BOKKIE BITES FROM CHEF JP
The test between the Springboks and the All Blacks in Mbombela this Sunday has already got me sitting on the edge of my seat – so no long recipes for the weekend, I’m afraid.
I’ve gone for quick and flavoursome whilst paying tribute to each of the teams in the run up to this big clash.
FIRST HALF: SKILPADJIES AND CORN
This is a traditional South African dish called Skilpadjies. In this case, it’s not just a case of mutton dressed up as lamb, but lamb wrapped in bacon and grilled on the open fire with the addition of traditional baby corn that is so symbiotic of our food and culture.
These little bokkies transform into irresistible little gems. They are easy to prepare, just in time for the game. Soak some lamb liver in milk for a half hour, stain, add in some bacon bits and chopped
onion. Give it a good mixwith some egg and bread crumbs. Fold it into a ball – rugby shaped preferably – wrap the skilpadjie in some streaky bacon and add some tooth pics to hold it firm.
Then drop it on to medium coals for 30 minutes. As a side kick, you can grill some baby corn to add some colour and a nice crunch…. Game on!
HALF TIME
Hopefully the bokke will out run the skilpadjies… either way, crack open a Castle, tip into the biltong and set your sights on the try line!
We featured the dish below in my very first FANS AND FAVORITES blog – but thought we’d add it to the menu again in anticipation of a victory against the New Zealanders.
SECOND HALF: BLOOD ORANGE AND KIWI LION
FROM YOUR SPRINGBOK PANTRY:
1 large grapefruit
2 oranges
50 ml South African blood orange Mampoer
2 Tablespoons white sugar
6 vine tomatoes
1 small diced onion
10 grams biltong bits
150 grams venison loin, cut in to even strips
one medium kiwi fruit
10 grams of Kiri (not kiwi) gold butter
olive oil
seasoning
salt and pepper
To create this dish, I make a jus with a blood orange and rooibos mampoer. Mix some fresh orange and grapefruit and then stir it up a notch in a pan, adding a dash of sugar to caramelise, and burn the alcohol away (of course, not completely). Then, sear the Springbok loin strips, make a quick salsa with the tomatoes and onion and slice and dice a dash of biltong and topple it on the seared fillet drenched in my gold liquid jus. Complete your dish by placing a fresh kiwi on top – hang on, we’ll have to see about that!
Enjoy the game and cheers to some good rugby this weekend!
