Celebrate Chardonnay Day with Chef Ollie Swart’s recipe for delicately balanced pasta, where lemon and white wine cuts through the rich cheese. 

Chef Ollie’s Lemony sage, Chardonnay & pecorino pasta 

Serves 4   

Ingredients 

500g Tagliatelle
100g Unsalted butter
2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
4 Garlic cloves, sliced
8 Sage leaves
Zest of 1 lemon
Juice of ½ a lemon
¼ cup dry Fat Bastard Chardonnay
Milled black pepper
1 cup (about 80g) grated Pecorino cheese + extra for serving 

Method 

1. Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil. This will be used to cook the pasta and help emulsify the sauce later, so don’t forget to reserve a cup of the pasta water before draining.
2. In a wide skillet or saute pan, melt the butter with the olive oil over medium heat. Add the sage leaves, garlic, lemon zest and cracked black pepper, letting them cook for 1-2 minutes. Stir with wooden spoon.
3. Once garlic is slightly golden and not burnt, add the chardonnay to the pan and let it simmer for 1-2 minutes to reduce slightly and meld with the butter and aromatics. Turn off the heat for now.
4. Cook the pasta until al dente. Drain immediately, reserving a cup of the pasta water.
5. Off the heat, add the hot pasta directly to the pan with the sauce. Add the grated Pecorino and about 60ml (¼cup) of the reserved pasta water. Toss vigorously to emulsify into a silky sauce. Add a little more water if needed for consistency.
6. Taste and season with salt, more pepper and lemon juice, if desired.
7. Serve immediately, topped with more Pecorino, a little extra virgin olive oil and a final crack of black pepper. And of course, finish it off with a big, bold glass of chilled chardonnay.

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Known as pollo al limone in Italian, this fresh lemon chicken makes the perfect springtime dish! Serve with your choice of vegetables and herbs.

SERVES 4 // COOKING TIME 25 min

INGREDIENTS
For the lemon chicken
4 chicken breasts, pounded until ½ cm thick
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
4 tbsp flour
For the sauce
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
½ cup chicken stock
¼ cup white wine
Juice of 1 lemon
2 tbsp chopped parsley
½ cup cream
For the lemon slices
½ cup olive oil
1 lemon, cut into thin slices
Dried thyme

METHOD
For the lemon chicken
1. Season the chicken breasts with the salt and pepper. Then coat in the flour, shaking off any excess.
2. Heat some oil over medium-high heat, cook the chicken breasts, turning occasionally until browned on all sides and almost cooked through. Set aside to rest.
For the sauce
1. In the same pan, sauté the garlic until fragrant. Deglaze the pan with chicken stock and white wine.
2. Add the lemon juice, parsley, and cream. Bring to a boil and allow to reduce for 3 minutes.
3. Add the chicken breasts and cover. Simmer until cooked all the way through. Season to taste.
For the lemon slices
1. Heat the olive oil in a pan over high heat.
2. Sprinkle the lemon slices with thyme and gently drop into the oil.
3. Shallow fry the lemon slices for a few seconds on each side, until fragrant and slightly charred.
4. Dish the chicken up on to a serving platter and spoon over the lemony sauce. Serve with extra parsley and fried lemon slices.

Recipe & styling: Kate Turner
Photography: K-Leigh Siebritz // HMimages.co.za

This lemony chicken linguine is another fresh Italian favourite!

The post Lemon chicken with fried lemon slices appeared first on MyKitchen.

Are you loving our eat fresh January cover as much as we are? Today we’re treating you to the hero recipe itself. Who will be making this lemony lentil flatbread this weekend?

MAKES 6 // COOK TIME 50 min

INGREDIENTS
For the flatbreads
1 tsp sugar
½ cup warm water
1 tsp instant dry yeast
2¼ cups flour
½ cup plain yoghurt
1 tbsp vegetable oil
For the lentil fritters
2 cups red lentils, cooked
½ cup flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
2 tbsp ginger
2 eggs
2 tbsp milk
Vegetable oil, to deep-fry
To assemble
½ cup plain yoghurt
1 beetroot, cooked and thinly sliced
¼ red cabbage, shredded
4 baby marrows, ribboned
2 lemons, 1 zested, 1 cut into wedges

METHOD
For the flatbreads
1. Mix the sugar, water and yeast and proof for 10 min.
2. Add flour to a large bowl. Make a well in the centre. Add yeast mixture, yoghurt and oil.
3. Incorporate the flour into the wet ingredients to form a dough.
4. Knead until smooth. Transfer to an oiled bowl, cover and proof for 20 minutes.
5. Portion into 6 balls. Roll each into a flatbread.
6. Heat some oil in a pan over medium and fry each flatbread, flipping often until golden.
For the lentil fritters
1. Mix together all the ingredients, except oil. Season.
2. Heat the oil in a pot. Drop in tablespoonfuls of batter and deep-fry until golden. Set aside.
To assemble
1. Top flatbreads with yoghurt, fritters and the other toppings. Season with salt, pepper and fresh lemon.

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

The post COOK THE COVER: Lemony lentil flatbread appeared first on MyKitchen.

Keep your eating clean on the weekend with this yummy and wholesome lemony polenta porridge with honeyed seeds for brekkies.

SERVES 2 // COOKING TIME 35 min

INGREDIENTS
For the honeyed seeds
1 tbsp sesame seeds
1 tbsp sunflower seeds
1 tsp honey
½ tsp olive oil
For the porridge
1 cup milk
1 cup water
¼ cup honey
1 tsp vanilla essence
Zest and juice of ½ lemon
Pinch salt
¼ cup polenta

METHOD
1. Preheat oven to 180°C and line a baking tray.
2. For the honeyed seeds, combine the ingredients and bake for 10 minutes.
3. For the porridge, heat the milk, water, honey, vanilla, lemon zest and juice, and salt in a pot over medium heat. Bring to a simmer and gradually whisk in the polenta.
4. Stir continuously with a wooden spoon for 10 minutes until the mixture thickens.
5. Divide the porridge between two bowls and sprinkle with seeds.

Recipe & styling: Chiara Turilli
Photography: Andreas Eiselen/HMimage.co.za

The post Lemony polenta porridge with honeyed seeds appeared first on MyKitchen.

A week night special! Whip up this tasty chicken linguine pasta dish. Call the fam – it’s time to tuck in! The leftovers are also perfect for lunch tomorrow.

SERVES 4–6 // COOKING TIME 45 min

INGREDIENTS
Olive oil
2 chicken breasts
2 garlic cloves, sliced
1 L chicken stock
4 thyme sprigs
Zest and juice of 1 lemon + zest to serve
300 g linguine
1 cup white wine (optional)
Parmesan, to serve

METHOD
1. Heat 1 tbsp oil in a pot and brown the chicken and garlic.
2. Add stock, thyme, and lemon zest and juice. Bring to a simmer. Once the chicken is cooked through, 20 minutes, remove it from the pot and allow to cool.
3. Bring the stock to the boil and add pasta and wine (if using). Cook for 8–10 minutes, until the pasta is al dente.
4. Meanwhile, shred the chicken. Stir it through the cooked pasta.
5. Serve with a drizzle of oil, lemon zest and Parmesan.

Recipe & Styling: Amerae Vercueil
Photography: Samantha Pinto

The post Lemony chicken linguine appeared first on MyKitchen.

Nothing beats a good roast, and our lemony roast chicken is no different. Add your own stuffing of breadcrumbs, cranberries, walnuts, butter and fresh sage to enhance the flavour.

SERVES 8 // COOKING TIME 1 hour 20 min + 24 hours marinating time

INGREDIENTS
2 cups buttermilk
10 sprigs thyme
1 lemon, sliced
1 large whole chicken
Salt flakes and black pepper

METHOD
1. Combine buttermilk, thyme and lemon slices. Marinate the chicken in this for 24 hours.
2. To roast, preheat oven to 200°C.
3. Place chicken in a roasting tin and season with salt and pepper. Roast for 45–70 minutes, until cooked through.

The post Lemony roast chicken appeared first on MyKitchen.