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<\/p>\nFrom the little village Dutyini in the Eastern Cape, to the classy corners of Hillcrest\u2019s renowned 200-seater restaurant, Butlers, Chef Siphiwo Dandala\u2019s cooking creations not only set the bar in local culinary circles, but they also tell a story of empowerment. We met up with him in the kitchen (masks and social distancing applied of course) to hear about his journey and watch him knock up some of his favourite signature dishes.<\/p>\n
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\u201cGrowing up, I never liked school because I was constantly bullied.\u00a0 Eventually, when it all became too hard to tolerate, I dropped out after I finished Grade 7. I couldn\u2019t speak English and at that stage I had little hope of a decent future. If it wasn\u2019t for my grandfather and grandmother, life might have been different. My grandfather believed in me, so he found me work carting bricks and sand (underage of course) to keep me busy and help me prove my worth. He saw more potential in me than I realised and sent me to a private school so that I could pick up on my learning and finish matric.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI passed, with really good marks, and my grandmother suggested I go into the hospitality industry because I was always in the kitchen helping her prepare meals. That\u2019s when I came to Durban. It was a good call! My professional food journey began at a place called Zen Africa Chef Academy which I attribute for igniting my dream of becoming a real chef.<\/p>\n
My first job was at Durban Country Club and I learned the art of fine dining working as Chef de Partie at the Greedy Buddah. When I joined the team as head chef at Butlers, I found my home. They\u2019ve supported my ideas, given me room to grow and continued to stand behind me as I\u2019ve worked my way up the ranks of the Senior Division of Unilever Chef of the Year Competition, something I am extremely proud of.\u201d<\/p>\n
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\u201cThe kitchen is my playground, I find peace and am at my best when I am able to use my hands and my skills to create beautiful dishes for others to enjoy!\u201d<\/p>\n
Trust us, you\u2019ll do more than enjoy them! Chef\u2019s Prawn and Cucumber Roulade<\/strong> with feta puree, coriander crumble & vanilla oil is to die for; then there\u2019s the Pan Roasted Duck Breast<\/strong> served with red cabbage puree, fondant potato, saut\u00e9ed vegetables and black cherry jus, another melt-in-your-mouth moment; and for those who love dessert, Chef\u2019s Study of Chocolate<\/strong> is the stuff of foodie dreams – white chocolate mousse, caramelised pineapple, marinated strawberries, dark chocolate disk and crystalized white chocolate served with lemon grass and ginger consume.<\/p>\n Sound delish? We were salivating and luck us, got to sample this delish dishes and loved every mouthful.<\/p>\n We asked Chef Dandala to share his amazing recipes, so that you can recreate them in the comfort of your own kitchens. We hope you enjoy!<\/p>\n Prawn and Cucumber Roulade <\/strong><\/p>\n with Feta Puree, coriander crumble & Vanilla oil<\/em><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Prawn Roulade<\/strong><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n Ingredients<\/strong><\/p>\n 150g prawns<\/p>\n 40g onion<\/p>\n 10g garlic<\/p>\n Pinch salt and white pepper<\/p>\n 5ml Sunflower oil<\/p>\n 1 egg white<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n Method<\/strong><\/p>\n Pre heat oven 180 degrees. Cook onion and garlic in a pot, then pour into blender together with the prawns. Blitz together, then add egg white, salt and pepper and blitz until smooth. Pour it on to prepared tinfoil and roll it to form a long sausage shape. Bake in the oven, at a standard temperature, for 15 to 20 minutes until cooked. Set aside to cool.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Cucumber Ribbon<\/strong><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n Ingredients<\/strong><\/p>\n 60ml white wine vinegar<\/p>\n 60ml water<\/p>\n 60g white sugar<\/p>\n 1 English cucumber<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n Method<\/strong><\/p>\n Heat the vinegar, water, sugar on the stove until sugar dissolves. Set aside to cool. Make cucumber ribbon using a potato peeler, then add the cucumber to vinegar liquid and leave it to soak for 10 to 15 min before removing the cucumber from the liquid. Using a sushi mat (if you have one), wrap the prawn roulade in the cucumber slices.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Feta puree<\/strong><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n Ingredients<\/strong><\/p>\n 150g feta<\/p>\n 25g salted butter<\/p>\n 60ml double cream<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n Method<\/strong><\/p>\n Add butter and cream into a sauce pan, simmer until butter melts, then pour the mixture into a blender with the feta and blitz until smooth<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Vanilla air<\/strong><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n Ingredients<\/strong><\/p>\n 50 g castor sugar<\/p>\n 50ml milk<\/p>\n 5 ml vanilla essence<\/p>\n 10g lecithin granules<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Method<\/strong><\/p>\n Boil everything together, then set aside to cool, then pour into the blender and blitz until you get foam.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Coriander crumble<\/strong><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n Ingredients<\/strong><\/p>\n 20g fresh coriander (leaves and stalks)<\/p>\n 75 g salted butter<\/p>\n 45g brown sugar<\/p>\n 1tsp ground cumin<\/p>\n 125g cake flour<\/p>\n Pinch of salt<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n Method<\/strong><\/p>\n Add butter, coriander, sugar, salt and cumin into the blender and blitz until a green paste forms, then scrape into a large bowl, add flour and mix together to form a green ball. Press the mixture onto a greased baking tray until it\u2019s a thin layer, and bake for 10 to 15 minutes until the mixture hardens and the finish product is like a big green biscuit. Remove any charred bits from the edge and break up the biscuit into a crumbly mixture.<\/p>\n Plate the meal as best you can.<\/p>\n Pan Roasted Duck Breast <\/strong><\/p>\n With red cabbage puree, fondant potato, saut\u00e9ed vegetables & black cherry jus<\/em><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n Red cabbage puree<\/strong><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n Ingredients<\/strong><\/p>\n 60ml water<\/p>\n 60ml white wine vinegar<\/p>\n 60g castor sugar<\/p>\n 200g red cabbage<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n Method<\/strong><\/p>\n Finely chop the red cabbage, add all ingredients into a pan, and cook it on low heat until reduced by two thirds. Make sure cabbage is soft, strain the liquid, add cabbage to a blender and blitz until smooth.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Duck breast<\/strong><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n Ingredients<\/strong><\/p>\n 1 duck breast<\/p>\n Pinch salt and white pepper<\/p>\n 2g thyme<\/p>\n 1 glove garlic<\/p>\n 10g salted butter<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Method<\/strong><\/p>\n Preheat oven to 180\u00b0C. Take a large frying pan and heat until it\u2019s hot. Season the duck breast and place skin side down in the pan. Fry for 3 to 4 min until golden brown and sear briefly on the other side. Put the pan in the oven and cook for 6 to 8 minutes. Remove and set aside to rest for 3 to 4 min.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Fondant potato<\/strong><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n Ingredients<\/strong><\/p>\n 2 large potatoes peeled cut into cylinders<\/p>\n 150g salted butter<\/p>\n 200ml chicken stock or water<\/p>\n 2g thyme<\/p>\n 1 clove garlic<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Method<\/strong><\/p>\n In a small to medium saucepan, melt the butter, add the herbs, stock or water, then place the potatoes in the pan, season lightly. Make sure the potatoes are covered completely with the liquid then simmer until cooked (about 30 minutes) depending on the size.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Vegetables<\/strong><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n Trim and quarter:<\/strong><\/p>\n 10g Baby marrow<\/p>\n 10g Carrots<\/p>\n 10g Broccoli<\/p>\n 10g Cherry tomatoes<\/p>\n 20g Salted butter<\/p>\n Pinch salt and white pepper<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Method<\/strong><\/p>\n Blanch baby marrow, carrots, broccoli and tomatoes in salted boiling water for 5 min until tender, then drain and refresh under cold running water. Heat up in a pan with butter then add vegetable seasoning, salt and pepper.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Black Cherry Jus<\/strong><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n Ingredients<\/strong><\/p>\n 250ml chicken stock<\/p>\n 60ml red wine<\/p>\n 40g black cherries<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n Method<\/strong><\/p>\n Boil chicken stock and red wine until reduced by two thirds or until thickened to a syrupy consistency. Then add the cherries, set aside until ready to serve.<\/p>\n Plate the meal as best you can.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Study of Chocolate<\/strong><\/p>\n White chocolate mousse, caramelised pineapple, marinated strawberries, dark chocolate disk, crystalized white chocolate, lemon grass & ginger consume<\/em><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n White chocolate mousse<\/strong><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n Ingredients<\/strong><\/p>\n 80 g white chocolate<\/p>\n 500ml cream<\/p>\n 5g gelatine<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n Method<\/strong><\/p>\n Whip the cream until a stiff peak is formed. To temper the chocolate, place it in a mixing bowl and microwave on high for 30 seconds at a time until it has melted. Add gelatine and mix well until dissolved. Add melted chocolate into whipped cream, make sure chocolate is not hot.<\/p>\n Mix well then place in the fridge to set for 15 to 20 minutes.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Caramelized Pineapple<\/strong><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n Ingredients<\/strong><\/p>\n 1 star anise<\/p>\n 1 cinnamon stick<\/p>\n 60g white sugar<\/p>\n 20ml glucose<\/p>\n 1 pineapple<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n Method<\/strong><\/p>\n Take a clean pineapple and cut into rings. In a pan, add sugar, spices, glucose and pineapple and slow cook until sugar is golden then turn off the heat. Remove pineapple from the liquid and allow to cool.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Strawberries<\/strong><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n 100g strawberries<\/p>\n 20g castor sugar<\/p>\n 5g mint leaves<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n Method<\/strong><\/p>\n Chop the mint finely and mix it with the sugar. Cut the strawberries in half, then sprinkle the minted sugar over the strawberries and leave for 10 to 15 min.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Crystalized chocolate<\/strong><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n Ingredients<\/strong><\/p>\n 60g white chocolate<\/p>\n 30g white sugar<\/p>\n 15ml glucose<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n Method<\/strong><\/p>\n Place sugar and glucose into a pan on medium heat. Once the sugar has melted, add chocolate and mix with a wooden spoon. The chocolate will start crystalizing so pour it on a greaseproof paper and let it cool down.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Ginger and lemon grass<\/strong> consume<\/strong><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n Ingredients<\/strong><\/p>\n 50g lemon grass<\/p>\n 50g ginger<\/p>\n 500ml water<\/p>\n 60g white sugar<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Method<\/strong><\/p>\n Finely chop the lemon grass. Peel and grate the ginger. Mix with sugar and water in a pot and cook for 30 minutes. Set aside to cool for an hour then strain it.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Chocolate disc<\/strong><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n Ingredients<\/strong><\/p>\n 200g dark chocolate buttons<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Method<\/strong><\/p>\n Place the chocolate in a glass mixing bowl and microwave on high for 30 seconds at a time until most of the chocolate has melted, give it a stir each time. You will need a large sheet of acetate, use a small palette knife, spread a 2mm layer and let it set a little, use a round cutter to cut the disc. If you\u2019re a master of crafts, see if you can plate this dish as set out in the photo.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" From the little village Dutyini in the Eastern Cape, to the classy corners of Hillcrest\u2019s renowned 200-seater restaurant, Butlers, Chef Siphiwo Dandala\u2019s cooking creations not only set the bar in local culinary circles, but they also tell a story of empowerment. We met up with him in the kitchen (masks and social distancing applied of […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":24,"featured_media":9043,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2060,20],"tags":[2404,2403,2405,65],"class_list":{"0":"post-9033","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-food-wine","8":"category-personalities","9":"tag-butlers","10":"tag-chef-siphiwo-dandala","11":"tag-cuisine","12":"tag-recipes"},"yoast_head":"\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/getitmagazine.co.za\/highway-berea\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/23\/2020\/06\/IMG_5114-400x267.jpg\")
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