From process engineer to acclaimed chef is a mind-boggling leap – but it’s one Lesego Semenya has successfully negotiated as his cookbook, Dijo – My Food, My Journey, reveals. Semenya’s aim is to take the snobbery out of food and with simple, reliable recipes for bone broth, scones and good ol’ fish and chips, he’s spot on. He expands into making your own bread and pasta (gnocchi with Parmesan crème and wild mushrooms anyone?). By the time you reach his mouth-watering versions of springbok shank, lamb rack, quail, or bacon wrapped sole, you can’t wait to get started (and start munching!). As for Semenya’s Mozambican-style prawns … they’re temptation on a plate. The book’s final touch is a recipe for grown-ups – Pinotage ice cream! Who could possibly resist? Jacana, R353.
Pinotage ice cream
(Makes 750ml)
Ingredients:
- 125ml Pinotage or any other wine)
- 7 large egg yolks
- 375ml full cream milk
- 375ml double thick cream (ordinary cream will work too)
- 180g castor sugar
- 1 vanilla pod
- (optional – 1 tsp pink food colouring if you’re not happy with the colour of your ice cream)
Method
- Pour wine into egg yolks and whisk until combined.
- Place milk, cream and sugar in a pot over medium heat. DO NOT BOIL – you just want the sugar to melt. When melted, remove pot from heat.
- Cut vanilla pod lengthways, scrape out seeds and add to the hot milk/cream. Stir.
- Slowly pour the hot liquid into the wine/egg yolk mixture and stir until well combined.
- Strain through a sieve into a clean container. This is your ice cream (or custard).
- Place a piece of cling film right on the surface of the custard and leave to cool at room temperature.
- Once cool, place in the fridge and allow to rest for a minimum of 12 hours.
- When rested, pour into your ice cream making machine or start the manual churning process. Once churned sufficiently, allow ice cream to set for 6 hours in the freezer before serving.
(Note: To churn ice cream manually, remove it from the freezer and whisk it for a few seconds every 20 minutes over 3 hours, returning it to the freezer after each whisking.)
Recipe from Lesego Semenya’s Dijo – My Food, My Journey,
