CHOCOLATE DREAM
“It was a very beautiful thing, this Golden Ticket, having been made, so it seemed, from a sheet of pure gold hammered out almost to the thinness of paper. On one side of it, printed by some clever method in jet-black letters, was the invitation itself – from Mr Wonka.” – Roald Dahl, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
And whether you have read the book or watched the movies, this remains a real life fantasy for the child in you.
The excitement of receiving a Golden Ticket made my childhood dream a reality.
As the escalators carried us up to the chocolate room at The Southern Sun Cape Sun Hotel, we tried to hide our anticipation.
When the doors were opened, gasps filled the room. Yes, it was really happening. We were being transported into the realm of Ronald Dahl’s sugar-trees-and-chocolate-rivered mind.
And our version of Willy Wonka was the highly acclaimed Chef Alfred Henry, head chef at The Southern Sun Cape Sun Hotel.
The five courses, paired beautifully with beverages, were prepared by chefs from the Tsogo Sun stable in Cape Town and all the dishes were inspired by chocolate.
The menu started with chocolate Mayan yoghurt, cinnabun melba toast, chocolate and hazelnut crumble, and fresh raspberries put together by Chef Alfred.
The second dish was a toasted dark chocolate scone eggs benedict with white chocolate and orange Hollandaise, cooked by Executive Chef of Southern Sun The Cullinan Henrico Grobbelaar. Next on the extravagant menu was a chocolate seed loaf, orange and dill cured salmon, cream cheese and pickled radishes, presented by Juan Neethling of Southern Sun The Waterfront.
Following that delicate dish was a slow cooked beef cheek, bitter chocolate, orange and pear, made by Jessica Sutcliffe of SunSquare Cape Town Gardens; and rounding off the decadent brunch was yoghurt and cinnamon panna cotta egg, also created by Chef Alfred. It was a masterpiece burrowed on a nest of gold spun sugar. When you cracked into the egg, the pana cotta was delectable, the yolk was mimicked by a dollop of a granadilla puree. The kind of magic you would expect to find in a fantasy factory that makes chocolate dreams come true.
The reason for the chocolate extravaganza was to fill up our Easter baskets with ideas to recreate at home. In between the decadent lunch, Chef Alfred wowed guests with a lesson in tempering chocolate. I gave it a bash, he made it look so effortless, needless to say it is harder than you expect. But then again that is what you expect from an expert who spent some of his years mastering the art of great chocolate at world famous Lindt.
A native of Cape Town, Alfred Henry followed his passion for all things culinary after school and completed a cordon bleu diploma with distinction. He then travelled to Britain to study further and perfect his craft. On his return to South Africa he began his career as an assistant pastry chef at the Mount Nelson Hotel, and then as executive sous chef at the Twelve Apostles Hotel. He has worked in some of the best kitchens in South Africa, including as head chocolatier for Lindt & Sprüngli in 2008.
Henry said: “Growing up in a family that was involved in food was my inspiration. I have a passion to turn raw ingredients into a gastronomic sensation. I avoid complicating my food too much, but try to get the best from the raw produce, maximising the natural flavours to their best potential. I enjoy mixing classic preparation with a modern flair and flavour. I also believe people eat with their eyes before they taste – food must always be well presented and have amazing flavour to follow through.”
And just when you thought it couldn’t possibly get any better. They opened the walk-in-fridge and all diets were off. Shelves upon shelves of chocolate and dessert goodies all lined up yelling pick me, pick me. Okay then, I will pick you, and you, and then some of you too. Basket full, it was time to waddle back to the reality of life.
Looking back, if anything, I can honestly say one childhood dream was fulfilled. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory remains etched in my memory as a favourite, and now I have a mental picture of my very own to go with it.