Like Batman and Robin, nothing goes together quite like steak and onion rings, the perfect fries and some sweet and tangy pickles to cut through the richness.

Beer battered onions rings

Serves 4-6

The fan favourite everyone loves has been perfected to a T!

Ingredients

1 cup cornflour + extra for dusting
1 cup flour
Pinch of salt
1 bottle (375ml) beer
2-3 onions, cut into rings
Vegetable oil, for deep frying

Method

1. Combine cornflour, flour, salt and beer.
2. Whisk to combine, taking special care not to overmix the batter.
3. Dust onion rings in extra cornflour and dip in batter. Set aside.
4. Heat oil in a pot over medium heat.
5. Deep-fry in batches until golden brown. Drain on kitchen paper and season immediately. Best served just after frying.

Triple-cooked potato fries

Serves 4-6

Combine salt, chilli flakes and lime zest and season fries while they’re still piping hot to ensure mixture dings to the chips.

Ingredients

6-8 large chipping potatoes, peeled and cut into 2cm matchsticks
Vegetable oil, for deep-frying
Fine salt or flavoured salt, for serving

Method

1. Rinse chips under cold water until water runs clear to remove excess starch.
2. Place chips in a large pot and cover completely in cold water.
3. Par-cook on a medium heat for 5 minutes (take care not to boil).
4. Remove with a slotted spoon and place on a cooling rack to drip-dry.
5. Place the rack on a baking tray or chopping board and freeze for about 45 minutes. (This dries out t, the chips properly).
6. Fill a large pot with oil to about 3/4 full and heat to about 130°C.
7. Deep-fry chips in batches for about 3-5 minutes and drain on kitchen paper. Set aside to cool slightly.
8. Increase oil temperature to 180°C and deep-fry chips in batches for about 3 minutes, until golden and crispy.
9. Drain on kitchen paper, season and serve.

Crunchy pickled veg

Serves about 3-4 cups

Pickling vegetables not only makes them last longer but adds a sweet and sour tang that cuts perfectly through fatty steaks like rib-eye.

Ingredients

For the pickling liquid

1 cup each vinegar, water and sugar

2 tsp coriander seeds
2 tsp mustard seeds
2 star anise, optional
2-3 red onions, cut into thin wedges
2-3 carrots, cut into matchsticks
About 2-3 baby marrows, cut into matchsticks

Method

1. Combine vinegar, water and sugar in a saucepan.
2. Add coriander seeds and mustard seeds, and star anise (if using) and simmer, stirring, until sugar dissolves.
3. Remove from heat and infuse for 5 minutes.
4. Place prepared onions in a sterilised jar, and remaining veg in another. (This will help prevent the veg from changing to a red colour.)
5. Top up with slightly cooled pickling liquid.
6. Pickle for at least 60 minutes or up to 3 hours before serving (the longer the veg is pickled, the more tangy and limp veg will go.)
7. Cover jar with the lid after using and refrigerate. (Keeps for about three weeks.)

Recipe and Styling: Chad January and Gail Damon
Photos: Zhann Solomons

The post Try these delicious side dishes with your steak appeared first on MyKitchen.

If you’re looking for a way to get your kids to eat their veggies, then this Cornflake-crusted fish fingers recipe with carrot fries will be perfect!

SERVES 4 // COOK TIME  1 hour 10 mins

INGREDIENTS
For the fish fingers
2 cups cornflakes
½ cup chopped parsley
Salt and black pepper
500 g white fish
¾ cup flour
2 eggs, whisked
Vegetable oil, to shallow-fry
For the tartare sauce
¾ cup mayonnaise
1 tbsp white-wine vinegar
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1 gherkin, finely diced
Salt and black pepper
For the carrot fries
8 carrots, peeled
1 tbsp vegetable oil
Salt

METHOD
1. Place cornflakes, parsley, salt and pepper in a food processor. Pulse until fine crumbs form.
2. Cut fish into 2 × 4 cm fingers.
3. Place flour, egg and crumbs in 3 separate bowls.
4. Dip the fish into each bowl: flour, egg, crumbs.
5. Heat 1 cm oil in a pot and fry the fish fingers in batches for 2–3 minutes on each side, until golden brown.
For the tartare sauce
1. Combine all the ingredients in a bowl. Serve with the fish fingers and carrot fries.
For the carrot fries
1. Preheat oven to 180°C.
2. Cut them into fries, about 4 cm long. Toss with the oil and sprinkle with salt.
3. Bake for 20 minutes. Lower the temperature to 120°C and bake for another 20 minutes, until crispy.

Not keen on those typical processed meat hot dogs? Try our yummy and healthy shrimp dogs instead! They make a perfect weekend lunch no matter the season.

The post Cornflake-crusted fish fingers with carrot fries appeared first on MyKitchen.

Try a different side for dinner tonight! Instead of having regular fries made from potatoes, why not try our yummy polenta fries?

SERVES 4 // COOK TIME 60 mins

INGREDIENTS
500 ml veg or chicken stock
250 ml polenta
70g butter
3 tbsp grated Parmesan
2 tbsp chopped chives
Zest and juice of 1 lime
Salt and pepper
250 ml flour
Vegetable oil, to deep-fry
Mayo or sour cream, to serve

METHOD
1. Bring stock to a simmer in a pot over medium heat.
2. Add polenta in a thin, steady stream, whisking constantly.
3. Reduce the heat to a gentle simmer and cook the polenta, stirring frequently, for about 15 minutes, until thick and smooth.
4. Remove from heat and whisk in the butter, Parmesan, chives, and lime zest and juice. Season.
5. Pour into a lightly greased baking tray. Place in the fridge to set for 2 hours, until firm.
6. Remove the polenta from the fridge and slice into fingers.
7. Season the flour with salt and pepper. Dust the polenta fingers with the flour. Deep-fry for a few minutes, until golden and crispy.
8. Serve with mayonnaise or sour cream.

Tomato salsa and tortilla chips are the perfect movie snack and are great for giving your guests something to nibble on before dinner.

The post Polenta fries appeared first on MyKitchen.

Apricot-glazed snoek patties drizzled with mayo served with shoestring fries. Now this is what we call a fish burger! Aaaaah, can you smell summer? We can!

SERVES 10

INGREDIENTS
For the apricot glaze
¾ cup apricot jam
40g butter
1 stalk lemon grass, halved lengthways
1 red chilli, halved lengthways
For the snoek patties
Olive oil, to fry
1 red onion, peeled and finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
400g smoked snoek, deboned and flaked
200g potatoes, peeled, cooked and roughly mashed
1 red chilli, chopped
1 tbsp finely chopped coriander
1 tbsp finely chopped parsley
Juice and zest of 1 lemon or lime
1 tsp smoked paprika, plus extra to season
Sea salt and pepper
½ cup flour
For the shoestring fries
1.2 kg potatoes
Vegetable oil, to deep-fry
To assemble
10 sesame-seed rolls
¾ cup mayonnaise
4 tomatoes, sliced
1 cup finely sliced red cabbage
1 red onion, peeled and finely sliced
Butter lettuce, to serve

METHOD
For the apricot glaze
1. Heat all the ingredients in a pot, then remove from the heat and leave to infuse for an hour.
For the snoek patties
1. Heat a little olive oil in a pan and fry onion and garlic till soft.
2. In a bowl, mix all ingredients except the flour with your hands.
3. Season the flour with salt and paprika. Form the mixture into patties and dust with flour. Place in the fridge for 20 minutes.
4. Heat a little olive oil in a pan. Fry the patties for 1 minute on each side, until golden brown. Drain on paper towel.
For the shoestring fries
1. Finely slice the potatoes and place in iced water.
2. Heat the vegetable oil over medium-low heat. Make sure the oil is not too hot, otherwise the chips will burn.
3. Drain the potatoes and dry well. Fry a handful at a time.
4. Remove and drain on paper towel. Season with salt.
To assemble
1. Place a patty on each roll and add the remaining ingredients. Drizzle with apricot glaze and mayonnaise.
2. Serve with shoestring fries.

Not only are these little guys great for serving as a canapé at your next get-together, our tuna sliders also make a healthy and wholesome work lunch or snack

The post The ultimate apricot-glazed snoek burger appeared first on MyKitchen.

Traditional fish and chips is one of SA’s best-loved street foods! Whether it’s strolling along a breezy wharf munching on a small portion wrapped in newspaper, or stopping at your local corner shop for a quick dinner on the way home from work, there are plenty of ways to enjoy this delicious treat. Here, we show you how to prep your own at home.

SERVES 4–6 // COOKING TIME 25 min

INGREDIENTS
For the tartare sauce
1½ cups mayonnaise
2 gherkins, finely chopped
2 tbsp lemon juice
2 tbsp chopped dill
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
For the chilli salt
⅓  cup sea salt flakes
1 tbsp chilli flakes
1 tsp paprika
For the chips
6 potatoes, cut into wedges
For the fish
1½ cups flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper
1 tbsp garlic powder
½ tbsp paprika
1 cup beer
1 egg
4 hake fillets, cut into strips

METHOD
For the tartare sauce
1. Mix all the ingredients together and refrigerate.
For the chilli salt
1. Mix all the ingredients together and set aside.
For the chips
1. Heat enough oil to deep-fry in a pot over medium-high heat.
2. Add the wedges to the pot and deep-fry until golden brown and cooked through.
3. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on a paper towel.
4. Season with the chilli salt.
For the fish
1. Mix all of the dry ingredients together.
2. Whisk the beer and egg together and then add it to the dry ingredients.
3. Dip the hake fillets into the batter, allowing any excess to drip off.
4. Working in batches, deep-fry the fish for about 5 minutes, until golden brown and cooked. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towel.

Recipe & styling: Chiara Turilli
Photography: Gareth van Nelson // HMimages.co.za

The gatsby is another South African street food favourite. We made ours with calamari for a fun seafood twist.

The post COOK THE COVER: Traditional fish and chips appeared first on MyKitchen.

Who ever said vegan can’t be delicious? Try this healthy take on loaded Mediterranean baked chips for a sustainable and guilt-free treat.

SERVES 4 // COOKING TIME 1 hour

INGREDIENTS
4 large sweet potatoes, cut into thick chips
2 tbsp olive oil
Salt and pepper, to season
1 tbsp cumin seeds
1 brinjal, cut into rounds
2 cups Rosa tomatoes
¼ cup salt
1 cup hummus
10 g parsley, chopped
10 g coriander, chopped
1 tin chickpeas, drained

METHOD
1. Preheat the oven to 200°C. Place the chips on a baking tray and drizzle generously with olive oil before seasoning with the salt and pepper and cumin. Bake for 25 minutes, until crisp. Halfway through baking, flip the chips to achieve even browning.
2. Salt the brinjal rounds and allow the moisture to draw out for 20 minutes. Pat dry with a paper towel, transfer to a baking tray and drizzle with olive oil.
3. In the same baking tray, season the tomatoes with salt and pepper. Add a drizzle of olive oil and roast with the eggplant for 15 minutes until the veggies have browned.
4. Mix the hummus, parsley and coriander together. Reserve some of the herbs for garnishing.
5. To assemble, place the baked chips on to a serving plate. Top with hummus, followed by the chickpeas, tomatoes, brinjal and extra herbs.

Recipe & styling: Amerae Vercueil
Photography: Samantha Pinto // HMimages.co.za

These Mediterranean stuffed mushrooms are another meat-free favourite!

The post These loaded Mediterranean baked chips are vegan and guilt-free appeared first on MyKitchen.