Translating to “little rolls” or “little bundles” in Italian, these thinly sliced brinjals are grilled and wrapped around a creamy ricotta filling. 

Brinjal Involtini

Serves 4 

Ingredients

2 brinjals (350g each), washed and trimmed at the top and bottom
Salt and milled pepper
5 Tbsp olive oil
Basil leaves, for serving

For the filling

1 tub (340g) ricotta
½ cup (56g) grated Parmesan + extra for topping
1 egg
2 cloves garlic, minced
20g parsley, finely chopped
10g basil, finely chopped
1 lemon, zested and juiced
½ cup panko breadcrumbs
Salt and milled pepper

For the sauce

3 Tbsp olive oil
2 Tbsp tomato paste
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp dried origanum
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp thyme leaves
2 cans (410g each) chopped tomato and onion 

Method

1. Preheat oven to 180ºC.
2. Using a mandoline or sharp knife, slice brinjals into ¼cm strips. 
3. Salt the strips and brush both sides with oil.
4. Grill slices on a hot griddle pan for 3-4 minutes on each side, until charred and soft, but not falling apart. (Alternatively, arrange on lined trays and roast for 20 minutes, flipping halfway.) 
5. Combine filling ingredients (it should form a thick, scoopable mixture). Refrigerate. 
6. For the sauce, add oil to a pot over medium heat.
7. Fry tomato paste and garlic for 30 seconds, until fragrant and golden. 
8. Add origanum, sugar, thyme leaves and tomato and onion. Bring to a simmer and cook for 20 minutes. Remove and pour the sauce into an ovenproof dish. 
9. Spoon 3-4 Tbsp of the filling onto the end of one brinjal slice, then roll it up loosely. 
10. Nestle rolls in the sauce. Brush each roll with oil from the sauce to prevent from drying out. Sprinkle with extra grated Parmesan. 
11. Bake for 20 minutes or until the rolls are golden and the cheese has melted. 
12. Serve with extra Parmesan and basil leave

Recipe & styling: Sjaan van der Ploeg 
Photographs: Zhann Solomons 

Also read: Crispy ginger chicken

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 A luxurious, delicate cooking technique that involves slow-cooking food submerged in a fat (such as oil or animal fat) at a very low temperature. 

Mediterranean confit salmon 

Serves 2 

Ingredients

2 x 150g skinless salmon (or trout fillet)
250g baby tomatoes
4 sprigs origanum
4 cloves garlic, crushed
2 shallots, quartered
½ tsp cumin seeds
1 lemon, sliced
2–2½ cups olive or olive oil blend
4-6 gherkins, finely chopped
70g (drained weight) pitted or pimento stuffed green olives
¼ red onion, finely chopped
Handful parsley, chopped + extra for serving
Milled pepper

1 lemon, zested and juiced
Toasted pita, to serve

Method

1. Preheat oven to 120°C.
2. Place the fish, baby tomatoes, origanum, garlic, shallots, cumin, lemon and oil in an ovenproof dish. The fish should be submerged in oil. 
3. Place fish in the oven for 35-45 minutes.
4. Combine the gherkins, olives, onion and parsley in a bowl. Season with pepper. 
5. Gently remove the fish from the oil and drain on kitchen towel. Reserve the confit tomatoes, garlic, shallots and lemon for serving. 
6. Serve the confit fish with reserved ingredients, salsa, toasted pita and some confit oil. 
7. Garnish with fresh parsley.

Cook’s note:  

Note that the confit will bring out some white albumin. To prevent this, brine the salmon for 2-3 hours before confit cooking. 

Recipes & styling: Lichelle May 
Photographs: Zhann Solomons 

Also read: Pickled fish toast

The post Mediterranean confit salmon appeared first on MyKitchen.

Combining a perfectly cooked steak with succulent prawns, surf & turf embodies steakhouse luxury by bringing together the best of land and sea. 

Surf & turf 

Serves 2 

Ingredients

For the turf

2 x 15cm beef bone marrow, halves
½ cup butter, softened
Handful parsley, rosemary and sage, finely chopped
Salt and milled pepper
2 x 250g rib-eye steaks
1 Tbsp olive oil

For the surf

5 Tbsp butter
2 cloves garlic, finely grated
1 lemon
6-8 Black Tiger Prawns, cleaned
2 tsp peri-peri spice
Salt and milled pepper

Method 

1. Preheat oven to 200°C.
2. Place bone marrow on a baking tray, cut side up. Season. Roast for 30 minutes. Remove and set aside to cool. 
3. Mix the roasted bone marrow, butter and herbs. Season. 
4. Season the steaks. Heat olive oil on a high heat and fry the steaks to your liking, about 4 minutes per side. 
5. For the surf, heat 3 Tbsp butter in a pan over a medium heat and sauté garlic for a minute. Add lemon zest and juice, to taste. Season. 
6. Heat the remaining 2 Tbsp butter in pan and fry the prawns for 1-2 minutes per side, sprinkling with peri-peri spice before turning. Season. 
7. Top the rib-eye steaks with the bone marrow butter and the prawns with the garlic butter sauce. 
8. Serve with savoury rice. 

Recipes & styling: Lichelle May 
Photographs: Zhann Solomons 

Also read: Seafood paella recipe

The post A surf & turf classic appeared first on MyKitchen.

Stout gives a complex layer of flavour and dark colour with a rich, moist finish. 

Chocolate stout cake with coffee meringue frosting

Serves 6–8 

Ingredients   

1 cup (250ml) Guinness (or any dark stout beer)
½ cup (125ml) freshly brewed coffee
1 cup (250g) butter, melted
½ cup (60g) cocoa powder
2 cups (340g) treacle sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp (10ml) vanilla
2 cup (160ml) buttermilk
2 cups (300g) cake flour
2 tsp (10ml) bicarbonate of soda
½ tsp (2.5ml) baking powder
1 slab (150g) dark chocolate, chopped

For the meringue frosting  

½ cup (100g) white sugar
2 tsp (10ml) instant coffee
¼ cup (60ml) water
2 egg whites
Pinch salt
Pinch cream of tartar 

Method  

1. Preheat oven to 170°C. Line two 20-23cm cake tins with baking paper. 
2. In a bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, combine stout, coffee, butter, cocoa powder, sugar, eggs, vanilla and buttermilk. 
3. In a separate bowl combine flour, bicarbonate of soda and baking powder. 
4. Add dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and whisk into a smooth batter. 
5. Fold in chopped chocolate.
6. Divide batter evenly between cake tins.
7. Bake for 35-40 minutes, or until a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean. 
8. Cool cakes in their tins for 5-10 minutes, then unmould and leave to cool completely on a wire rack. 
9. For the frosting, combine sugar, coffee and water in a pot over medium heat. 
10. Stir until sugar has dissolved, then bring to a boil and cook for 10-12 minutes without stirring, until the bubbles become large and the boiling slows. 
11. Combine eggs, salt and cream of tartar in a clean bowl of a stand mixer and whisk to form soft peaks. 
12. Keep the mixer running on medium and slowly pour hot sugar syrup into the whipped eggs in a thin stream. 
13. Once all the syrup has been added, increase speed and mix for another 10-12 minutes, or until meringue has become thick, glossy and cool to the touch. 
14. Lather meringue onto each cake, stack on top of each other and toast the top layer using a blowtorch. 

Cook’s Tip  

Coat chopped chocolate in some flour before folding into the cake batter. This prevents the chocolate from sinking to the bottom of the cake as it bakes. 

Compiled by: Sjaan Van Der Ploeg 
Photographs: Zhann Solomons 

Also read: Triple chocolate tart

The post Chocolate stout cake with coffee meringue frosting appeared first on MyKitchen.

Craving something nostalgic? This Milky Lane Rolo & caramel waffle with hit the spot!

Milky Lane’s Rolo & caramel waffle

Serves 5   

Ingredients  

½ cup store-bought caramel sauce
⅓ cup roasted peanuts, chopped
5 sugar or wafer ice-cream cones
1 pack (5) store-bought frozen waffles
1L Milky Lane vanilla ice cream (or vanilla ice cream of choice)
1 (52g) Bar One, melted
2 rolls (50g each) Rolo, chopped

Method  

1. Add caramel and peanuts into two separate bowls.
2. Dip the base of each cone into the caramel, then roll to coat in the peanuts. Set aside. 
3. Toast waffles according to packet instructions. Arrange each on a serving plate. 
4. Scoop two balls of ice-cream onto each waffle and top with one cone each. 
5. Drizzle waffles with melted chocolate and remaining caramel, dot with Rolos, leftover peanuts and serve. 

Click here to see more waffle recipes

Good idea

To create the traditional Milky Lane ‘soft serve’ swirls, soften the ice cream to a thick, pipeable consistency. Scoop it into a piping bag fitted with a star nozzle and ‘pipe’ the ice cream onto the waffles. The ice cream will melt faster, so pipe and decorate quickly to serve.  

Recipe & Styling: Sjaan van der Ploeg 
Photographs: Zhann Solomons 

Also read: 4 Irresistible waffle recipes to try anytime

The post Milky Lane’s Rolo & caramel waffle appeared first on MyKitchen.

Chefs don’t just whip up delicious meals – they’ve also mastered keeping chaos out of the kitchen. From pantry purges to spill–proof fridge hacks, these organising tips might just make your life easier when you’re spoiling your family with tasty meals. 

1. Use similar storage containers 

Most of us have cupboards full of mismatched Tupperware collected over the years, but switching to containers that look alike makes your pantry feel more streamlined. Corporate chef Danny Espinoza relies on clear deli containers in his kitchen. “They’re my go-to for food prep and storage both at home and at work,” he says. “They’re practical, stackable, airtight and everything looks uniform.” 

2. Do a yearly pantry clean-out 

Your kitchen may be ready for a mid-year reset! Make it a habit to regularly purge your pantry and toss out any expired products you may have overlooked. For most households, a yearly clean-out works well, but if you cook often or have a large family with a well-stocked pantry, you might want to go through your shelves every six months. Doing this will give you a clear picture of what you need; it also prevents unnecessary stockpiling.  

Chef and cookbook author Rick Martinez swears by this ritual: “Every January, my pantry gets purged of any spice or herb older than a year,” he says. “Old spices and herbs go into the garden as a natural pest repellent.” 

@organizedetroit Organizing your pantry? This is where you start! Step 1️⃣: empty EVERYTHING. Step 2️⃣: make piles of like categories. These two steps are going to help you reimagine the space, purge, and start with a clean slate. #pantryorganization #pantrygoals #kitchenorganization ♬ original sound – Organize Detroit

3. Keep utensils close to your stove 

Nothing slows down cooking faster than rummaging through drawers mid-recipe. Having whisks, ladles and spatulas within reach makes prep faster and stress-free. “Invest in a good utensil holder, so you can easily get at whatever you need, whether that’s a whisk or a ladle. That way there’s no need to break from what you’re doing to dig around for the right kitchen utensil,” says executive chef David Lee. 

4. Keep liquids on the bottom shelf in the fridge 

Think of it as spill insurance: one wrong move and suddenly your milk has staged a takeover of every shelf. The easiest fix? Keep all your bottles, cartons and jars down low where any mess is contained. It’s a simple swap that saves you from a full-fridge wipe-down. “Keep your beverages and liquids at the bottom of the fridge in the door,” says executive chef Adam Fiscus. “If there is a spill, it is much easier to clean and doesn’t affect the rest of the products.” 

Photography: Freepik, Pexels 

Also read: How to store these 4 pantry staples 

The post 4 Chef-approved kitchen organising tips you’ll want to steal appeared first on MyKitchen.