When called upon to make the "starter" for an enormous "do" once upon a time, I was forced to not only use my vivid imagination, but make good use of the "materials "at hand.
The occasion in question was a ball, in honour of a local chief, at a seaside village in the Transkei. (it had to be a hot starter for 300 guests) This is what I made.
CRAYFISH
A LA TRANSKEIInto a huge stainless steel pot, over a roaring fire, I put in a couple of pounds of butter. Then threw in a half a bucket of crushed, prepared garlic. After letting this boil for a while, I added a bottle of olive oil, crushed pepper corns (a handful) and added a bathful of mussels, that had been cleaned and par-dry boiled.** Eventually, I added a white sauce, which I had made in another pot......this was simply flour and water, with salt and a few herbs and made thick. A bit of chopped parsley and ground, fresh ginger too) By now I had a pot that was half full of a very delicious tasting mixture. Lastly I added a bathful of crayfish, that had also been boiled and prepared. (just boiled in plain water) I kept mixing and tasting, and let it simmer for about an hour. The crowd went wild. They ate it as a soup...come eat-with-your-hands-dish. Much messing of bib and tucker went on, but they all wanted the recipe. I never gave it to them, 'cos I said it was a secret. Nu? here it is. I have tried it out since then, on a vastly smaller scale, and it was just as good.
**par-dry-boiled....is simply putting the mussels in a pot with no water, and letting them cook, the mussels spew the water and dirt out themselves, and cook.
Our museum had a centenary celebration recently, and once again I was asked to contribute part of the menu. They say they like what I concoct, and that as yet no one that they know of has died from eating my food, delicate tummy's beside...........
As this was to be a sort of typical "landed gentry" type of menu, I tried to make it partly British, and partly "Boer".......as I thought that perhaps our ancestors would have done.
LEG
of LAMBOne very large leg of lamb.......well hung. A bunch of wild shallots, and a few sprigs of wild mint. Make holes in the meat and stick in the shallots, also if you can the mint. Dust the leg with a packet of soup powder...I used asparagus. Into a cast iron, flat bottomed pot, I poured one cup of stock, and placing the leg into this, I arranged peeled potatoes, and sweet potatoes around the leg. Close the lid, and buried the pot under wonderful coals of a well prepared fire. I left this, undisturbed for 4 hours. Now and again checking up to see if there were enough coals.
To accompany this, I had prepared, a whole well ripened pumpkin, from which I had removed all the inner flesh, and mixing this with fresh peeled apples, cinnamon, raisins, a pinch of salt and a teaspoon of sugar, I put back this mixture, "buttoned" down the "lid" with toothpicks, wrapped it in heavy duty foil, and stuck this in the embers as well.
We have a wild spinach, here in Africa, it is really delicious, and the traditional way of cooking this is, to mix it into half cooked "mealiemeal"......which in Americanese, is ground corn flour, but very coarse. The only way I know how to cook it, is to ask my maid to do so......which she does, adding very slowly, the meal into boiling water, it cooks to a soft, dry glutinous mush? and then she added the chopped African spinach......tourists seem to go bananas over this dish and it is served in the top hotels in Africa as a typical dish............I think it has a pinch of salt added.
The pudding for this meal, which was supposed to be more "English" than African, I again had to make up.
I made a shortbread pastry........sifted flour, sugar, butter and thick farm cream. Played with it till it looked right, and pressed it into a huge museum cast metal dish......( I do not think they realised that I was using it...but ran out of my own) Pricked it with a fork, and dusted brown sugar over it....... they I layered, sliced tinned Pineapple, fresh bananas, tinned peaches, tinned apples, and some dried apples..sliced fresh pears, and threw some raisins in as well....and in between each layer, I spread some of the "Christmas mince" ( the one they make pies out of) I also put some lemon juice over the fruit for good measure, and lastly, a dash of more sugar, and blobs of butter .....baked at a medium oven for a very long time.....
This was served with home-made icecream, (not mine) and fresh cream.............the Mayor nearly gave me his thingy in appreciation..............his medal from around his neck.....cant think of the name ....
One very memorable Christmas, when asked to assist with "the" meal of the day, I called upon all the snippets that I had overheard in the past. Now being a Jewish, vegetarian, I braced myself and sallied forth.......
CHRISTMAS
DINNERMy "pantry" consisted of a goose, some chickens, fresh mussels, newly caught "soles" and lots of imagination. After "dry-boiling" the mussels, in the usual way, I deboned the poor chicken, and stuffed it. (Using the mussels, some Christmas cake, onions and pinches of herbs (mixed)) I then stuffed this chicken into the goose, added dollops of butter, sewed it up and having pricked the goose, I put in cloves of peeled garlic into the holes. Pouring bottles of olive oil over this lot, I surrounded it with peeled, floured potatoes, and baked till done. I the mean time, the other four chicken, I "quartered" and put them in a pan, first having pour lashings of honey and lemon juice over them, masses of crushed garlic and filling the pan with oil, baked this as well. The two pans were ready at about the same time.
The soles, were treated to a dusting of flour, and having the use of the top of the cast iron stove, I wiped oil on this and simply grilled. Garnished with freshly sliced bananas, and on a bed of brown rice, they were delicious.
My cold concoction, consisted of fresh green beans, which after having been boiled for a few minutes, (as one would when preparing for freezing them), I then put into a huge earthenware dish, which had olive oil, masses of garlic, grape vinegar, and lemon juice. One must do this whilst the beans are hot, so that they absorb the oil mixture......you can serve them still swimming in the oil, or drain and serve on a platter.
Home-made ice-cream........oh yeah?
I melted slabs of chocolate.......three kinds, while still hot added two tins of condensed milk, and a large jar of thick farm cream. Beat the hell out of it, and froze. The consensus of opinion on this dish was that, beside being wonderful, one could only stomach a little slice. It is very rich.....I have no problem with the richness.....I ate lots.
There is something about having to prepare for a trip up country, or along the wild coast, that seems to bring out the creative chef in my soul. In the normal course of events, hating the kitchen as I do, I am hard pressed to open a can....but challenged with a journey? I become a rampant lioness.
My first thought for a trip to a wonderful marine reserve about 100 miles from here, was what to do with all the meat that the farmers wives would bring along. Ah! I thought, make a "base" to add to the meat and perhaps other type dishes......so I made......
CHILLIES
IN SHERRYWe grow those cute little chillies here,(you can pick them green and red for variety) and having arranged to harvest a few basketfuls of these, I also collected as many of the interesting glass ball jars that I could. Bought huge quantities of cheap sherry, and simply packed the jars full, added the sherry and seal. These stood waiting for about six months and when we finally used this "base," for the braised chops and stews, it pronounced "MAGIC!"
I the same manner, I decided that we needed a few other such delicicies, and having so many jars at hand, performed similar acts on things like; Green figs, pricked and washed, red grapes, and tiny green nartjies, two or three whole vanilla stalks, a couple of spoons of brown sugar, and filled the jars to the top with White rum.
Whole plump prunes, a little boiling water to soften, spoon or two of brown sugar, peel of an orange, (looks best if its not broken ) and fill up with a good Brandy, maybe a spoon of whiskey for taste. (Green dates work well too)
Getting entirely carried away, I cubed biltong, (jerky) and added tarragon vinegar, and sealed.
Now quite into this bottling mode, I managed whole cooked mussels in brine, cockles and even got a friend to smoke oysters, and I bottled those too....
One thing about being a chef in the wild, even if you can't cook, you can at least provide the entertainment.
** nartjies???? dunno the English for these........they are like sweet little oranges, you can peel them easily....
