Sensationally seasonal

Head chef Norman Heath of Tobago’s Restaurant at the Radisson Blu Hotel Waterfront is inspired by local ingredients, the flavours of his hometown and the change of seasons.

A decadent vanilla cheesecake recipe

Vanilla CheeseCake

Serves 24

IngredIents

• 225g caster sugar • 3 Tbsp cornflour • 625g cream cheese • 2 eggs

• 1 Tsp vanilla essence • 300ml cream

• 1 Tsp vanilla paste

Base

• 2 packets tennis biscuits • 80ml melted butter

Method

For the base

> Blend tennis biscuits until coarse but not fine, then add butter.

> Place biscuit crumble into a prepared dish or tin.

> Bake base at 160ºC for 10 minutes. Allow to cool.

To make the filling:

> Beat caster sugar, cornflour and cream cheese until smooth.

> Add eggs to the mixture, one at a time. Then, add cream, vanilla essence and vanilla paste.

> Pour into baked biscuit base, and bake cheesecake for 30 minutes on 145ºC, until firm and lightly browned.

about head chef NOrMAN HEATH

Have you always wanted to be a chef? Becoming a chef wasn’t something I considered when I was growing up. the thought never really crossed my mind. I wanted to play professional rugby, but that didn’t work out. I was working in London as a sculler in a pub. As soon as I walked into the kitchen and put that first dishcloth over my shoulder, I felt the energy and knew it was where I belonged. since then, I’ve worked at many hotels in south Africa and have been at radisson Blu hotel Waterfront since 2015. What’s your style of cooking and flavour profile? I was born and raised in durban, so I thoroughly enjoy cooking curry and using a variety of spices in my food. When I’m in Cape town though, I enjoy braaing with my family. I have two sons, and together we’ve perfected pork belly on the bone, braaied slowly for about four hours over coal, and garnished with salt and pepper. I also love cooking seafood. I’m a fisherman, so I like to braai the fish that I catch or create new dishes with it.

Who inspires you? two chefs. Peter Anderson for his out-of-the-box thinking and crazy combination of flavours, and Abbas Abrahams for sharing his knowledge and tips on how to manage and organise a kitchen. Tell us about your passion for food and nurturing young chefs. Most people who train to be chefs do so in the hope that one day they’ll be an executive chef in a kitchen. to get there and be any good at it, they need leadership and mentors to help them understand what it takes. It’s not just about making delicious food; it’s also about leading a team, encouraging and inspiring them, and allowing them to make mistakes. the ins and outs of running a kitchen, such as stocktaking and ordering, are just as important. What’s your favourite, and least favourite, culinary trend? Veganism is a favourite.

It’s developed so much over the years and has pushed us to try new things. We’re now able to create amazing dishes and take them to new heights in terms of taste, thanks to better availability of vegan-friendly ingredients. My least favourite is taking food photos for the ’gram. I believe there should be an equal balance between presentation and taste. Food should, firstly, be flavourful. Imagery should be a bi-product. What style of cuisine do you enjoy most?

After being in a kitchen for seven days a week, there’s nothing better than being outside and braaiing with my family. tuna is another favourite of mine, especially if I’ve caught it myself, and curry, especially lamb curry, is a nostalgic dish for me. The food you’re secretly obsessed with? Ponzu sauce is a secret ingredient of mine. this citrus-seasoned dressing has so much flavour and I always have a bottle at home. It’s a huge hit at dinner parties, where I tell a little white lie, passing it off as a complex and sophisticated sauce I’ve made myself! The best meal you’ve ever had cooked for you at another restaurant? I’ve experienced so many amazing dishes, but there’s one that stands out. I once dined at a Michelin-star restaurant in France called Cap estel. I can recall every single mouthful of that fivecourse dinner as if it were yesterday. the dessert – the lemon from Menton – was particularly inspiring. It was made to look like a lemon, both inside and out, and the flavour combination was perfect.