Singita Blog
Archive for the ‘Cuisine’ Category
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.
August 17th, 2011
Singita Premier Wine’s Winter Escapades
Singita is recognised as one of South Africa’s most influential buyers of wine, with an extensive cellar showcasing a premium selection of wines, including some of the country’s most sought-after private reserves and limited release wines. François Rautenbach heads up Singita Premier Wine, managing the selection, purchase, storage, and service of the wines at Singita lodges, in addition to managing Singita Premier Wine Direct which allows guests to order wines to be shipped home at the end of their safari. As a buyer of premiers wines Francois spends time at some of South Africa’s finest wine estates – we’ve asked him to share some of his experiences as he scouts out the best labels for Singita’s cellars.
(Singita Premier Wine Boutique – Singita Sabi Sand)
Deep into mid-winter in Southern Africa there is a dramatic change in the bush colouring from verdant dense greens to the straw-browns of the dry season. Extended animal movements abound as they search for the last vestiges of green fodder and the elusive pools of fresh water.
Having been requested to speak at the inaugural Winebiz Conference on wine marketing and sales, I travelled once again to the wintery Winelands. A great time to be hosting such an event in the Cape as the winemakers use the cooler wet days to finalise their blends and bottle those vintage wines that have been slumbering, developing magnificently in barrel. The wine marketers grab onto these new and exciting developments and releases to enhance the attraction of their portfolios.
In this regard it may seem odd that a ‘bush wine specialist’ was requested to speak on the topic ‘Put your best foot forward – optimising cellar door experiences’. However with the many years of hosting thought-provoking and informative wine tastings in the Singita Cellars not to mention the wonderful success of the Premier Wine Boutique as an added-value home of wine, information and passion, it suddenly seemed quite possible that we could add real value and insight into the Wine Farm’s visitor experience.
On a cool, bright and sunny day the conference turned out to be both stimulating and informative and well worth attending even as a delegate let alone as a speaker.
Further to the conference I received an impromptu invitation to Ken Forrester Vineyards nestled in the foothills of the Stellenbosch – Helderberg Ridge mountains for a vertical presentation of the now 10 year production of the famed single-vineyard ‘FMC’. Now that sounded like an absolutely rare and unique opportunity. An exciting prospect as I departed for the farm enthralled by a magnificent sunset of pink and orange hues.
Ken a renowned, lifelong restaurateur realised his dream of wine making when he purchased a small run-down farm with his family. Realising that not only was Chenin Blanc the wine style that offered South Africa it’s greatest potential for renown but that this newly acquired farm hosted one of the unique ‘heritage’ blocks of old dry-land bush vine Chenin planted in 1967 (Mmm, my own lifelong wine endeavours – sharing the same birth date!). Ken set about a tireless journey to revitalise the vineyard and image of this historical grape.
Roping in Martin Meinert, winemaker and blender extraordinaire and long time restaurant partner into this new project they tackled the 1998 & ’99 vintages with gusto but with little success. Even greater care and attention ensued with each bush vine pruned back to one bud which captured the entire root system’s energy into a couple of bunches but resulted in a yield of less than 1 ton of grapes per acre. Wow – the resulting first release 2000 vintage showed ground-breaking concentration yet remained balanced and enthralling!
With a single long, farm-style table at centre stage in the tasting room sandwiched between small and jam-packed barrel maturation and fermentation rooms the tableau of ten spaces set with five large glasses each raised the expectations even further for an individual experience. Personally pouring each vintage Ken held us enraptured with tales of the wine’s development, the original description of the FMC’s acronym (now know in political correctness as the Forrester-Meinert Chenin) and the attention given to each of the multiple hand harvests completed through the vineyard to ensure perfectly even ripeness throughout the bunches of grapes used to fill each individual 400 litre Loire Valley French oak barrels.
Presented with the youthful, distinctly green tinged 2009 vintage redolent with stewed apple and ruby grapefruit on the nose we set off on a journey through the last decade. What concentration displayed by this emerging teenage wine with promise of supreme pleasure in years to come.
Quickly followed on by an enticingly approachable 2008, a deep yellow in colour, bouquet and stone fruit inspired palate already offering tremendous pleasure.
Next the powerful 2007 with a deep golden yellow hue fit for an artist’s brush. An entry of delicate herbal ‘Garrigue’ or Cape Floral notes underpinned by distinctive almond and marzipan leading to a riveting flavour demanding rich food or further maturation time.
Just when we thought we had seen the spectrum, the 2006 emerged to enthral with dainty intensity, freshness and elegance. The lightest coloured and most superbly balanced – what difficulty to not consume in one draft.
Finally the 2001 flowed into it’s receptacle to offer complete integration with the richness of matured marmalade upfront and the tight and lengthy finish to follow – supreme now yet with a portent to further years of pleasure to come.
As the ‘Cape Doctor’ South-Easter started blowing, rattling doors and windows we could ruminate over the first decade of a now internationally iconic wine as we savoured giant tempura prawns dipped in hoisin sauce, crisp pork belly and artisinal cheeses subtly proving that the food matching versatility of Chenin Blanc is unsurpassed.
Nodding off to sleep some time later I looked forward to the development of Singita Premier Wine’s own stocks in maturation and to the next decade of a developing heritage.
Find out more information about Singita Premier Wine on Singita’s website – or contact us directly at premierwine@singita.com.
Happy imbibing,
François
July 21st, 2011
Getting Fraiche with Prawns
Relax in warm winter sunshine on the deck overlooking the Sand River with a glass of Sauvignon Blanc. Chef Loraine Pienaar at Singita Boulders Lodge has created a zingy starter for you to try at home, while reminiscing about your stay at Singita Sabi Sand.
CHERMOULA PRAWNS WITH PAPAYA DRESSING AND POTATO SALAD
12 prawns cleaned and deveined
CHERMOULA
Chermoula is a traditional Moroccan dipping sauce that originally would have been made using a mortar and pestle. It is quite acceptable to use a food processor these days.
1 bunch fresh coriander (cilantro)
4 cloves garlic
1 tsp coarse sea salt
2–3 tsp ground cumin
1 tbsp paprika
1 tsp cayenne pepper
½ roasted red pepper (fresh is best but canned also works)
juice of 1 lime
3 tbsp olive oil
Instructions
- Blend all ingredients in a food processor
- Marinate the prawns in the Chermoula for at least 2 hours
POTATO SALAD
2 Large potatoes (+-650g)
3 Sprigs spring onion sliced finely
2 ½ tbs Crème fraiche
- Peel the potatoes and dice into even small blocks
- Blanch in salted water until al dente and cooled
- When potatoes have cooled, add crème friache and spring onion, mix well.
PAPAYA COULIS
½ medium sized papaya
½ red chilli chopped finely
1 tbs sugar
100 ml white wine
2 cm cinnamon stick
- Boil all the ingredients together until the papaya turns into pulp
- Puree in a food processor and strain through a fine sieve
Putting it all together
- Pan-fry the prawns in olive oil until pink and season with salt, pepper and lemon juice
- Arrange the potato salad onto 4 plates and stack the prawns on top
- Dress with papaya coulis, garnish with fennel (optional)
Bon Appetit from the kitchen at Singita Boulders Lodge.
(For more Singita recipes, take a look at the Singita Facebook page where there is something for everyone.)
June 8th, 2011
What’s on the Menu at Singita Explore
Catherine Garden, Sous Chef at Singita Grumeti Reserves, talks about the menu that she has created for Singita Explore, and about how much fun they are having cooking over an open campfire.
Singita Explore like all Singita locations has its own unique bush signature with elements that echo the feel and structure of the camp. The simple yet comfortable is replicated within the cuisine. Food is slightly more interactive as chefs cook eggs to order in front of guests, meals are prepared on the coals, and wood scented fires are very much a part of the camp ethos. The kitchen creates the backdrop to camp life. There are camping staples like potjies, barbecues, pot breads and the full cooked breakfast with the focus on unprocessed, wholesome food.
For lunch we love to spread out a tantalising smorgasbord of cold meats, cheeses served with pickled red onion and cucumber, raw beetroot relish, sesame bread sticks, rustic olive loaf, and a fresh, green salad. A special hot item would be traditional pilau with kachumbari (local salad made of sliced tomato, onion, lemon juice and chilli) and Greek yoghurt. We opt for delicious and light for our dessert selections – one of our favourites is roasted pineapple and strawberries with Almond praline cream.
For high tea at the camp we are creating simple but mouthwatering delights, such as a banana walnut loaf served with raspberry jam and butter.
After evening game drives, guests love to position themselves around the roaring campfire. Nothing is more comforting as the evening settles in, than Stok brood (bread cooked over the fire by the guests themselves) dipped into chilli dipping sauce and savoured under the stars.
Then follows a full dinner feast of pork chops, lamb mishkaki (skewers), potato bake (creamy garlic potato), butternut chakalaka, and a garden salad. There is always a little room leftover for warmed apple crumble with vanilla custard. Is your mouth watering yet?
Some of the menu items that are gaining the greatest rave reviews – oxtail potjie, chicken apricot sosaties and our famous chocolate Malva pudding. We will have to share some recipes in the next blog articles, so keep watching this space.
For more information about our introductory offer at Singita Explore follow this link to read more.
