3 proudly South African recipes to try this Heritage Day

It’s almost time to light the braai fires for Heritage Day! Skip the usual, braai, pap and salad this year and try one of these traditional South African recipes. (Or add them to the menu with the braai, pap and salad).

ALSO SEE: 4 must-try braai recipes, snacks and sides

Milk tart macarons

*Recipe by Capsicum Culinary Studio lecturer and Chef, Hayley Sutherland

Ingredients for milk tart filling:

• 250ml milk
• 60g egg yolks
• 63g sugar
• 25g cornflour
• 2 cinnamon sticks

 Method:

1. Heat the milk and cinnamon until boiling point.
2. Mix the egg yolks, sugar and cornflour until smooth.
3. Temper the hot milk onto the yolk mixture.
4. Return to the heat and allow the mixture to boil, continuously stirring.
5. Remove from the heat, strain (remove cinnamon sticks).
6. Place in a bowl, with plastic wrap on the surface and allow to cool in the fridge.

Ingredients for the Macarons:

• 135g caster sugar
• 80g ground almonds
• 60g egg white

Method:

• Place the caster sugar and egg white in a bowl over a double boiler and cook it to liquid form (70°C).
• Remove from the heat and beat on high speed until medium peak.
• On a low speed beat in the ground almonds, colour until combined
• Pipe onto the silpat and bake for 7-10 minutes (depending how large they have been piped).
• Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely before taking them off the silpat or they will split in half.
• To assemble: Spoon some of the cold milk tart filling onto a macaron and top with another. Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 week.

NOTE: Don’t flavour the macaron mixture, it will flop.

ALSO SEE: White chocolate milk tart samosas 

Bacon Umngqusho Arancini

*Recipe by Chef Ukhonaye Mconi

Ingredients:

• 450g samp and beans, soaked overnight
• 20ml olive oil
• 15g butter
• 300g streaky bacon, chopped
• 2 large onions, finely chopped
• 1 medium carrot, grated
• 3 tbsp chopped garlic
• 4 sprigs fresh thyme
• 1 red chilli, deseeded and sliced
• 1 tbsp curry powder
• 1.1L vegetable stock
• 400g all-purpose flour
• 1kg panko breadcrumbs
• 400ml egg wash
• oil to deep-fry
• black pepper and salt

Method:

1. Cook samp and beans in half the vegetable stock for about 50 – 65 minutes, till soft.
2. Strain.
3. In a pot, fry the bacon, onion, garlic and thyme with the oil and butter till fragrant and golden.
4. Add the carrot and curry powder and deglaze with the stock; pour the cooked samp into the stock pot and simmer till it thickens fully. Stir in the chilli.
5. Once cooked, cool and store in an airtight container in the fridge till it stiffens.
6. Set up a breading station. Flour bowl, egg wash bowl and breadcrumbs container.
7. Take the samp mixture out onto a cutting board and cut into even sized squares.
8. Coat each square in flour, then dip into the beaten egg and finally roll in the breadcrumbs.
9. Deep-fry squares till golden and serve with a condiment of your choice (I suggest chipotle mayo).

Vetkoek

*Recipe by Capsicum Culinary Studio lecturer and Chef, Hayley Sutherland

Ingredients:

*Makes 4

• 125ml cake flour
• 2.5ml baking powder
• pinch of salt
• ¼ egg
• 62.5ml milk
• Oil for frying

Method:

1. Sift dry ingredients into a mixing bowl.
2. Whisk the egg and add with milk to dry ingredients. Mix to a soft dough.
3. Heat enough oil to cover the base of a frying pan.
4. Pour spoons full of batter into the hot oil and fry to a golden brown on both sides.
5. Drain on paper towels.
6. Serve with your favourite fillings.