Free Herald Cooking Masterclass brings you a touch of Spain with tapas tips

Spring is a time for heading outdoors — spending time with family and friends while enjoying some good food.

For the upcoming The Herald Cooking Masterclass, the Capsicum Culinary Studio chefs are getting their inspiration from the Mediterranean with a selection of Spanish-inspired tapas on the menu.

“Tapas are quick and easy to make, and you can even prepare some of the food outdoors. We are ready for springtime with these light finger foods to enjoy as you relax outside,” says Capsicum Culinary Studio chef Nadia Pillay.

The Tapas Masterclass will be hosted online by Pillay and fellow Capsicum Culinary Studio chef Donovan Miller on Thursday September 30 at 3pm.

The chefs will be showing participants how to make marinated olives and marinated mushrooms. In addition, they will also be sharing tips on making tomato chilli jam, as well as different pestos.

Participants will be shown how to make the jam to eat straight away or to preserve it. “The emphasis will be not only on how to make these items, but also on how to preserve and store it correctly, to use it for another day,” says Pillay.

And of course, this SA version of tapas includes some braaiing, as the chefs will guide aspiring foodies on how to grill tasty lime and garlic prawns as well as chimichurri sirloin steak to perfection. 

The chefs will show participants how to prepare these foods for the grill — including the correct way to do the job many seafood lovers dread: deveining prawns.

Participants are encouraged to simultaneously cook while the chefs demonstrate the recipes from start to finish — all in under 60 minutes. The culinary series is sponsored by Checkers, Three Peaks Wine, Capsicum Culinary Studio, and is hosted online free of charge.

The chefs will be combining these prepared tapas with a combination of Checkers’ rustic breads, cured meats, speciality cheeses and hummus.

Checkers recently launched a premium range of authentically sourced, specially selected products, called Forage & Feast, which is endorsed by SA's first Michelin Star chef, Jan Hendrik van der Westhuizen.

Mount Vernon Wine Estate area manager Chantal Bust says the grilled prawns tapas can be paired with Three Peaks Wines’ Dry Rosé while the Cantata Red Blend will go exceptionally well with the chimichurri steak.

“If there is one bottle of wine you want to buy this spring, then it’s the delicious, crisp Three Peaks sauvignon blanc - it’s paired perfectly with the pesto, hummus and speciality cheeses. You won’t regret it,” she says.

Three Peaks Wines is giving away 10 three-litre bottles of their Cantata Red Blend. Simply buy a bottle of Three Peaks in any Prestons Liquor Stores and follow the instructions on the pack for details on how to win.

The Herald Cooking Masterclass series has been successfully hosted since 2019 — creating a fun, interactive cooking experience to broaden participants’ horizons in the kitchen.

Participants are encouraged to register early to allow enough time to buy all the required ingredients for the Masterclass — which can all be found at Checkers.

Register here for the Tapas Masterclass, hosted on Thursday September 30 at 3pm >>