The Father’s Day weekend is here and we asked Jana Rademeyer of Slipperfields on the outskirts of Port Elizabeth to put together a delicious and do-able menu for dad.
Jana says she chose her menu because these are hearty, cold-weather dishes that most dads would find hard to resist. “Also, kids can easily help with most aspects of preparing this menu,” she adds.
Jana started Slipperfields in 2010 on Bergsig, her dad Johan Rademeyer’s 800ha dairy farm. She and her sister, Esta van Eeden, have built it up as a popular country wedding and functions venue.
They have some bold plans up their sleeve, including a farm stall stocked with home-grown produce, expected to open in the new year.
If you don’t fancy the kids wreaking havoc in the kitchen tomorrow, Slipperfields is doing a three-course Father’s Day lunch from 12pm. Cost is R170 per person and kids’ meals (chicken strips, wedges and pud) are R60 per child. Bookings on 071-856-5787 are essential.
Starter |Creamy Tomato and basil soupIngredients
2 onions, peeled and chopped1 carrot, peeled and finely diced 1 clove of garlic, crushed1 stick of celery, finely chopped 2 Tbsp olive oil500g fresh, ripe tomatoes, halved1 litre vegetable stock1 tsp sugarsalt and black pepperHandful fresh basil, shredded, or 2 Tbsp basil pesto 250ml fresh cream
Method
Heat oil in a large saucepan and add onions, carrot, celery and garlic. Cover and cook for 10 minutes until soft. Add sugar, salt, pepper and tomatoes. Stir and cook for another five minutes.Add stock, bring to boil and simmer for 10 minutes. Liquidise until smooth. Stir basil or pesto in at the end. Swirl through cream and serve with roosterkoek.
Main Course| Beef fillet with mushroom sauce,creamy mash and baby carrotsIngredients and method for fillet
Get a whole beef fillet from your butcher – 2.2kg should feed about eight people.
Place whole fillet in an oven-proof dish. Marinade overnight in 75ml lemon juice or the juice of two fresh lemons. Alternatively marinade in Jimmy (barbecue) sauce.
Grind salt and black pepper generously over the fillet and leave in fridge overnight. Remove from fridge an hour before placing fillet in oven at 200°C. Roast for 15 minutes without a lid, then remove and allow to rest for 10 minutes.
Slice into portions according to Dad’s appetite (300g is the norm – for kids who are helping in the kitchen this is about the size of mom’s fist).
Place the sliced portions on a well-oiled, preheated griddle pan or over open coals on the braai grid. Sear for two minutes on all four sides. Allow to rest for two minutes, then serve with creamy mash, baby carrots and mushroom sauce.
Ingredients for mushroom sauce
2 leeks, finely sliced1 onion, finely chopped 2 garlic cloves, crushed60ml brandy 10ml mustard powderpunnet of mushrooms, sliced500ml cream10ml salt
Method
Fry leeks, onion and garlic in a teaspoon of oil; add brandy. Set sauce alight to evaporate the alcohol. Saute the vegetables until soft. Add mushrooms and brown. Add 250ml of the cream as well as the mustard powder. Allow to reduce until thickened and mushrooms are soft.Add remaining 250ml of cream and simmer for another five to 10 minutes. Serve warm with the fillet and veggies.
Ingredients for creamy mash
8 large potatoes (for kids who are helping, tell them each potato must be the size of dad’s fist)salt1 cup full-cream milk1 cup butter2 tsp veggie spice
Method
Peel potatoes and place in a pot with salted water. Bring to a boil and simmer for 20 minutes. If in a rush, slice potatoes into pieces so they’ll cook through quicker. Once potatoes are fork tender, drain and place in the pot with milk and butter. Over a low heat mash with a potato masher, adding more milk if too dry. Spoon potato into a sieve and, with the back of the spoon, work it through the sieve. If you don’t want the mash super fine, just use the potato masher.
Add veggie spice and mix through; for creamier mash add more butter.
For the baby carrots
Rocket Seed in the Baakens Valley sells lovely baby carrots with stems still attached, or you can get them from outlets like Woolworths. Rinse the carrots, retaining the stems, then steam or boil for 10 minutes. Place in an oven dish, drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle over a spoonful of sugar. Grill in oven for 5 minutes and serve.
Dessert| Chocolate BrowniesJana’s recipe is from a 2010 edition of Sarie magazine and it has never let her down. This recipe yields about 24 squares of 4cm by 4cm and Jana likes to add half a cup of roughly chopped pecan nuts over and above the ingredients listed below.
Ingredients
500g dark chocolate250g butter6 eggs, separated325g brown sugar70g cake flour125ml strong coffee30g cocoa50g white chocolate shavings
Method
Preheat oven to 180C. Line a greased squarish bowl of 20 by 15cm with baking paper. Finely chop dark chocolate and melt with the butter in a bowl over hot water.
Beat yolks and sugar (preferably with an electric beater) in a bowl over just-boiled water until thick and light of colour.
Add chocolate and butter, then flour, coffee and cocoa. Beat egg whites and fold in.
Pour into lined, greased bowl. Bake for 30 minutes. Take out of oven and allow to cool.
Cut into squares and cover with chocolate ganache*.
Decorate with white chocolate shavings.
For the ganache, melt 1kg dark chocolate with 500ml cream in a pot over very low heat. Cool before use.