Singita Blog
Archive for the ‘Cuisine’ Category
January 13th, 2012
Changing Threat into Opportunity
The next time you bite into a decadently chocolate-filled brownie at Singita Faru Faru Lodge, you may be surprised to know that the Pastry Chef in the kitchen who makes these creations, has a very interesting past.
(Peter is standing with the bow.)
Peter Andrew was born in 1979 in Fort Ikoma village on the outskirts of Singita Grumeti Reserves. Peter’s mother died when he was 16 years old; his Dad remarried and thus Peter was forced to leave his home and village to fend for himself. At the time he had no options for employment but poaching. He learnt hunting and tracking skills from a man much older than him, named Matere Muita, a father figure who taught him everything he needed to know about the skills of the hunt. They hunted together on foot day and night to harvest bush meat, tusks from elephants and skins from Colobus monkeys. Peter remembers that they took pride in never being caught – “You were not a skilled poacher if a Wildlife Officer caught you”.
However everything turned a corner in 2003 when Peter learnt that a good-hearted man named Mr. Harris, was offering jobs to poachers in neighbouring villages. This was Peter’s chance to change his life and earn an honest wage without fear of being locked in jail or eaten by lion. So Peter started work at Singita Sasakwa Lodge as a temporary employee helping with construction. He was interested in cooking and in 2004 took the opportunity to become the staff cook at Singita Sabora Tented Camp. He excelled in this position and developed quickly, so much so that in 2005 Peter became a Commis Chef at Singita Sabora and then further moved to Singita Faru Faru in 2011 as a full-time Pastry Chef where he currently works.
Stories like that of Peter Andrew continue to provide encouragement for the investment made by Singita in valuable conservation efforts.
With over 500 000 acres of land under management, Singita offers luxury safari, tourism opportunities whilst pursuing a core vision: the protection of vast wilderness areas that are home to magnificent wildlife populations and sensitive landscapes, for future generations.
Controlling poaching in the area has been a key priority facing Singita Grumeti Reserves since 2002. This illegal industry threatened the dynamics and balance of the eco-system and undermined the potential of the commercial tourism venture, required to ensure the long-term sustainability of the area. With the establishment of an effective anti-poaching unit consiting of 120 game scouts and thanks to the support of the Tanzanian Wildlife Division, Singita Grumeti Reserves has to date been able to achieve an increase of game populations by up to 600% in some species. Now Singita Grumeti employs close to 600 members of staff (a large proportion from local villages) in its effort to conserve the enormous tract of land in its care, and to support special Singita-style service to the guests that visit Singita Grumeti Reserves.
To read more about Singita’s community development and conservation projects in four regions around Africa, please take a look at Singita’s website.
January 6th, 2012
Summertime in the Bushveld
Warmer weather goes hand in hand with lighter styled food at Singita Boulders Lodge this season, such as salads and chilled soups.
Utilizing the wonderful fresh produce from our new herb garden, we have tossed some vegetables together to make a delightful creation:
Easy root vegetable recipe
1 bunch beetroot
1 bunch parsnip
1 punnet baby carrots
1 sweet potato sliced
Basil pesto for dressing
Goat’s cheese (optional)
Rocket leaves
Trim the roots and leaves off the vegetables, keeping the skin on for extra nutritional value.
Dress the vegetables with olive oil, pepper and salt. Roast the vegetables for 8-10 minutes at 180°C
Deep fry the sweet potato chips until crispy while vegetables are roasting.
Arrange the vegetables on a plate, dress with basil pesto and garnish with sweet potato crisps, leaves and goat’s cheese
Chef’s tip – by Loraine Pienaar: Roast the different kinds of vegetables separately because cooking times may vary and the beetroot will colour the rest of the vegetables.
December 30th, 2011
100% South African
As the Singita kitchens are gearing up for memorable New Year’s celebrations this weekend, Kyle Ralph, Sous Chef at Singita Boulders Lodge, shares insights into the delicacies behind the menu.
At Singita we try our utmost to use the best South African products that are available to us. The beef we source is from one of Africa’s best beef suppliers who has been producing top quality since 1974. Along with all of the other local suppliers we have sourced we are only too pleased to showcase the best of South Africa.
In the recipe shown below we use Karan beef, blue cheese from the Cape and butternut from local Belfast farmers.
Ingredients:
4 x 200g per portion Beef fillet
2 x large butternut or pumpkin
20-30 marjoram leaves- picked
250g blue cheese
200g green beans or asparagus
2 TBSP butter
salt and pepper to taste
The vegetables:
Peel and seed the butternut, cutting one butternut into medium-sized pieces. Place in a tray and season with salt and pepper, oil and some thyme leaves. Roast for 8-10 min until tender, and then set aside in the refrigerator.
With the second butternut, roast whole in the oven for about 20-30minutes until soft. If the skin becomes a bit burnt, don’t worry; what we are after is inside.
Cut the cooked butternut in half and discard the seeds. Scoop out the flesh of the butternut into a blender, add butter and blend. If the puree is too thick just add some water until you achieve the right consistency.
Crumble the blue cheese into medium-sized pieces.
Cook green beans in boiling water for 1-2 minutes and then run under cold water and keep aside until needed.
For the sauce:
1 liter beef stock (store bought is fine)
500ml red wine
1x large carrot
1x onion
1x leek
1 stick celery
2 cloves garlic
3 sprigs of rosemary
50ml sherry vinegar
2TBS of dark brown sugar
Making the sauce:
Cut onion, celery, carrot and leek into small rough cubes and sauté with 1 tsp of oil till softened, and then add garlic and rosemary
Add sugar and caramelize for depth of flavor (the sugar should just melt and form a light brown color) then de-glaze with sherry vinegar and reduce by about half.
Add red wine and reduce by half.
Add the beef stock and reduce by ¾; it should have a shiny and slightly thick
Putting it all together:
Pre-heat a heavy base pan; season the beef fillet with salt and pepper.
Place about 2TBSP of vegetable oil in the pan and put your beef in the hot pan; don’t move the beef around for about 3-4minutes, it should form a beautiful crust before you turn it. Once turned, cook for another 3-4 minutes on the other side.
Then place a little bit of blue cheese on top of the beef and place into a 180˚C oven for 2 minutes. Take out and let the meat rest for another 2 minutes. This should give you a perfect medium rare fillet.
To plate, place a bit of the butter puree on the plate (this is were your creativity comes in). Lightly mix the blue cheese and butternut cubes with the fresh marjoram leaves, and place on top of the puree.
Put the rested beef fillet on the plate and pour over some red wine sauce.
Enjoy! And warmest wishes for a wonderful 2012.
October 31st, 2011
Pulling Out All the Stops
At Singita Grumeti Reserves we delight in creating feasts and occasions that will live with our guests forever. Nothing is more thrilling than a surprise venue and menu for dinner. Imagine dining under a lamp-lit acacia or beneath the boughs of a large ‘Sausage’ tree (Kigelia africana) or around the campfire with star-lit skies.
Tonight at Singita Sasakwa Lodge, we’re pulling out all the stops. Grilling lobster from Dar es Salaam, chilling champagne, and setting up a dance spectacle that is certain to enthrall – all as the sun sets. It doesn’t get better than this – we’ll let the pictures tell the story.
October 20th, 2011
Working with Local Farms
One of the benefits of working in remote areas like Singita Sabi Sand is the abundance of local farming communities around the reserve. I was fortunate enough to have found one, Saringwa farm that is only a few kilometers down the road in the town of Belfast.
They have a wide variety of freshly picked vegetables on offer, and with such fresh produce available it’s a sin not to utilize them when they are at nature’s best.
I could not wait to get hold of the sun- ripened tomatoes that were on offer and make one of my all time favorites: tomato and chili jam with local tomatoes and chilis out of the herb garden that we started behind the Boulders’ kitchen. You’ll want to store this recipe deep in your recipe chest because it is an absolute winner – and something to pass down the generations.
Enjoy!
Peter Liese – Sous Chef, Singita Boulders Lodge
Tomato and Chili Jam
Ingredients
500g plum tomatoes
100g golden sugar
100 ml white wine vinegar
2 red chilis
4 cloves garlic
1 red onion
Making the Jam
Wash the tomatoes, chili and peel the garlic and red onion. Place in a food processor and puree until liquid. Pour into a heavy bottomed pot and add the vinegar and golden sugar. Bring to a simmer on a gentle heat and cook for about 40 to 80 minutes. Occasionally stir the pot to ensure the mixture will not burn. Place two suitably sized jars into rapidly boiling water for 10 to 15 minutes to sterilize. Fill the jars with the hot jam and seal immediately.
Pair the jam with crispy tempura vegetables, calamari or cheese for some delectable flavors.
Tips: If you would like less bite to the jam feel free to take the seeds out of the chilis first.
For more texture to the jam you may also chop a third of the tomatoes roughly and add them to the liquid when you begin to cook it.
