Over at Haute Cabrière, it is all about celebrating seasonal, locally sourced and organically farmed food through their menu of classic dishes – with a modern twist, of course. For Chef Westley, it’s a no-brainer, having grown up on his grandparents’ farm. From there, he followed his dream of studying to become a chef. Now, he finds himself cooking alongside Nic van Wyk at the iconic Haute Cabrière Restaurant & Terrace.

By Jana du Plessis & Roxy Greeff

To celebrate the month of love and our one true love, chocolate, we challenged Chef Westley to create a choccy-inspired savoury dish just for us, but in true Haute Cabrière style, of course. We were definitely not disappointed as we scooped up every bite of his grilled springbok leg and dark chocolate sauce, served with grilled peaches and crispy kale. This dish pairs surprisingly well with the vineyard’s Pierre Jourdan Bell Rose, and we enjoyed a glass or two with our meal as cellar master Takuan explained to us that you can serve sparkling wine with almost anything, should you be worried as to what to give your guests to sip at dinner.

But for now, take a look at what we got up to on shoot day and get Chef Westley’s heavenly rich recipe in the February issue of MyKitchen, on sale now at Spar, Clicks, Exclusive Books, Van Schaik Bookstore, Engen, BP, Caltex and Total.

Videography: Imaad Griffiths/HSMimages
Photography: Juliette Bisset

The post Behind the scenes at Haute Cabrière with chef Westley Muller appeared first on MyKitchen.

Haute Cabrière is one of my favourite wine farms. Their Chardonnay Pinot Noir and Pierre Jourdan Brut are welcome regulars in my wine glass. In their most recent impressive culinary move, Haute Cab have unveiled a perfectly-curated summer menu, set to beckon wine-and-food-lovers to their cellar restaurant from across the country. We take a closer look at this mounth-watering food and wine experience.

By Roxy Greeff

Top chefs Nic van Wyk and Westley Muller, are bringing decades of combined experience into the Haute Cabrière kitchen. The two resident food masters have worked intimately with cellarmaster Takuan von Armin, to craft a new summer menu that has found the scrumptious middle-ground between classic Continental cuisine and informal fine dining.

The menu may be new, but the restaurant has preserved the estate’s founding pillars of what makes a dish truly exceptional; Sun-Soil-Vine-Man. The chefs have taken direction from the on-site vegetable gardens, which proffer a steady supply of sustainable, seasonal produce, all year round. To further celebrate these natural offerings, they will soon be launching a dedicated Garden Menu, a daily table d’hôte menu, built around whatever ingredients arrive at the prep station each morning.

The new menu is an all-encompassing synergistic effort between Haute Cabrière’s hallmark cellar and their world-class kitchen. ‘Success  is  all  about  focus,  and  we  see  great  potential  in  the  renewed  focus this partnership will bring to the marriage of food and wine on the estate,’ says Takuan. ‘While Nic and Westley certainly have the experience and skills for running a successful restaurant, more importantly, we also share a passion for food, wine and creativity.’

Patrons are able to order a dish off the tasting menu and recieve a recommended wine pairing by Takuan, himself. Or you could opt for one of the superb choices off the al la carte menu and have your well-trained waiter assist you in choosing the most complimentary wine pairing.

After many a late-night, and hours of hard work, Haute Cabrière’s cellar restaurant has once again shown itself to be one of the very best dining spots in the Cape winelands. The dynamic trio that is Takuan, Nic and Westley have one simple goal: ‘We see the restaurant becoming one of the best; not just in Franschhoek, but in South Africa as a whole.’

Here is my top selection of the superb dishes I had the pleasure of experiencing on my most recent visit to the restaurant:

Caprese salad of sun ripened tomatoes, tomato water and marinated buffalo mozzarella paired with Pierre Jourdan Belle Rosé

Beetroot cured trout with horseradish créme fraiche, salmon roe and a baby mustard leaf salad paired with Pierre Jourdan Brut

Rabbit terrine with Ratafia chutney, tarragon and mustard dressed salad and toasted pumpernickel paired with Pierre Jourdan Ratafia

Grilled linefish with a vinaigrette potato salad and sauce vierge paired with Pierre Jourdan Tranquille

Lamb cannelloni with herbed labneh, cumin vinaigrette and peas paired with Haute Cabriere Pinot Noir Reserve 2013

Pistachio soufflé with rosewater ice cream paired with Pierre Jourdan Blanc de Blanc

THE DETAILS

Where: R45, Franschhoek, 7690
When: Tuesday-Sunday from 12-15 PM for lunch // Tuesday-Saturday from 18:30-21:30 PM for dinner
Reservations: 021 876  3688 // restaurant@cabriere.co.za
Website: cabriere.co.za

FOLLOW THEM

Facebook: Haute Cabrière
Twitter: @HauteCabriere
Instagram: @hautecabriere

The post The marriage of food and wine at Haute Cabrière appeared first on MyKitchen.