‘LESDACHEF’ IS COOKING!
You’ve read his story in Lifestyle, now see how he cooks. Chef Lesego Semenya, aka Dijo, in his first cookbook, ‘Dijo My Food, My Journey’, has brought township cuisine to the SA table. We share two recipes from his book.
BUTTERNUT PIE WITH AMARULA CHANTILLY CREAM
Makes one 25cm pie
Following on from that classic South
African trait of borrowing ideas and inspiration, I came up with this butternut pie recipe. Butternut squash and pumpkin are similar in colour but I find butternut has a more intense flavour and provides a richer colour. It also produces less liquid when cooked (and conversely has more starch), which means less cracking when the pie bakes.
If you’re new to pumpkin pies and such, it’s a sweet dessert usually served with whipped cream. Some call it America’s national dessert while others would disagree and say apple pie is, but whatever your view, it’s an awesome thing and when made right it is beautifully smooth and looks good on a plate.
Enough sweet pastry to line a 25cm cake tin
2 egg yolks, beaten
250ml (1 cup) good- quality cream cheese
250ml (1 cup) caster sugar
2.5ml (½ tsp) ground cinnamon
A pinch of ground ginger
1 egg, beaten
5ml (1 tsp) vanilla extract
500ml (2 cups) cool butternut, mashed 250ml (1 cup) cream
55g melted butter
When making a tart or open pie, the most important part is to blind bake the pastry base beforehand. Blind baking is when you roll and line your pie tin and then use foil, ovenproof paper or plastic filled with beans or rice to hold the pastry down. Bake the base until it is golden brown. Remove the foil or paper or plastic with the beans or rice, and then brush the pastry with beaten egg before baking it for a few more minutes. This achieves two things: the base is firm and hard and will not be soggy after baking, and the egg wash will stop the liquid from seeping through any cracks.
To make the filling, cream the cream cheese with the sugar until it is softened and lump free. Mix in the spices and the beaten egg. Mix in the vanilla extract and the butternut. Whisk until the paste is smooth and lump free. Finally, add the cream and melted butter.
Pour into your pie base and bake for 45 to 50 minutes at 170°C. It shouldn’t crack on top. (A sign of a good pumpkin pie is a uniform, smooth surface.) The pie will still look wobbly when done but don’t worry. It will set after resting (just like a baked cheesecake). Leave it in a cool place. (A trick I’ve learnt over the years is to bake the pie for 30 minutes and then without opening the door leave the pie in the switched off but still warm oven for a few hours to settle and cool down.)
For the Amarula Chantilly cream simply mix the Amarula liqueur with the doublethick cream and a teaspoon of vanilla.
Whip until soft peaks form and add a spoonful to your slice of pie just before serving.
CREAMED SPINACH MY WAY
I personally don’t understand where the South African obsession with creamed spinach comes from. Thankfully, in the 10 years I’ve been part of this industry, not one client has ever asked me to make creamed spinach for their function or event. Touch wood! I’ve spent some time fiddling with the concept, though. So when I do make creamed spinach this is how I do it. Quick and easy and the nutrients in the spinach aren’t boiled away. The peanut butter is the African twist. We love adding nuts and legumes to dishes. 200g baby spinach
50g butter
175ml crème fraîche
15ml (1 tbsp) peanut butter
45ml (3 tbsp) grated Parmesan cheese Salt and pepper
Set a pot of water to boil on the stove. Once the water is boiling, place the spinach briefly in the water, just for a few seconds. You just want the leaves to wilt. Drain the spinach through a sieve, and shake off any excess water. Melt the butter in a pan, stir in the spinach and sauté for a minute. Add the crème fraîche, peanut butter and Parmesan and increase the heat. Once the sauce thickens, season and serve immediately.