SUMMER SENSATIONS WITH CHEF JP
Spice up your summer with some sexy summer dishes from Chef JP le Roux
Four seasons in one day is pretty much what happens under the celestial canopy of surreal weather patterns that we seem to be experiencing right now. Each season has a wonderful variety of memories, some yet to be made. The seasons not just reaffirm our moods and emotions, but also give us the opportunity to celebrate life, good food, love and friendship.
December reminds me of the song “Summertime – and the living is easy…fish are jumping and the cotton is high.”
So, let’s start on a high note with choosing our seasonal fruit and veg which we are then going to pair with some proteins.
Shopping for quality is pivotal these days and, as per my previous rendition, I like to once again urge you to shop with a conscious mind, support local farmers and producers and be kind to the oceans. Buying quality ingredients is just step one when it comes to delivering a perfect meal, so know what you are purchasing and always shop around.
In an ideal world, you should be able to shop on a daily basis. In an idealistic Utopia, you could look forward to daily freshness and seasonal goodness from the fishmonger, the butcher and the green grocer. Remember those days when you took time out to pick your own, rather than buying pre-packed and letting the retailer decide for you?
Alas, these days, we are left with the big shopping park giant. We become our worst shopping enemies. Shopping for food should never be a chore where you rush in, tick off your list and rush your trolley into the parking lot.
So, here’s the first cheers for the festive season – to shopping for quality and seasonal freshness! And, of course, enjoying the flavourful food that is the result.
NECTAR FROM THE GODS
Let’s start with a quick health and fact check. Nectarines are one of the fruits that contain all of our nine essential amino acids in very high concentrations. Strangely, these amino acids are the essential ingredients that our bodies cannot produce on their own. They also fit a complete protein profile, especially when paired with the right protein – and, in this recipe, with mustard and chia seeds.
Spicing up your summer with Moroccan grilled chicken, served with a zesty lemon crème fraiche and succulent nectarines creates harmonious fragrances a well as colour and taste sensations. We can simply call it Nectar from the Gods – or is that Nectar from the Spice Gods?
FROM THE SPICE RACK:
Concoct a dry mix in a small bowl using 1 teaspoon of the following aromatics and spices:
Turmeric
Geera
Nutmeg
Cinnamon
Garlic powder
10 ml olive oil
Then, add your sesame seeds and create a sticky paste.
Cut 140 grams of grain fed, free range chicken breast into disk shaped pieces. Submerge them in you mixed paste.
Heat your pan, add a dollop of unsalted butter – damn, it is difficult to get decent butter these days, so ghee works for me. It is clarified and far better than the retail rubbish that’s available on in-store promotions.
Now for that seasonal fruit balance. Plate your chicken on some greens of your choice. I’ve used fresh spinach and cos lettuce as both are crispy and have a nutty crunch. Cut your nectarines in to slices around the pip and drizzle them with a dash of soy sauce, adding some saltiness to the sweet fruit.
To achieve sibilance in the dish, add some crème fraiche with some lemon or lime juice and zest to cool the pallet. To garnish, dry fry some sunflower seeds in a pan and drizzle with some extra virgin olive oil. A hint of fennel will just complement the seasonal fruit as it has a liquorice fragrance.
Now for that seasonal fruit balance. Plate your chicken on some greens of your choice. I’ve used fresh spinach and cos lettuce as both are crispy and have a nutty crunch. Cut your nectarines in to slices around the pip and drizzle them with a dash of soy sauce, adding some saltiness to the sweet fruit.
To achieve sibilance in the dish, add some crème fraiche with some lemon or lime juice and zest to cool the pallet. To garnish, dry fry some sunflower seeds in a pan and drizzle with some extra virgin olive oil. A hint of fennel will just complement the seasonal fruit as it has a liquorice fragrance.
CHERRY BLOSSOM
Over in Japan, in March, cherry blossoms (known a sakura) literally cascade from the trees, providing an excuse for many a festival and the consumption of plenty of Saki. We have our own festival in Ficksburg in the Free State during cherry picking season and our fruit and veg lovers are delighted to put the cherry on top of their shopping lists during that time.
Whether it is Christmas cherries, or just for preservation, these special little fruits are both a visual and a tangible delight.
Cherry picking is something that I have experienced hands on – much the same as strawberry picking, but you need to look UP for this fruit.
Pork and cherry creates an exceptional pairing when it comes to protein and fruit. A crispy smoked pork fillet weighing in at about 150 grams is perfect. Grilling it in an air fryer makes sense as you want to crisp the fat, but still keep the meat juicy, pink and tender. So, give it an olive, clove and mustard rub (Dijon mustard is a good choice – and then grill it on 160°C for 6 minutes. Add some coarse sea salt and give it a crank for 4 minutes.
INGREDIENTS FOR YOUR SALSA VERDE:
There are many ways to spice up Summer – either through the use of spices and aromatics or with fresh chopped chilies and jalapeno peppers.
The freshness of the ingredients is a key element when it comes to making a Mexican style side – as for the Italian version, this contains more greens, capers and anchovies, which makes it a little too salty as a companion for this dish.
So, chop some red onions, Rosa tomatoes, red and green chilli and add some corn kernels and a splash of lime and olive oil. Season and you have an excellent spicy summer splendour that will accompany the smoked pork and the fresh cherries.
Garnish with some thyme, cilantro, cucumber slices and lemon grass – a perfect summer sensation.
LASCIVIOUS LYCHEES
Duck and lychees are in season for both hunting (well, metaphorically anyway) and picking – and there is nothing like a good duck.
Cooking duck is as delicate as the French will tell you. When it comes to great cuisine, the perfect duck is extraordinary, so don’t **** it up.
One year, I created a Nightmare-Before-Christmas rendition of my duck. I was going to so eloquently serve it for Christmas lunch (I still think Tim Burton is a great director incidentally), but I guess I was trying too hard to impress the family. In short, I over cooked my duck. I also learnt that the perfect combination of time and wisdom will always prevail.
Talking about lychees – or is it litchis – I think that there are so many spelling variations of this sub-tropical fruit that even fruit itself has a complex.
Anyway, buying lychees on the street corner and at the robots is quite a Durban thing but, as the trees grow less, and the demand grows, we are stuck in a rut with high prices for simple summer fruit. This year, my summer shopping surprise was that some retailers and now even street vendors are charging over 110 bucks per kg – sacrilege I might say – but, alas, let’s get our ducks in a row and focus on the dish.
The best local fresh duck you can pick up in KZN comes from The Duck Lady in Shongweni. As for frozen duck, just don’t go down that rabbit hole!
Once you have trimmed your duck, use the deboned breast which you can slice in to bite sized pieces. As I mentioned before, the most important thing is not to over-cook it, so heat up a medium sized skillet and sear the duck in some ghee and grapeseed oil for 2 minutes per side. Remove and set to rest.
Now it is time to make your en-glaze, with 1 Tablespoon Hossien sauce, 1 Tablespoon Kikkoman soy sauce, 1 Tablespoon honey, 1 teaspoon ground ginger and 1/2 teaspoon clove power. Stir for 1 minute on a medium heat until you have a velvet smooth glaze. Return your duck to the sauce and let it simmer for 3/4 minutes.
Now it is time to put the breast to rest all snuggled up in a homemade pancake.
Mix together 250ml milk, 250 ml self-raising flour, 1 medium egg and a pinch of salt and you are ready to flip the pancake. Plate with fresh ginger, peeled litchi, garlic chives, salt and pepper and some seasonal grapes.
MANGOLICIOUS FISH
My local fishmonger What’s Apped me this morning, he put a smile on my face and convinced me that there is always a silver lining – in this instance, he was referring to a seasonal fish known as Silvers. Well-known to both rod and line fishermen off our south east coast, this makes for a truly sustainable catch at the right time of year.
Having Henrietta my fish guru clean the fish for me was a big plus and all I had to do was season the whole fish (headless) with some fish spice, maize meal and salt and pepper. Out came my wok and I fried the fish with about 500ml canola oil at 160°C for 6 minutes a side until it was crispy, yet moist inside.
As you well know, a chef can’t cook without a glass of vino in his non-spatula hand, so I poured myself a chilled glass of Viognier, a perfect pairing with the fish, with hints of tangerine, vanilla and mango. with a little wine inspired creativity, I plated the fish in a very large shell that I purchased from a small little coastal town called Knoetzie Beach, near Knysna, in the Western Cape. That brought back wonderful memories.
I served it up with a true East Coast vibe, adding fresh mango slices, sweet chilli sauce, cucumber and smoked paprika – all presented on a local banana leaf.
The only way to describe this sustainable summer splash is mangolicious!
THREE STAR SEXY SIDES
Keeping the flavours and colours of local fresh seasonal ingredients alive, I created some side dishes for your summer table – including fresh pineapple and, to introduce some missing seasonal veg, our inspiring asparagus …and I then ended with a tuna poke bowl packed with all the fruits of summer.
PINEAPPLE ON A STICK
Thinking back, I remember those blissful blisters from the sun in the warm East Coast oceans and seeing fresh pineapple stick lollies all over the beaches.
One thing that I have noticed is that just adding some smoked paprika to the pine is just not good enough. You have to give them a char and a glaze. My rule of thumb rule is: cut your fresh pineapple into the right sized pieces and then and pan sear them in some ghee, a dash of olive oil, smoked paprika and a sprinkle of cinnamon plus a hint of grated cardamom. This will enhance the natural sugar in the fruit and will caramelize the edges.
Come on summer, it can’t get better than this …
SUMMER SPEARS
Seasonal vegetables are also a part of our summer experience and we haven’t forgotten the humble spear.
Rinse your asparagus spears in some salt water and brush of all the grit and grime. Trim the edges and steam them for 6/7 minutes. Let them rest while you attend to making a phyllo pastry pocket with square cut defrosted phyllo pastry sheets brushed with ghee and some olive oil. These can go into the oven for 5 minutes on 160°C, pre heated.
You can grill your deveined prawns, shell on, on a skillet with some butter/oil/or ghee for 3 minutes a side. At the same time, in a small frying pan, sear the spears with some butter and oil. Season and turn them quickly for 2 minutes per side until they are crispy.
You can remove your phyllo pockets from the oven and create a sexy vegetable prawn phyllo cocktail.
Serve with some cos lettuce, fresh Rosa tomatoes, canola mayo, fennel seeds and fresh fennel.
SEASONAL SUMMER POKE BOWL
The poke bowl traditionally comes from the island of Hawaii. It started with Bluefin tuna, from the Atlantic Ocean, called Mahi Mahi, with a Salsa Verde, served in a bowl, also known as a ceviche.
Adding colour and flavours soon inspired many Japanese folk across the Atlantic and seasonal fruit was added to create a true poke sensation.
I have combined all the fresh summer fruit in my shopping basket (cut into bite size pieces), added some fresh sesame crusted yellowtail, some grated cucumber, fennel soy sauce, lemon and lime zest, salt and pepper and fresh cilantro.
Welcome to my seasonal East Coast poke bowl… dive in, my friends, and live the moment …
AS today is the third day in December, we are all starting to relax more and looking forward to the festivities ahead. I want to leave you with my favourite word – tautology – which is “the art of repetitive nuances, that are always true”. So, to wrap up our start to our seasonal summer, I am going to reiterate my personal philosophy of “shop consciously, cleverly for goodness that is both fresh and seasonal.”
BON APPETIT my fellow foodies!
