The guilty pleasure of fried food
Fish and chips
Fish with a crispy batter and tasty side dishes is my favourite way to entertain guests – at any time of year. Best of all? Both young and old love it.
Serves 6 Preparation time: 20 minutes Cooking time: 15 minutes
• zest of 1 lemon • 3ml each Italian herbs and mustard powder • a pinch each of cayenne pepper and white pepper • 300ml self-raising flour • 6 hake fillets, skin on* • 250ml buttermilk • oil for shallow-frying
1 Mix the lemon zest, herbs, pepper and flour and season well with salt. Place in a shallow bowl. Pat each piece of fish dry with a cloth (paper towels tend to stick) and ‘draw’ them through the buttermilk. Dip the fish in the flour mixture and leave to stand for about 10 minutes.
2 Heat the oil in a pan over moderate heat until hot and fry the fish in batches for a few minutes on each side until golden brown and crispy. Remember, fish doesn’t take long to cook and will continue to steam as it stands – check if you are unsure. Serve hot with lemon wedges, homemade tartar sauce and potato chips (or sweet potato chips if preferred).
* Long, thin pieces of fish work better than smaller, thick pieces. HOMEMADE TARTAR SAUCE Mix 125ml creamy mayonnaise, 125ml sour cream, 1 finely grated medium-sized carrot, 3 chopped gherkins, 30ml finely chopped chives and 5ml mustard with a pinch of fresh garlic and about 15ml lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper. Finger-licking delicious! CRISPY VEGGIE BITES
Sift 250ml chickpea flour, 10ml baking powder, 3ml ground coriander and 3ml ground cumin, salt and pepper together. Now gradually whisk in about 220ml
ice-cold soda water to form a smooth batter. Dip cauliflower florets, baby carrots, onion rings or your favourite veggies in the batter and deep-fry until crispy. Season with salt and pepper to taste and serve with fresh coriander. PRAWN, CHORIZO AND SWEET POTATO CAKES Boil 300g sweet potato until soft, drain and mash. Finely chop about 12
cooked prawns and 150g cooked chorizo and stir through the mash. Season with 3 chopped spring onions and about 30ml fresh coriander. Mix in 1 egg yolk and about 60ml flour to form a firm mixture. Divide the mixture into balls the size of a golf ball and flatten slightly. Coat with homemade
breadcrumbs and shallow-fry gently until golden brown and cooked through.
Tip
You can also use potatoes for these delicious cakes. It will provide a firmer texture, so use a little less flour. >>
Sweetcorn vetkoek
If you haven’t got time to wait for the vetkoek to rise, try this instant version.
Makes 12 vetkoek Preparation time: 25 minutes Cooking time: 30 minutes
• 375ml cake flour • 10ml baking powder • a generous pinch each of salt and sugar • 2 eggs • 180ml milk • 125ml cooked corn kernels • oil for frying
FILLING
• 15ml oil • 1 onion, chopped • 400g mince • 1 clove garlic, chopped • 5ml ground coriander • 15ml curry powder • 30ml tomato and chilli jam • 15ml vinegar
1 Make the filling Heat the oil and sauté the onion until glossy. Add the mince, garlic and spices and fry until golden brown (break up the meat continuously with a spatula). Stir in the jam and vinegar. Add a little water and cover the pan. Simmer over low heat while you make the vetkoek.
2 Mix the flour, baking powder, sugar and salt in a bowl. Whisk the eggs and milk together and add to the dry ingredients, along with the corn. Stir until it forms a thick, smooth batter.
3 Heat about 2cm oil in a pan (not too hot, otherwise the vetkoek burn before they are cooked inside) and fry large tablespoons of the mixture in the oil until golden brown and cooked through. Drain on paper towel.
4 Cut the vetkoek open and fill with the mince. They are, of course, also delicious with cheese and jam or syrup.
Pork schnitzels
Yes, you can buy pre-crumbed schnitzels at the supermarket but believe me, the store-bought version doesn’t compare to homemade ones.
Serves 4 Preparation time: 40 minutes Cooking time: 20 minutes
• 4 x 200g pork steaks • about 45ml fresh lemon juice • about 500ml dry breadcrumbs, preferably homemade • a pinch of dried Italian herbs • parsley • 125ml flour • 2 eggs, whisked • 30ml water • 15ml oil • butter and oil for shallow-frying
MUSHROOM SAUCE
• 30ml butter • 400g mixed mushrooms, coarsely chopped • 2 whole garlic cloves • lemon zest to taste • 15ml Dijon mustard • 5 sprigs thyme • 250ml crème fraîche (or sour cream) • 30ml chopped parsley • lemon juice
1 Use a meat mallet to flatten the meat; the steaks must be about 1cm thick. Sprinkle the lemon juice over and marinate in a flat dish for about 15 minutes. Meanwhile, combine the breadcrumbs with the Italian herbs and parsley and get the rest of the ingredients ready.
2 Season the meat with salt and freshly ground black pepper and coat with flour. Whisk the egg, water and oil. Dust off the excess flour from the meat and dip it into the egg and then the breadcrumbs. Refrigerate for about 20 minutes to make sure the crumbs adhere properly. 3 Meanwhile, make the mushroom sauce Melt the butter in a pan and sauté the mushrooms and garlic. Don’t be in a hurry or stir too much – you want the mushrooms to be golden brown. Remove the garlic and discard. Season the mushrooms well with salt, pepper and lemon zest. Stir in the mustard, thyme, crème fraîche and parsley and heat through. Season with a little lemon juice and keep warm.
4 Melt a knob of butter and a little olive oil in a pan and shallow-fry the pork until golden brown on both sides and cooked through. The frying time will depend on the thickness – check if you’re not sure. Serve immediately with the mushroom sauce and your favourite starch (I love mashed potatoes, but rice or even pasta is also delicious) and veggies such as cabbage and peas. >>
Deep-fried chocolate parcels
These treats are messy to eat, but fun to make. If you don’t work carefully, the dough may burst open in the oil and the chocolate will run out but if you get it right, these are a winner served with a delicious liqueur.
Makes 12 parcels Preparation time: 10 minutes Cooking time: 10 minutes
• 12 Lindor balls, chilled in the fridge • 12 wonton wrappers • 1 small egg, whisked • oil for deep-frying
Work quickly but carefully with one wonton wrapper at a time and keep the rest under a damp cloth so that the pastry doesn’t dry out. Place a cold chocolate ball in the middle of the pastry square. Brush around the edges with the egg and fold all four points towards the middle to form a parcel (pictured). Now join the edges, pressing them together to force out all the air around the chocolate. The pastry should be snug against the chocolate so that no chocolate can leak out when you fry it. Repeat until all the chocolate balls are wrapped.
2 Heat the oil in a small, shallow pan until hot; test with an extra wonton wrapper to make sure it won’t burn. When the oil is ready, fry the chocolate parcels two at a time until golden and puffed up. (I rest the parcels on a slotted spoon in the hot oil.) Drain on paper towels and repeat with the rest. Serve warm (but not so hot that the chocolate burns your mouth) with your favourite liqueur or sweet wine. >>
Chicken burgers with salted caramel sauce
If you’re craving crispy chicken, try this.
Serves 4 Preparation time: 40 minutes Cooking time: 20 minutes
• about 500ml panko breadcrumbs • 180ml cornflour • 2ml cayenne pepper • 2 sprigs thyme • 4 large chicken breast fillets, butterflied • 2 eggs, whisked • oil for frying • 4 sesame seed bread rolls • mayonnaise and toppings of your choice
CARAMEL SAUCE
• 125ml castor sugar • 125ml boiling water • 1 star anise • about 30ml lemon juice • about 30ml fish sauce • a knob of butter • 3 spring onions, chopped • 1 red chilli, chopped • 15ml apple cider vinegar
1 Mix the panko breadcrumbs and cornflour with the cayenne pepper and thyme and pulse in a food processor until smooth.
2 Season the chicken with salt and pepper; roll in the breadcrumb mixture, then in the egg and again in the breadcrumbs. Refrigerate for about 20 minutes to ensure that the coating adheres properly.
3 Meanwhile, make the sauce Stir the sugar and water over low heat until the sugar has dissolved. Add the star anise and heat, without stirring, until the sugar turns a deep caramel colour. Immediately remove from the heat – remember, the pot retains heat and the caramel will become darker. Add the remaining sauce ingredients and stir until dissolved. Check carefully and season to taste with soy sauce or salt until the balance is just right.
4 Shallow-fry the chicken in about 1cm oil until golden brown and crispy. Drizzle generously with the caramel sauce and serve on rolls with mayonnaise and toppings. We used crispy lettuce, julienned carrot, celery ribbons, pickled ginger, pomegranate rubies, thinly sliced apple and fresh coriander.
Doughnuts with semolina
Indian doughnuts, gulab jamun, are traditionally made with flour and milk powder, then fried and dipped in sweet rose syrup. This South African version uses condensed milk and semolina and has a firmer texture. They are also sometimes cut into fingers and rolled in coconut. No matter how you like them, they are a wonderful sweet seduction!
Makes about 21 hearts Preparation time: 35 minutes Cooking time: 25 minutes
• 2 large eggs • 1 tin (385g) condensed milk • 45ml melted butter • 125ml semolina flour
• 15ml baking powder • 875ml (490g) flour • pinch each cardamom and nutmeg • about 300ml oil for frying
SYRUP • 250ml castor sugar • 250ml boiling water • 4 cardamom pods, crushed • 1 cinnamon stick
1 Make the syrup Dissolve the sugar in the boiling water over moderate heat. Stir in the spices and bring to the boil. Boil for about 5 minutes until slightly thickened. Remove from the heat and set aside. The syrup should be warm – not boiling – when the crispy treats are dipped in it.
2 Whisk the eggs, condensed milk and butter and add the rest of the dry ingredients to form a stiff dough. Knead until just smooth.
3 Roll the dough about 2cm thick and cut out shapes with a heart cookie cutter (3cm in diameter). Press the remaining dough together again and repeat until all the dough has been used up.
4 Heat the oil (about 3cm deep) in a pot on the stove and fry the hearts in batches until golden brown and cooked through. Don’t be in too much of a hurry; rather maintain the oil at a moderate heat and fry them a little longer to ensure that they are cooked through. Drain briefly on paper towels and then dunk them in the syrup while still hot. The hearts will soak up the syrup and become deliciously sticky on the outside. Serve lukewarm or cold, preferably freshly baked.