A new take on vegging out
From kombucha to sweeties in jars, from pine needles and hogwort seeds to red wine floats. looks at food trends for this year and next.
THE HUMBLE vegetable is king. Rising food prices have forced restaurants to get creative. And vegetables are playing a star role. That and the fact customers are getting more discerning, and demanding to know the source of what they’re eating means kitchens around the province have their work cut out for them. But good cooking and old favourites will always win the day. Even nursery staples are making a comeback.
For Shaun Monro, exec chef at the Southern Sun Elangeni and Maharani, consumers have become more cost conscious yet at the same time braver and more aware of the choices available to them
“You only have to walk the isles of Woolies to see this trend: Deboned this, gourmet this, rolled that, fancy crusts – the hard work is done for you.
“People are definitely braver and prepared to try at home. One trend re-emerging is the gourmet dinner party where each couple is asked to bring a course.”
In his restaurants, chefs are playing with fire. Charcoal grilling is a huge trend with chefs working over the open fire. And this is increasingly not just with meat but also vegetables, prawns and fish. Even bone marrow is roasted on the fire. “It takes us back to our caveman roots,” he says. “Plus our customers like to see what’s happening in the front line of the open plan kitchen.”
Food too is going more and more back to its roots, with chefs increasingly taking recognisable ideas, but pushing boundaries. While we may all love trifle, for the gourmet it’s a Ferrero Rocher trifle. “Power juices and beautiful vegetable juices, gourmet milkshakes and even red wine floats have made a comeback.”
And there’s a return to childhood nostalgia. He tells how at a recent VIP cocktail party, the chief executive asked for jars of sweeties for his guests. He loves going to the Morning Trade Market for Scotch eggs. “Scotch eggs have been around for years but there’s a reason for that. And they’re made more funky with smokey tomato sauce.”
So foams, drizzles and jellies are out and fresh is right up there, especially fresh fish. Sauces too, are moving away from cream with options like café de Paris butter and natural pan juices more popular.And in going “old school”, he hails the emperor of salads – the classic Caesar a huge hit at a recent Chaine des Rotisseurs lunch.
Kayla-Ann Osborn, head chef of the Chefs’ Table in uMhlanga, is excited that KZN has seen growth in the number of ethical producers. There has also been a huge movement forward in terms of health and diet with vegan and vegetarian movements. “I think all round it’s made people more aware of what goes into their food and into producing it,” she says
“Vegetables have taken .centre stage. This comes back to health and cost with the drought pushing meat prices through the roof. We have also seen a huge rise in fermented foods like kombucha (a fermented green or black tea) making their way on to menus across South Africa.
“Dairy too, is a star. Kefir (fermented milk with grain), buttermilk, maas, cheese desserts and butter, all feature. As what’s wrong with simple bread and butter? Bread boards are getting better and better,” she says.
Dishes and even restaurant design have been simplified to cut costs: “The plate will have fewer elements, and more focus on the quality of the ingredients. Everything has got so expensive. Lots of lower cost, funky and fabulous establishments have popped up. Ever-shrinking profit margins in the restaurant industry contribute to this.
For Charlie Lakin, head chef at 9th Avenue Bistro, costs have made old fashioned ways of cooking trendy. It’s just the cooking has got better.
With “prices going through the roof” the whole head to tail movement has become popular. “Increasingly we can’t afford prime cuts and imported stuff. Plus customers come to a restaurant to eat what they can’t cook at home. And so chefs are getting creative with different chunks of meat.”
Foraging, too, has become popular. It’s a way of finding local ingredients to replace expensive imported ones, or finding new flavours and inspiring creativity. It’s also about bringing food sources closer to the plate and reducing the carbon footprint. He notes that even the top chefs in London, who turned their noses up at the idea, are now doing it. “I ask myself, how can I get flavour out of it. Does it bring something to the plate? Will it make a good sorbet or oil?”At this point I’m enlightened as to the joys of obscure things like hogwort seeds, parsnip seeds and Alexander seeds as a substitute for pepper. And how pine needles with their strong citrus overtones could be used to replace orange in a recipe.
He points out that mushrooms and berries are the finest example of foraging. Today they may be available in every supermarket, but originally it was chefs who went out into the woods to collect them.
Jackie Cameron, owner of the Jackie Cameron School of Food and Wine, sees a move away from what she describes as “big protein”. With “scary” food prices, vegetables are increasingly becoming the main focus. “Cape Town may use waterblommetjies, in Durban we may use amadumbe. Increasingly 80percent of the plate is veg with the meat complementing it.” She points out mushrooms can be meaty.
As a judge for Eat Out and American Express, she sees most of South Africa’s top restaurants are on the same page.But the movement towards local and seasonal has really taken root. “This is no longer lip service, but has taken on meaning and depth. Things like the upliftment of staff, knowing your farmer, and focusing on what the land can produce are all paramount.”
She believes people are “hungry” for a good restaurant, not necessarily an expensive one, but a restaurant that offers top food quality. “Make it delicious, and casual with a cool edge, “she says.