Black Bun for a bit of Scottish Tradition

A couple of months ago I mentioned to my husband that I was going to attempt a Christmas cake this year.
"that's a good idea" he said, "when I was a child, my aunt used to make a special Scottish cake every year. It had a lot of pepper in it."
After some searching on the internet I was able to find out that there is a special Scottish cake, made for New Year, called a Black Bun. It is a rich fruit cake with spices, including quite a bit of pepper, and encased in shortcrust pastry.

So I decided to give it a go. This is the recipe. I found it on Epicurious from Christopher Trotter of The Scottish Kitchen and then just halved all the ingredients and made a few adjustments. I added more alcohol than the recipe called for and although the recipe uses Brandy I decided to add some whiskey as well. It is Scottish after all.  I made it 2 weeks before Christmas but you can actually make it even earlier. Instead of covering the whole cake with pastry I decided to only cover the top and bottom.

It is very rich and very fruity. The pepper adds a nice bit of heat. If you prefer your cake more "cakey" use less fruit and more flour.

INGREDIENTS

For the pastry:

112 g butter
225 g cake flour
½ teaspoon baking powder

For the filling

1.125 kg mixed fruit (raisins, saltanas, glace fruit, candied peel)
115 g chopped nuts
175 g cake flour
125 g soft brown sugar
1 teaspoon ground allspice
½ teaspoon ground ginger
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground black pepper
½ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon cream of tartar
1 tablespoon brandy
1 tablespoon whiskey
1 beaten egg
80 ml milk

METHOD

• To make the pastry, dice the butter and rub into the flour/baking powder. Add enough cold water to make a stiff dough. Wrap in cling film and leave to rest in the fridge for about half an hour.
• Preheat oven to 150°C
• For the filling mix all the dry ingredients together.
• Mix in the brandy, about ¾ of the egg and the milk. Mix well with clean hands. 

• grease a 22cm loaf tin and line the bottom with baking paper.
• roll out the pastry and cut a piece of pastry to fit the bottom. Place on top of the paper.
• pack the fruit cake mixture into the loaf tin to the top.
• cover with pastry and trim with a sharp knife to cover the cake snugly.
• using a fork, poke little holes all over the top.
• add a little bit of milk to the rest of the egg mixture and brush over the top.

Bake in a 150°c oven for 1 hour. Reduce heat to 110° and bake for a further 2 hours. For the last hour cover with foil to protect the pastry and stop from over cooking. Once cool store in an airtight container or wrap in heavy duty foil. 

Chicken Breasts Marsala

I'm always looking for new ways to prepare chicken breasts. The skinless/boneless kind. They are so versatile and because they don't have any skin or bone aren't "fiddly" as my husband likes to say. Cooking for a fussy eater is always a challenge. However, because they are white meat they tend to become dry if overcooked, and for that reason I prefer to do this recipe with the whole breast, rather than cutting them into schnitzels.

INGREDIENTS

½ onion - finely chopped
1 small fennel bulb - diced
¼ red pepper - diced
250 g button mushrooms - sliced
1 cup dry white wine
½ cup marsala wine
1 cup chicken stock
80 ml thick cream. (I also like to use creme fraiche)
2 tablespoons chopped parsley.
4 skinless, boneless, chicken breasts.

METHOD

fry the onion, fennel and red pepper until soft.
add the mushrooms and fry for a few minutes until soft.
pour in the wine and marsala and reduce to a couple of tablespoons.
pour in the chicken stock and simmer on a low heat.

In another pan, add a couple of tablespoons of olive oil.
On med heat fry the chicken breasts (seasoned with salt & pepper) for 3 minutes each side.

Transfer the chicken and juices to the pan with the sauce. Add the cream and continue to simmer for 5 minutes, stirring to combine the cream with the sauce.

Stir in the parsley and serve with pasta of your choice.

Sevruga at the Waterfront

My son and I both have a passion for sushi and dim sum. Every once in a while, mostly after he has completed exams, I take him for a "special sushi lunch". It's our special time together. This December we decided to go to Sevruga at the V&A Waterfront, one of our favourite sushi restaurants.

We were met at the door by two lovely young ladies, Aurora and Phillipa.

The service was good. Attentive, but not so that you felt stifled. The sun-dried tomato bread is delicious. So easy to just eat the whole basket.

Great wine list with a lot of choice. I settled for a glass of Pierre Jourdan Tranquille. A dry yet fruity wine with a pink tinge. Ice cold. Perfect for a hot afternoon.

We ordered 3 different kinds of dim sum. Served in bamboo steamers. Har Gau. Plump translucent dumplings stuffed with duck with honey and ginger. Deep fried wontons with beef, coriander and ginger. Pot stickers, my favourite. Crunchy yet soft. With lamb and XO sauce. The sauce that they serve with the dim sum is a combination of asian flavours and an absolute winner. I would love to get that recipe.  All were delicious and disappeared very fast.

We ordered a mixed sushi platter. All sushi is half price during the day at Sevruga and their sister restaurant Beluga. A great selection of very fresh, well prepared sushi. Salmon and Tuna tempura rolls, Salmon Roses, Salmon Nigiri, Tuna crunch rolls. Everything was delicious.

Best Little Pizza Place in Cape Town

I love this restaurant. Breugels. And it's not just that it's 3 minutes ride from my home. Totally unassuming, family orientated little place and if conversation dries up you can always keep yourself occupied drawing on the paper tablecloths with big fat wax crayons. Not only for the children. Their pizza's are the best I've ever eaten. Anywhere in the world. The base is thin and crusty and the ingredients are fresh and juicy. Like most pizza joints, crushed garlic, chilli and parmesan cheese are served on the side. Their menu also includes pasta, salads and a few wraps.

The pizzas are all named after famous artists. They are quite happy to give you a half and half. In fact, they encourage it. My favourite is ½ Chagall (basic margarita with blue cheese, pear and fresh rocket) and ½ da Vinci (basic margarita with mushrooms, bacon and fresh avo).

My son's favourite combo is ½ da Vinci and ½ Botticelli (basic margarita with brie cheese, bacon and peppadews

Ron just has da Vinci straight.

And to end it off? South Africa's favourite desert.

Ice Cream and Chocolate Sauce.

Cheesecake with caramel and chocolate drizzle

I don't bake a lot but when I find a recipe I like I get really excited. This cheesecake recipe is really 1st class. It's from Elize Bauer's site, Simply Recipes and I can't believe how simple it is to make. The directions are easy to follow and the result is outstanding. I made it for Christmas Eve and everyone loved it. I topped it with caramel and drizzled it with chocolate ganache. Because it was a festive occasion, I topped it with a fresh rose sprinkled with silver powder and dusted the whole cake with more silver powder. Went a bit overboard I think with the silver dust. It wasn't quite as high as the one in Simply Recipes, but that's because I used a big tin. I think it's actually better if you're making a desert to have smaller slices. I can really recommend this recipe.

Seared Tuna Salad

If you like your tuna raw then this is the salad for you. Perfect for low carb eating with a taste of Asia. This salad is inspired by a similar one that I always have when I go to JB Rivers at Cavendish Square, an up market shopping mall in the suburb of Claremont in Cape Town. Their sushi is very good but this salad is amazing. Especially in summer with a glass of crisp white wine.

INGREDIENTS for one

1 piece fresh Tuna. (about 150g per person)
a few pieces pickled ginger - chopped up
¼ fresh avocado - diced
cucumber - sliced
fresh salad leaves. (lettuce, rocket, watercress,etc.)
carrot, shaved.
spring onion, chopped.
red bell pepper, diced

DRESSING for one.

2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon sesame oil
2 cloves garlic crushed
salt and black pepper

mix all the salad ingredients together in a bowl.
Mix all the dressing ingredients together and use as much as you like.

arrange in a dome on a large plate.

Sear the tuna on a very hot pan or griddle. 40 seconds on each side is enough.
Allow it to cool and then, using a very sharp knife, slice into thin slices and arrange over the salad.
Garnish with chopped, pickled ginger and toasted sesame seeds.