Woolworths TASTE March/April 2022

THERE ARE TWO THINGS THAT DON’T FEATURE HIGHLY ON MY SKILLS LIST, but they both feature in this issue: camping and baking. In my twenties, I ill-advisedly accepted an invitation to Rocking the Daisies. For those too young to remember or too old to want to, this was a live music festival held in early spring just outside Darling. The friend who invited me said he could “get me into the Kreef Hotel”, which is how I came to find myself pulling a wheelie suitcase across a field of tents. I had to borrow a sleeping bag from a relative stranger. One should never have to borrow a sleeping bag. I’ve never been camping since, obviously, but the Salad Dodger managed to lure me into a luxury campervan last year, with a…

TUNA PUTTANESCA WITH BLACK OLIVE GREMOLATA “It’s always good to have a cupboard standby up your sleeve, and puttanesca is one of the greatest” Serves 4 EASY GREAT VALUE olive oil 1 T, plus extra for drizzlinggarlic 2 cloveschopped red chilli 1 t (or ½ t chilli flakes)anchovy fillets 4chopped tomatoes 1 x 400 g canfresh pasta (e.g. paccheri or fusilli) 400–500 g (or 300 g dried pasta)lemon 1, juicedfine capers 1 ttuna 1 x 145 g can sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste For the olive gremolata: lemon 1, zestedparsley leaves 30 g, finely chopped, plus a few whole leaves to garnishpitted black olives 6, chopped 1 Place a large, non-stick frying pan over a high heat and coat the bottom of the pan with a thin layer of oil. Meanwhile, peel and crush…

LUCKY POT GINGER CHICKEN “Leave out the chilli for a more family-friendly version” “Inspired by the classic Hainanese chicken, this weeknight-friendly one-pot version has all the comforting, fragrant flavour we love from the original.” Serves 4 2 tablespoons vegetable oil6 cloves garlic, finely chopped1 long green chilli, sliced12 thin slices ginger (about 25 g)4 green onions (scallions), thickly sliced2 cups (360 g) brown basmati rice, rinsed3 cups (750 ml) good-quality chicken stock1 cup (250 ml) water2 tablespoons soy sauce8 x 125 g small chicken thigh fillets, trimmed250 g snow peas (mange tout), shreddedsoy saucethinly sliced green chilli, coriander (cilantro) leaves and finely grated ginger, to serve 1 Place a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the oil, garlic, chilli, ginger, green onion and rice and cook, stirring for 4 minutes, or until the rice is…

Never ones to shy away from a bit of frivolous pop culture, this month we repurposed the kids’ fidget toy turned viral TikTok creation, Pop It chocolate, for Easter. Sheer genius. Simply grab whichever tiny chocolate candies you fancy (Fantastical eggs, natch), nestle them in the cavities of the Pop It, then pour melted chocolate of your choice into the silicone shape. Allow to cool, unmould and devour. We are all still kids at heart. PHOTOGRAPH JAN RAS PRODUCTION BIANCA STRYDOM FOOD ASSISTANT ELLAH MAEPA…

Flower hour Why is the humble hibiscus having a moment, you ask? Food-fluencers can’t get enough of the bloom’s tart, dried cherry flavour and dramatic deep-red hue when steeped in everything from aguas frescas to tea. And the wellness brigade loves it for its nutrient density and myriad health properties. Bottoms up, we say! Hibiscus gin sour Combine 200 g sugar and 1 cup water and simmer until the sugar has dissolved. Remove from the heat, then add 4 Woolworths hibiscus petals tea bags and steep until deep red in colour. Chill the syrup until required, then combine 2 tots hibiscus syrup with 2 tots gin or alcohol-free gin and top up with soda water to taste. CHEFS is back! Food halls have been one of the biggest food trends of the last decade (think…

The aïoli: All the breakfast buns on Egghead’s menu have tailor-made aïolis, so the restaurant makes big batches of its standard garlic aïoli, which offers the perfect balance between creamy and tart. For the porkey bun, it’s customised with wholegrain mustard and a locally sourced fynbos honey. The egg: “Slow and low is always best for preparing great eggs!” says Johan, who trains all his chefs for hours to nail the cooking technique. “We prepare all our eggs in pans, as this allows us to control the heat much better, and fry them medium, as we believe a firm white and runny yolk is best for flavour and texture.” Egghead Diner sources all its free-range eggs from a local farm and gets them as fresh as can be to ensure that…