Fix it yourself

Located in the peaceful Constantia Valley, The Last Word hotel is already starting to make waves with a slew of exciting new dining options. Here, head chef Rachel Michaels shows how to prepare restaurantquality dishes at home in just minutes.

Restaurant-quality dishes at home

Beef tataki Serves 2

Butter Olive oil ½ Cup sesame seeds 2x200g Beef fillet 1 Packet egg noodles Pickled ginger, sliced Coriander

DIPPING sauce ½ Cup sesame seeds 1 Thumb-sized piece

of fresh ginger 3 Garlic cloves ½ Cup brown sugar ½ Cup soy sauce

Melt a bit of butter and a splash of oil in a frying pan on medium heat. Sprinkle half of the sesame seeds over all sides of the fillet before searing it in the pan.

For the sauce, roast the second half of the sesame seeds, grate the fresh ginger, mash the garlic, and combine with the brown sugar and soy sauce.

Place half a noodle round in a pot of boiling water to blanche before frying in the pan with the steak. To assemble, thinly slice the seared fillet, sprinkle with the pickled ginger, pour over the sauce, and top with coriander and fried noodles.

Thai mussels Serves 2

30ml Thai red curry paste Olive oil 1 Tin coconut milk 1 Stalk lemon grass 20 Mussels 1 Bunch fresh coriander 1 Baguette loaf, toasted Place the red curry paste into a sauce pan on medium heat with a splash of oil. Allow the paste to cook for one minute before adding the coconut milk and lemon grass. Stir the mixture well and allow to cook for a further five minutes over a low heat. Remove the lemon grass stalk before adding the mussels. The mussels will open once they have cooked, discard any that don’t open. Garnish with fresh coriander sprigs and slices of toasted baguette before serving.

French toast Serves 4

2 Free-range eggs 2 Tbsp cream Artisan bread 1 Tsp butter 4 Strawberries 10 Blueberries 3 Rashers of bacon, fried 1 Banana, sliced 2 Tbsp mascarpone 1 Tbsp pumpkin

seeds, toasted 1 Tbsp maple syrup Beat together the eggs and cream until combined. Slice the loaf of bread into four 1.5cm-thick slices and then, using a cookie cutter, press them into rounds. Dip each round into the egg and cream mix until it has absorbed the mixture right to the middle.

In a pan on a medium heat, melt the butter and start to fry the bread rounds. Flip them over once golden brown and remove them from the pan when both sides are golden in colour and slightly crispy on the edges.

To assemble, start with a slice of toast, top with a few berries, the fried bacon, banana slices and a dollop of mascarpone. Repeat until you’re at the last slice of toast, sprinkle with the remainder of the berries, add the pumpkin seeds and drizzle the maple syrup over the tower of toast.

Summer omelette

2 Tbsp butter 3 Free-range eggs ¼ Cup cream 1 Tomato, thinly sliced ⅓ Cup mozzarella, grated 80g Smoked salmon, sliced Micro herbs or sprouts Pre-heat a pan on medium heat with a dollop of butter. In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the eggs and cream until light and fluffy. Pour the egg mixture straight into the pan and place the lid onto the pan before turning the heat down slightly.

Whilst the eggs are cooking, thinly slice your tomato and grate the cheese. Remove the lid from the pan and add your tomato, salmon and cheese before flipping over one side of the omelette. Serve with micro herbs or sprouts.

About the Last Word Constantia

Self-taught cook chef Rachel Michaels has been heading the kitchen of Constantia’s The Last Word hotel from 2011, and has since trained with the likes of chef Franck Dangereux, chef Jenny Morris and chef Sue-ann Allen. What sets Rachel apart is her zest for life, joyful smile, and her love for sharing food with friends and family. She considers cooking for guests at the hotel as “an opportunity to share SA’S local flavours and passion for friendship – every minute of

it is a pleasure!” The Last Word Constantia is a member of the Preferred Hotels & Resorts. For more info,

visit preferredhotels.com.