Welcome to the first edition of MK Test Kitchen – where we try out some of our iconic local or international chef ’s and foodies’ recipes, and share our personal opinions (foodies and non-foodies alike).  

 

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Fast-food frenzy 

Strone Henry, co-owner of Cape Town-based Side Wing, and now head chef at the popular Chef ’s Restaurant in Cavendish, proves he knows more than just a thing or two when it comes to packing flavour into our fave fast-food titbits. 

Strone’s double smashed burger with crispy onions and pickled jalapeño 

Serves 2 

You can add spices like ground cumin, coriander or paprika to the beef patty for extra flavour. 

Ingredients 

2 onions, sliced 

Corn flour, for dusting 

Cake flour, for dusting

Oil, for frying 

500g beef mince 

Salt and milled pepper 

Handful fresh coriander, chopped 

1 cup grated mature Cheddar

Burger mayo, for serving 

2-3 pickled jalapeño’s, sliced 

2 sesame seed burger buns 

Method 

1. Lay sliced onions in cold water for 15 minutes to soak. 
2. Remove onions from water and dust in a mixture of corn flour and cake flour.
3. Deep-fry for 2-3 minutes or until golden. Season with salt. 
4. Place the mince into a bowl, season well and add coriander. Toss to combine well. 
5. Divide the mince into 4 heaps, making sure not to handle the meat too much. Lightly form each heap into a ball. 
6. Place a cast iron skillet over a medium-high heat and add oil. 
7. Place your 4 balls of mince onto the skillet and flatten slightly with a metal spatula to create “smash” patties. Season well. 
8. Flip the patties over once slightly charred and season the other side. 
9. Cook for about 2-3 min. 
10. Divide cheese between each patty and cook for another minute until the cheese has melted. Remove from the heat. 
11. Spread burger mayo onto the base of your bun, top with patty, jalapeño, another patty and crispy onions. Serve immediately.

Trendsetter 

Sam Linsell, renowned food writer, stylist and 2023 Digital Content Creator Galliova award winner is a powerhouse when it comes to curating recipes that not only pack punch and flavour, but are simple and easy to make. Her take on a boerie burger was something we simply had to test out! 

Sam’s boerewors, feta and peppadew burger

Since the boerewors is already seasoned to perfection, this is the ultimate cheat code! 

Serves 2 

Ingredients 

300g boerewors

Oil, for frying

 4 rashers streaky bacon 

2 sesame seed burger buns, grilled and toasted 

3 Tbsp mayonnaise

Lettuce, for serving 

1 tomato, sliced 

1 red onion, sliced 

1 avocado, sliced 

4 peppadews, sliced 

Method 

1. Remove the meat from sausage casings and shape into two thick burger patties. 
2. Heat oil in a large pan and fry patties for 3-4 minutes per side or until golden and cooked through. Remove. 
3. In the same pan, fry the bacon for about 4-6 minutes or until the bacon is crisp to your liking. 
4. Spread mayo onto the bottom half of each bun, top with lettuce, tomato, burger patty, bacon, red onion, avocado and sliced peppadews, then serve.

Braai king 

Jan Scannell, aka Jan Braai, is actually a chartered accountant turned foodie. To most of us, he is well-known for the being the founder and driving force behind SA’s hugely successful and popular National Braai Day on the 24th September (Heritage Day), which brings the nation together through cooking outdoors on the coals. 

Jan Braai’s smash cheeseburger 

Serves 2 

Cooking the patties over medium-hot coals will add a hint of smokiness to this dish. 

Ingredients 

For the sauce  

½ cup mayonnaise 
2 Tbsp tomato sauce 
1 Tbsp Dijon mustard 
1 gherkin, chopped 
1 tsp garlic powder 
1 tsp paprika 
½ tsp cayenne pepper 
500g beef mince 
Salt and milled pepper 
2 soft hamburger buns, halved and toasted 

Method 

1. Whisk together (or blitz) sauce ingredients until smooth. Set aside.
2. Divide mince into 4 heaps, taking care not to handle the meat too much. Lightly form each heap into a ball. 
3. Place a cast iron skillet over a medium-high heat and add oil. 
4. Place your 4 balls of mince onto the skillet and flatten slightly with a metal spatula to create the “smash” patties. Season well. 
5. Flip the patties over once they’re slightly charred and season the other side. 
6. Cook for 2-3 minutes. 
7. Divide some cheese between each patty and cook for another minute until cheese has melted. Remove from the heat. 
8. Spread some of the burger sauce onto the base of each bun and top with one patty each. 9. Drizzle with remaining sauce and top with another patty each. Close with the burger bun lid and serve immediately.

Cook’s note  
The less you handle or touch the meat, the better. The more you shape it, the more dense it becomes. Instead, what you want to achieve is loose grounds with lots of air pockets in the mince. This way, the juices and fat released during the cooking stays inside the pa y itself, keeping your patty super moist.  

The MK judging panel 

Zhann Solomons 
Head of Photography  

“Love the crispy onion addition and the combination with the jalapeño on Strone’s burger.” 

Christi Nortier 
Features Editor  

“Jan braai’s sauce is seriously impressive since it’s home-made, but I feel like the burger needs something extra. Sam’s burger has the freshest flavours, and the boerewors patty is such a nice touch but the size is a bit daunting. However, Strone’s burger is my favourite – it’s something I would go back to again and again.” 

Geraldine Amoko 
Senior Copy Editor  

“Third place goes to Strone, while in second place we have Jan with his fantastic sauce that 100% makes this burger, so you can’t help but want to take that second bite! In first place is Sam’s boerie burger aka The Finisher: colour, crunch, sweet, salty and sour – it served me everything that I could ever need in a burger.” 

James Cameron 
Assistant Photographer  

“My favourite has to be Sam’s boerie burger with its fresh flavours of feta, avo and peppadew. A winner in my eyes!” 

Murushka Lalgith 
Digital Intern  

“In first place, Strone’s burger: You can’t go wrong with a crispy onion and jalapeño combo. Second place would be Jan’s burger – it’s simple but what it has is more than enough. That sauce is everything! Sam’s boerie burger is in third place for one reason only. It has all the bells and whistles, but are they needed? It feels like a distraction from the actual patty itself – I want the burger to shine and not the accompaniments.” 

Words by: Chad January
Photography: Zhann Solomons, Supplied 

The post A burger bonanza in MyKitchen  appeared first on MyKitchen.

We made a few tweaks to one of SA’s classics and created a meat-free chickpea bunny chow, complete with mango atchar for extra flavour.

SERVES 4 // COOKING TIME 25 min

INGREDIENTS
3 tbsp vegetable oil
½ onion, chopped
1 green pepper, chopped
2 garlic cloves, grated
1 carrot, grated
2 tbsp curry powder
1 tbsp chutney
1 tin chopped tomatoes
2 tins chickpeas, drained
1 government loaf, cut into 4
1 cup mango atchar
Handful coriander

METHOD
1. Heat the oil in a large pot. Add the onion and cook for 5 minutes, until soft.
2. Add the green pepper, garlic, carrot and curry powder. Fry for another 5 minutes, until fragrant.
3. Add the chutney and chopped tomatoes. Mix well and allow to simmer for 10 minutes.
4. Add the chickpeas and cook for another 5 minutes. Season to taste.
5. Hollow out the government loaf pieces and fill each with the chickpea curry filling. Serve with mango atchar and fresh coriander.

Recipe & styling: Amerae Vercueil
Photography: Samantha Pinto

Loved this healthy spin? Wait until you try our nutritious version of the classic chicken fatteh.

The post Chickpea Bunny Chow With Mango Atchar appeared first on MyKitchen.

What better way to end your Friday than by having these delicious berry ice lolly cocktails with your friends by the pool.

SERVES  4 // COOK TIME 15 min

INGREDIENTS
1 cup mixed berries
1 cup lemonade or lemon soft drink
¼ cup cranberry juice
750 ml sparkling white wine

METHOD
1. Mix the berries, lemonade and cranberry juice. Pour this into ice-lolly moulds and freeze overnight.
2. To serve, place the ice lollies in glasses and fill up with sparkling wine.
3. Stir to infuse the lollies in the wine.

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

Whether you’re spending the day by the pool or heading out to a braai, these green melon cocktails make delicious summer drinks!

The post Berry ice lolly cocktails appeared first on MyKitchen.

Once you’ve tried a piece of roast salmon smothered in our red-wine butter, you won’t want to go back to the the typical white-wine sauce.

SERVES 4 // COOK TIME 90 min

INGREDIENTS
1 cup dry red wine
2 shallots, peeled and chopped
145 g unsalted butter, softened
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
6–8 baby leeks, washed and halved
4 sprigs thyme, finely chopped
2 sprigs origanum, finely chopped
1 tsp crushed fennel seeds
⅓ cup dry white wine
2 cups thick cream
1 tbsp lemon juice
2 salmon fillets
3 tbsp olive oil
1 clove garlic, peeled and finely chopped

METHOD
1. Preheat oven to 170°C and line a baking tray.
2. Combine red wine and shallots in a pan and bring to the boil over high heat. Boil until reduced to 1 tbsp, about 15 minutes. Strain the wine through a fine sieve into a bowl, and discard the shallots.
3. Let the wine cool slightly, then add 100g butter and season with salt and pepper.
4. Transfer the red-wine butter to a sheet of cling film and roll tightly into a cylinder. Twist the ends of the cling film to seal. Chill until firm.
5. Melt 3 tbsp butter in a pan over medium-high heat. Add the leeks, thyme, origanum, fennel and salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the leeks are slightly wilted, about 2 minutes.
6. Add the white wine to the pan and cook, stirring occasionally, until almost all the liquid has evaporated, about 8 minutes. Remove the leeks and set aside.
7. Add the cream and lemon juice to the sauce, and cook over low heat until the cream has thickened, about 25 minutes.
8. Place the salmon on the lined baking tray. Sprinkle with olive oil and garlic, and roast for about 20 minutes.
9. Cut 4 thick slices of the red-wine butter, place 2 on top of each fillet, and cook for a further 3 minutes, until melted.
10. Spoon some of the sauce over the salmon and serve with the leeks.

For a delicious crowd-pleasing dish try our Paella!

The post Roast salmon with red-wine butter and leeks appeared first on MyKitchen.

This recipe may take some extra work in the kitchen, but trust us, it will be so worth it. You’ll never enjoy poached eggs the same again!

SERVES 2 // COOK TIME 1 hour 5 min

INGREDIENTS
2 medium beetroots, halved and peeled
1½ L water
2 medium potatoes, peeled and grated
2 tbsp coconut oil
Salt and black pepper
400 g tin cannellini beans
1 tbsp tahini
Zest and juice of ½ lemon
1 tbsp vinegar
4 eggs
Coriander, to serve

METHOD
1. Place the beetroots and water in a large pot. Cook for 1 hour, until tender. Remove beetroots from the pot and allow them to cool.
2. Squeeze any liquid from the grated potatoes. Add coconut oil and seasoning, and stir to combine well.
3. In a non-stick frying pan, cook 2 tbsp potato mixture at a time for 3–4 minutes on each side.
4. Place the cooked beetroot, beans, tahini, lemon zest and juice, and seasoning in a blender. Blitz until smooth.
5. Bring a pot of water to a simmer. Add the vinegar. Stir the water to create a whirlpool, then crack in an egg and cook for 6 minutes. Repeat.
6. To serve, spread bean pâté on a potato fritter and top with a poached egg. Sprinkle with fresh coriander.

This twice-baked egg and mushroom potatoes recipe is a great hangover cure! it might take a bit of prep, but trust us it’s worth it!

The post Poached eggs, potato fritters and beetroot-bean pâté 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.