10 minutes. Remove from the heat, cover with tinfoil and leave to rest for at least 10 minutes.
6. Just before serving, mix all the dressing ingredients together in a pestle and mortar until you have a loose dressing. Place the salad leaves on a platter and add the beetroot and roughly torn pieces of mozzarella. Drizzle over the dressing and scatter over the pine nuts.
7. Thinly slice the fillet and arrange on a warmed serving platter. Serve with the salad.

Note: Use butternut or sweet potato instead of beetroot, and feta or goat’s cheese instead of mozzarella in the salad.

BEER AND BRISKET PIE

with Rough Puff Pastry.

THIS IS ABOUT AS MANLY AS A MEAL CAN GET, BUT DON’T LET THAT PUT YOU OFF, IT’S ENDLESSLY EASY TO EAT. YOU CAN USE READY-MADE PUFF PASTRY FOR THE LID IF YOU DON’T HAVE TIME TO MAKE THE VERSION SHOWN HERE.

SERVES 4 | PREPARATION TIME 10 minutes | COOKING TIME approx. 1¹⁄₂ hours (mostly unattended)

WHAT YOU’LL NEED

• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 kg diced beef brisket, without bones (or any other stewing steak)
• 2 Tbsp cake flour, seasoned with salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 3–4 sprigs fresh thyme or 1 tsp dried
• 1 sprig fresh rosemary or 1 tsp dried
• 1 medium-sized red onion, chopped
• 1 large clove garlic, finely chopped
• 1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• 2 Tbsp tomato ketchup
• 1 Tbsp Dijon mustard
• 1 × 340 ml bottle beer
• 1 cup beef or vegetable stock
• 1 large sweet potato, peeled and chopped
• 1 cup roughly chopped carrots
• salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 cup water

ROUGH PUFF PASTRY

• 250 g cake flour
• 1 tsp salt
• 200 g cold butter
• about 150 ml cold water or milk
• 1 tsp lemon juice or white wine vinegar

WHAT TO DO

1. Heat the olive oil in a medium-sized ovenproof pan or skillet over medium-high heat. Toss the beef in the seasoned flour, dusting off any excess, and fry for 3–4 minutes until golden on both sides. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside.
2. Add the thyme, rosemary and onion to the same pan and leave to cook on medium-low heat for 10 minutes, or until the onion has softened. Add the garlic and cook for another minute. Return the beef to the pan, along with the Worcestershire sauce, tomato ketchup, mustard, beer and stock, and simmer for 45 minutes, or until the meat is tender.
3. Add the sweet potato and carrots, ensuring they are covered with liquid. Season to taste. Add the water as needed.
4. Leave to simmer with the lid off for a further 15–20 minutes, or until the sweet potato is soft, the meat is tender and the sauce starts to thicken. Add a little more stock or water if you find the mixture is getting too dry.
5. Meanwhile, make the rough puff pastry (or alternatively use ready-made puff pastry). Sift the flour and salt into a large bowl. Roughly cut the butter into small cubes, add them to the bowl and mix them in loosely using a metal spoon or palette knife, ‘cutting the butter into the flour’ until all the pieces of butter are well coated in flour and the mixture has a crumbly consistency.
6. Gently pour in about two-thirds of the cold water or milk and the lemon juice or vinegar, mixing until you have a rough dough, adding extra water if needed. Try to avoid hard kneading of the dough.
7. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and shape into a smooth, rectangular slab. Roll the dough in one direction, away from yourself, until it is about three times the original length, about 15 × 30 cm. If needed, sprinkle over a little extra flour while rolling. Keep the edges neat and even. Don’t overwork the butter; you are aiming for a marbled effect.
8. Fold the top third of the pastry down to the centre, then fold the bottom third up and over that. Give the dough a quarter turn (to the left or right) and roll out again to three times the length. Repeat twice more and fold as before, then wrap with clingfilm and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before allowing to warm almost to room temperature and then rolling to use. Roll out to 5–7 mm thick.
9. Preheat the oven to 180 °C. Place the beef stew in a suitable lightly greased baking dish (you want the filling to be almost level with the top of the dish). Cover the beef filling with the pastry, brush with a lightly beaten egg and prick the pastry a few times with a fork to allow the steam to escape while baking. Bake in the middle of the oven for 15–20 minutes, or until the pastry is crisp and golden.

Note: The pastry can also be frozen for later use, or make double and freeze half for another time.

LAMB, RED ONION AND TZATZIKI FLATBREADS.

THESE ARE FRESH, FAST AND FABULOUS. PARTICULARLY IF YOU USE STORE-BOUGHT FLATBREADS.

SERVES 4 | PREPARATION TIME 10 minutes | COOKING TIME 15 minutes

WHAT YOU’LL NEED

LAMB

• 400 g lamb rump steak, deboned
• salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 Tbsp olive oil or butter
• 2 whole cloves garlic
• 1 sprig fresh rosemary
• 4 pita breads (see page 58) or use store-bought pitas
• 1 small red onion, halved and finely sliced

WHAT TO DO

1. Season the lamb with salt and pepper. Heat a non-stick frying pan over medium-high heat and add the olive oil or butter. Add the lamb, whole garlic cloves and rosemary to the pan and fry for 4–5 minutes on each side, or until just cooked through and still pink in the middle. Remove from the heat and set aside on a board to rest for at least 5 minutes, then slice thinly on the diagonal.
2. Meanwhile, prepare your tzatziki (see below).
3. To serve, gently split open the pitas and add slivers of lamb, red onion and a dollop of tzatziki. Serve immediately.

Minty Tzatziki

SERVES 4 | PREPARATION TIME 5 minutes

WHAT YOU’LL NEED

• ¹⁄₂ cucumber, halved lengthways and deseeded
• ³⁄₄ cup double-thick natural yoghurt
• ¹⁄₂ clove garlic, minced
• zest of ¹⁄₂ lemon
• 2 tsp lemon juice
• 1 Tbsp chopped fresh mint
• salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

WHAT TO DO

1. Finely dice the cucumber and mix with the remaining ingredients. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Note: This meal is delicious served with a small Greek salad on the side.

OUR ULTIMATE OXTAIL.

IT’S HARDLY REVOLUTIONARY, BUT I GREW UP ON MANY STEAMING BOWLS OF SLOW, SLOW COOKED OXTAIL AND IT’S ONE OF MY FAVOURITE COMFORT FOODS. THIS IS HOW I MAKE IT AT HOME WHEN IT’S WONDERFULLY WINTERY OUTSIDE. SAVE ON CARBS AND SERVE WITH DELICIOUSLY CREAMY CAULIFLOWER MASH, BUT IT’S ALSO RICH AND ROBUST ENOUGH TO HAVE ON ITS OWN, OR WITH FRESH STEAMED GREENS ON THE SIDE.

SERVES 4 | PREPARATION TIME 10 minutes | COOKING TIME 3¹⁄₂ hours (mostly unattended)

WHAT YOU’LL NEED

• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 Tbsp butter
• 1 kg oxtail, cut into pieces
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1 large carrot, chopped
• 2 sticks celery, chopped
• 3–4 sprigs fresh thyme or 1 tsp dried
• 1 sprig fresh rosemary or 1 tsp dried
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 × 410 g can chopped, peeled tomatoes
• 1 Tbsp tomato ketchup
• 1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• 2 tsp sugar, or more to taste
• 1 cup red wine (optional, additionally use extra stock) or stout
• 2 cups beef stock
• ¹⁄₂ tsp each salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley, for serving

WHAT TO DO

1. Preheat the oven to 140 °C.
2. Heat the olive oil and butter in a large ovenproof saucepan over medium heat. When the butter starts to foam, add half the oxtail and brown for 4–5 minutes on each side or until golden, and then remove and set aside. Add a little extra oil if necessary and repeat with the remaining meat, also removing to set aside.
3. Add the onion, carrot, celery and herbs to the saucepan and fry for 5 minutes, or until the carrots and onions have softened slightly. Add the garlic and fry for another minute.
4. Add the canned tomatoes, ketchup and Worcestershire sauce, and sugar, and simmer for 10 minutes. Add the red wine or stout, the stock, as well as the oxtail and salt and black pepper, and bring the liquid to a slow boil. Remove the saucepan from the stovetop and place in the oven to cook for a further 3 hours, or until the meat falls away from the bones with no resistance. Add extra stock as you go along if at any point it becomes too dry. However, be careful not to add too much stock as you do want a luxuriously thick and rich sauce.
5. Check for seasoning, scatter over the parsley and serve. Alternatively, leave to cool, skim any fat off the surface and then reheat and serve. It tastes even better the next day once the flavours have had more time to mature.

Note: The meat and sauce is also gorgeous shredded into a ragû and served over ribbony slivers of pappardelle pasta.

SLOW-COOKED GOAT STEW

with Beery Dumplings.

I WILL NEVER FORGET THE FIRST TIME THAT I TASTED GOAT, ROASTED UNTIL CHARRED AT A ROADSIDE STALL IN VERY REMOTE NORTHERN KENYA. WE ATE SIMPLY, WITH OUR HANDS, AND HAD CREAMY SPICY CHAI (TEA) AFTERWARDS. IT WAS BEYOND DELICIOUS, AND THIS IS A TRIBUTE TO THAT.

SERVES 4–6 | PREPARATION TIME 10 minutes | FUSS-FREE COOKING TIME 1¹⁄₂–2 hours

WHAT YOU’LL NEED

GOAT STEW

• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 800 g diced goat meat
• 2–3 sprigs fresh thyme or 1 tsp dried
• 1 sprig fresh rosemary or 1 tsp dried
• 1 medium-sized onion, chopped
• 1 fresh chilli, deseeded and chopped
• 2 cups chopped fresh tomatoes
• 1 large clove garlic, finely chopped
• 2 Tbsp tomato ketchup
• 1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• 2 Tbsp chutney
• 1 cup chicken stock
• salt and freshly ground black pepper

BEERY DUMPLINGS

• 200 g self-raising flour
• 50 g soft butter
• ¹⁄₂ cup grated Parmesan or cheese of your choice
• 2 Tbsp natural yoghurt
• 1 tsp chopped fresh rosemary
• 5 Tbsp beer
• generous pinch each of salt and freshly ground black pepper

WHAT TO DO

1. Preheat the oven to 150 °C.
2. For the stew, heat the olive oil in a medium-sized ovenproof pan or skillet over medium-high heat. Fry the goat meat until golden on both sides, about 3–4 minutes per side. Remove the meat from the pan and set aside.
3. Add the thyme, rosemary, onion and chilli to the same pan and leave to cook on medium-low heat for 10 minutes, or until the onion has softened and is translucent. Add the chopped tomatoes, garlic, tomato ketchup, Worcestershire sauce and chutney and cook for another minute.
4. Return the meat to the pan and place in the oven for 1¹⁄₂–2 hours, adding in the stock and maybe a little water as you need to. Season with salt and pepper.
5. Meanwhile, for the dumplings, mix the flour and butter together (by hand or using a food processor) until the texture resembles breadcrumbs. Add the remaining dumpling ingredients and knead into a soft dough. If the dough is too wet add in a little more flour; it should not stick to your hands excessively. Roll palm-sized balls and place on top of the stew mixture. Bake without the lid for 6–10 minutes or until puffy and golden.

Note: Swop out goat for lamb if you prefer, or if goat meat is unavailable.

OSTRICH SKEWERS

with Red Onion, Roasted Butternut and Creamy Whipped Feta.

THESE OSTRICH KEBABS ARE UNFUSSY, OH-SO-PRETTY AND DOWNRIGHT DELICIOUS, WHICH MEANS THAT YOU’LL HAVE A VERITABLE PARTY IN YOUR MOUTH WHEN YOU MAKE THEM.

SERVES 4 | PREPARATION TIME 15 minutes | COOKING TIME 20 minutes

WHAT YOU’LL NEED

• 8 thin bamboo skewers
• 400 g butternut, peeled and cut into 2 cm cubes
• 2 apples, cut into 2 cm cubes
• 500 g ostrich meat, cut into 2 cm cubes (or any red meat)
• 1 large red onion, quartered and separated into ‘leaves’
• salt and freshly ground black pepper
• Creamy Whipped Feta (see page 64)

WHAT TO DO

1. Soak the bamboo skewers in water for 20 minutes to prevent them burning when cooking.
2. Meanwhile, cook the butternut cubes for 10 minutes, or until just cooked but still firm, in a medium-sized saucepan filled halfway with salted boiling water. Add the cubed apple for the last 3 minutes of the cooking time.
3. Assemble the kebabs by alternating cubes of ostrich, onion, apple and butternut onto each skewer. Brush with a little extra olive oil and season with salt and pepper.
4. Heat a frying pan over medium-high heat (or prepare your braai or bbq) and cook the kebabs for 4–5 minutes on each side, or until cooked through. Serve the kebabs immediately with the whipped feta, and pita breads (see page 58), if you like.

PORK CHOPS

with Pears, Cider and Mustard.

SERVES 4 | PREPARATION TIME 10 minutes| COOKING TIME 30 minutes

WHAT YOU’LL NEED

• 4 good-sized pork chops
• generous pinch of salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1–2 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 Tbsp butter
• 1 large red onion, roughly chopped
• 2 pears, cored and roughly chopped
• 1 sprig fresh rosemary or ¹⁄₂ tsp dried
• ¹⁄₂ cup cider
• ¹⁄₃ cup fresh cream or double-thick yoghurt
• 2 tsp Dijon mustard

WHAT TO DO

1. Season the meat with salt and pepper on both sides. Heat the olive oil in a large pan over a medium-high heat, and brown the meat for 4–5 minutes on each side until golden and no longer pink in the middle. Using kitchen tongs, stand the chops upright to cook and crisp up the rind for an extra 1–2 minutes. Remove the meat and set aside on a warmed serving platter.
2. Heat the butter in the same pan and gently fry the red onion and pears, along with the rosemary, until lightly golden and softened, 8–10 minutes. Remove and add to the resting meat.
3. Pour the cider into the pan and simmer for a further 10 minutes, or until it reduces slightly and starts to thicken. Add the cream or yoghurt and stir through the mustard. Simmer for another 4–5 minutes, check for seasoning and adjust accordingly, and then pour the whole mixture over the chops and rest until serving.

Notes: Serve with just-cooked green beans and cauliflower or sweet potato mash.
This works just as well with good old pork bangers, or with skin-on chicken thighs.

ROAST LEG OF LAMB

with Minty Gremolata and Gravy.

ROAST LAMB HAS ALWAYS BEEN A SPECIAL MEAL IN MY FAMILY, PARTLY BECAUSE LAMB ISN’T ALL THAT EASY TO COME BY IN ZIMBABWE, SO WE’D EAT IT WHEN ON HOLIDAY IN CAPE TOWN (ALONG WITH MY MUM’S INCREDIBLE LAMB STEW). I’VE ADDED A LOUDLY FRESH AND BRIGHT GREMOLATA (SIMILAR TO PESTO) IN THIS CASE, JUST TO ADD A LITTLE EXTRA SOMETHING.

SERVES 4–6 | PREPARATION TIME 10 minutes | COOKING TIME 1¹⁄₂; hours (mostly unattended)

WHAT YOU’LL NEED

LAMB

• 1.75 kg leg of lamb
• 3 cloves garlic, halved
• 1 clove garlic, crushed
• 1 Tbsp finely chopped fresh rosemary
• juice and zest of 1 lemon
• 2 Tbsp butter
• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• generous pinch each of salt and freshly ground black pepper

MINTY GREMOLATA

• 4 cloves garlic, crushed
• ¹⁄₂ cup chopped fresh parsley
• ¹⁄₄ cup chopped fresh mint
• ¹⁄₄ cup lemon juice
• zest of 2 large lemons
• 2 tsp sea salt flakes
• ¹⁄₄–¹⁄₂ cup good-quality olive oil

WHAT TO DO

1. Remove the lamb from the fridge at least 1 hour before cooking so that it can come to room temperature. Before you are ready to start cooking, preheat the oven to 200 °C.
2. Set aside the halved garlic cloves and then mix together the remaining ingredients for the lamb until you have a paste.
3. Randomly cut slits into the lamb with a small sharp knife and insert half a garlic clove into each one, then baste the entire leg with the rosemary paste.
4. Roast for 1 hour 10 minutes (for medium-rare), and then remove from the oven and leave to rest, covered with tinfoil, for at least 15 minutes.
5. While the lamb rests, prepare the gremolata by blitzing all the ingredients together in a food processor or use a pestle and mortar.
6. Carve the lamb and serve immediately with the gremolata.

Note: You can also make an easy gravy with the pan juices by adding in 1 Tbsp cake flour, 100 ml red wine (optional) and about 1 cup stock. Whisk and simmer gently until the gravy thickens to the consistency you prefer.

LAMB AND LENTIL BOBOTIE.

BOBOTIE IS A FAIRLY EPIC SOUTH AFRICAN FAVOURITE, ROOTED IN DUTCH AND CAPE MALAY ORIGINS AND LAYERED WITH MILD CURRIED FLAVOURS AND TOPPED WITH A SIMPLE EGG CUSTARD. IT’S HEROIC COMFORT FOOD.

SERVES 4–6 | PREPARATION TIME 20 minutes | COOKING TIME 35–40 minutes

WHAT YOU’LL NEED

• 2 slices wholewheat bread
• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 Tbsp butter
• 500 g lamb mince
• 2 medium-sized onions, chopped
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 apple, peeled, cored and grated
• 1 tsp grated fresh ginger
• 2 tsp medium curry powder
• 1 tsp ground coriander
• 1 tsp turmeric
• ¹⁄₂ tsp ground cinnamon
• ¹⁄₂ tsp dried chilli flakes
• ¹⁄₂ tsp each of dried mixed herbs
• 1 Tbsp chutney
• salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 Tbsp lemon juice
• ¹⁄₂ cup seedless raisins
• 1 × 400 g can lentils, drained
• 2 Tbsp flaked almonds
• 2 bay leaves

BAKED EGG TOPPING

• 1 cup milk
• ¹⁄₂ tsp salt
• pinch of freshly ground black pepper
• 2 eggs

WHAT TO DO

1. Preheat the oven to 190 °C and grease an ovenproof dish well. I prefer a slightly smaller dish that makes a deeper, moister bobotie.
2. Soak the bread in water.
3. Heat the oil and butter in a pan on medium-high heat and fry the mince, stirring often until loose and crumbly. Add the onions and fry until soft and translucent.
4. Add the garlic, apple, ginger, spices, herbs and chutney and cook for another minute. Season with salt, pepper and lemon juice. Lightly squeeze the bread and then mash it with a fork. Add the mashed bread, raisins, lentils and almonds to the bobotie mixture.
5. Spread the mixture in the ovenproof dish and insert the bay leaves.
6. Beat all the ingredients for the topping with a fork and pour over the top.
7. Bake uncovered for 30–35 minutes, or until the custard topping is firm and golden brown.