This Easter, indulge in a culinary adventure with our local chef JJ Pretorius! He shares two delectable dishes to make at home, and don’t worry, there is something sweet in the mix too!
You’re probably familiar with the esteemed Fordoun Farm in Nottingham Road. It had humble beginnings as a dairy farm in the mid-1800s and was converted into a hotel and spa, successfully run and managed by the Bates family for over 20 years. Part of the hotel is its fine dining restaurant, Skye Bistro, which caters to the whole family and accommodates various dietary needs and desires.
Whether you’re having a big lunch or something simple, we asked Chef JJ Pretorius what he thinks about Easter dining. He started at Skye Bistro in July 2024 and has been in the food industry since 1986, but his passion for food started well before then from his mother, a pastry chef, who taught him a lot of tips and tricks in the kitchen. He studied at Apex School of Professional Cookery through Sun International and received an International Certificate for Professional Cookery in 1993. He continued working for them for three years and after that various establishments throughout South Africa, including abroad in the cruise industry. He believes in good food that’s value for money, strives to stay on top of trends, and enjoys creating his own methods with the assistance of his dynamic team who are like family.
He shared, “It’s the first big gathering of the year since Christmas for most families and it’s an important time of the year in most kitchens where it can often get heated as all family members want to have their say as to what should be made and by whom. It’s great family interaction and the result is always rewarding as it reflects the true family spirit. Whether it would be brunch or lunch or dinner, it’s an important family affair, and it’s treated as such.”
Fordoun Kingclip Beurre Blanc
Ingredients:
Fish:
- 250g Kingklip fillet portion
- flour for dusting
- 15g fish spice
- salt to taste
- black pepper to taste
- 25ml oil for grilling
- 20g butter for grilling
- lemon wedge
- micro greens for garnish
Lemon Beurre Blanc Sauce:
- 125ml white wine (such as Sauvignon Blanc)
- 20ml lemon juice
- 30ml heavy cream
- 2g shallots (finely minced)
- 112g cold unsalted butter (cut into 1-inch cubes)
- 1 pinch cayenne pepper
- salt to taste
Herbed Mash:
- 1 large potato boiled very soft +-200g
- 25g soft butter
- 10g chopped fresh thyme
- ground black pepper to taste
- salt to taste
- pinch of nutmeg
Seasonal Vegetables:
- whole baby carrot, peeled
- broccoli, cut into florets
- baby marrow, cut into round slices
- baby corn, cut in half lengthways
- 25g butter
- salt and pepper to taste
- veggie seasoning to taste
- 25g butter for sautéing
Method:
For the Fish:
Rinse the fish under cold clean running water, remove, and pat dry with a paper towel. Season with spices of choice and dust lightly in flour. In a pan, add the oil and butter and place on high heat on the stove. Add the fish and sear liberally on both sides, getting a nice nutty colour. Remove from the pan and place on an oven dish and put it in the oven at 180°C for about 12 minutes till cooked through.
For the Lemon Beurre Blanc:
- Place wine, lemon juice, cream, and shallots in a saucepan. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium and let simmer until liquid is reduced by about 75%, 4 to 5 minutes.
- Reduce heat to the lowest setting and whisk in two cubes of butter. Keep the butter moving until it completely melts. Add a few more cubes, whisking continuously so the butter emulsifies into the wine-lemon juice mixture.
- Continue to add remaining butter, a few cubes at a time, until sauce has a thick, luxurious texture, 4 to 6 minutes.
- Remove the saucepan from heat. Season with cayenne pepper and salt.
Note Below:
If you’re making the sauce ahead of time, it must be kept warm. If it cools and you try to reheat it, the emulsification of the sauce will break. Depending on your preferences, you can substitute white wine vinegar, champagne vinegar, herb-infused white vinegar, etc., for the lemon juice.
Herbed Mash:
- Peel and boil the potato until soft.
- Pour off excess water and mash the potato in the same skillet, add in the butter, season to taste, and add in the fresh chopped herbs. Set aside.
Seasonal Vegetables:
- In a skillet, bring water to the boil and quickly blanch your vegetables for about two minutes till just al dente.
- Remove from boiling water and rinse in ice water to stop the cooking process.
- In a separate pan, melt the butter and when it’s bubbling add the blanched vegetables, keep tossing in the hot butter till it starts to brown, season with salt, pepper, and veggie seasoning.
Plating:
- On a hot plate of choice, add a generous dollop of the herbed mash, and a generous portion of the seasonal vegetables.
- Top the mash with the brilled/baked Kingklip, garnish with the lemon wedge and the Lemon Beurre Blanc.
- Finish with the micro herbs and enjoy.
Chocolate Fondant
Ingredients:
- 50g melted butter, for brushing
- cocoa powder, for dusting
- 200g good-quality dark chocolate, chopped into small pieces
- 200g butter, in small pieces
- 200g golden caster sugar
- 4 eggs and 4 yolks
- 200g plain flour
Method:
- First, get your moulds ready. Using upward strokes, heavily brush melted butter (use 50g in total) all over the inside of the pudding mould. Place the mould in the fridge or freezer. Brush more melted butter over the chilled butter, then add a good spoonful of cocoa powder into the mould. Tip the mould so the powder completely coats the butter. Tap any excess cocoa back into the jar, then repeat with the next mould.
- Place a bowl over a pan of barely simmering water, then slowly melt 200g good-quality dark chocolate and 200g butter, both chopped into small pieces, together. Remove the bowl from the heat and stir until smooth. Leave to cool for about 10 minutes.
- In a separate bowl whisk four eggs and four egg yolks together with 200g golden caster sugar until thick and pale and the whisk leaves a trail; use an electric whisk if you want. Sift 200g plain flour into the eggs, then beat together.
- Pour the melted chocolate into the egg mixture in thirds, beating well between each addition, until all the chocolate is added and the mixture is completely combined to a loose cake batter.
- Tip the fondant batter into a jug, then evenly divide between the moulds. The fondants can now be frozen for up to a month and cooked from frozen. Chill for at least 20 mins or up to the night before. To bake from frozen, simply carry on as stated, adding 5 mins more to the cooking time.
- Heat oven to 200°C/fan 180°C/gas 6. Place the fondants on a baking tray, then cook for 10-12 mins until the tops have formed a crust and they are starting to come away from the sides of their moulds. Remove from the oven, then leave to sit for 1 min before turning out.
- Loosen the fondants by moving the tops very gently so they come away from the sides, easing them out of the moulds. Tip each fondant slightly onto your hand so you know it has come away, then tip back into the mould ready to plate up.
- Starting from the middle of each plate, squeeze a spiral of caramel sauce—do all the plates you need before you go on to the next stage.
- Sit a fondant in the middle of each plate. Using a large spoon dipped in hot water, scoop a ‘quenelle’ of ice cream.
- Carefully place the ice cream on top of the fondant, then serve immediately. Repeat with the rest of the fondants.
Photos: Rockingchair Photography