From Station Street Kitchen in Paarl in the Western Cape, Chef Mynhardt Joubert hosted dinners for paying guests and media launches, and used his home as a creative space and photographic studio. My Station Street Kitchen is a reflection of his kitchen and the dinners that he hosted there. Mynhardt infuses everything he does with his enthusiasm, exuberance and love of food that incorporates his life experiences, from his childhood on a farm in the Eastern Free State to his travels around the world and throughout South Africa. Join him and create your own culinary delights, prepared with joie de vivre and plenty of love.
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Deboned & stuffed lamb rib
with dates, almonds & apricots
“Frikkie has perfected the art of rolling lamb ribs and has done it for many weddings and functions where this dish has featured. It is easy to prepare and deliciously juicy. Once cooked in the oven, finish the meat on a fire over medium heat coals for extra smokiness. It’s great for summer or winter – simply serve with either lighter or heavier side dishes – and perfect for entertaining and feeding a large group.”
Serves: 4–6
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cooking Time: 2–3 hours
Passive Time: 4 hours or overnight
Oven Temp: 150°C
Butter and olive oil for frying
2 onions, peeled, halved and sliced
4 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
125ml chopped dates
125ml chopped almonds
125ml chopped dried Turkish apricots
20ml chopped fresh rosemary
20ml chopped fresh thyme
250ml panko bread crumbs
Salt and pepper to taste
1 large (1kg+) deboned lamb rib
Kitchen twine
2 litres prepared chicken or lamb stock
750ml white wine
Sprigs of fresh rosemary and thyme
Heat some butter and olive oil in a frying pan and fry the onions and garlic until soft and lightly browned. Leave to cool. Mix the onions, dates, almonds, apricots, herbs and bread crumbs together, then season to taste.
Place the lamb rib on a chopping board and spread the stuffing down the middle. Roll the lamb lengthways into a log shape and tie with kitchen twine so that the stuffing stays inside.
Preheat the oven. Scatter the rosemary and thyme in a deep ovenproof dish and place the lamb on top. Pour in the stock and wine and cover with foil. Roast for 2–3 hours or until the lamb is soft.
Pour the sauce into a saucepan and allow to reduce until thickened. Leave the lamb to cool, then refrigerate overnight.
Before serving, slice the lamb into discs and place on a greased baking tray (or in the dish it was roasted in). Reheat the lamb in the oven and the sauce on the stove top until bubbling, and serve.
NOTES AND TIPS
* For a smoky flavour, heat the whole rolled lamb rib on the braai.
* Use other nuts or dried fruit and feel free to experiment.
“As its name suggests, this salad originated in Nice. I just love everything about it and can easily enjoy it as a main course with really good wine. The classic Niçoise salad is made with fresh tuna, but we use locally caught trout, which gives the salad a lovely creamy taste.”
Serves: 4–6
Preparation Time: 20 minutes
Cooking Time: 20 minutes
Passive Time: 4 hours or overnight
Cured Trout
2 medium local deboned trout fillets, skin on
500g coarse salt
250g white sugar
250g brown sugar
Grated zest and juice each of 2 lemons, 2 oranges and 2 limes
100ml (4 tots) (your favourite) gin or vodka
60ml coriander seeds, toasted
A handful of fresh dill, chopped
Salad
1kg baby potatoes
300g green beans, topped, tailed and blanched
75ml salsa verde
4 baby gem lettuce heads, quartered
350g exotic tomatoes, halved
100g black olives, pitted
4 soft-boiled eggs, peeled and halved
Sliced cured trout
Parmesan shavings to serve
White anchovy fillets to serve
Fennel emulsion to serve
Cured Trout
In a bowl, combine the salt, sugars, zests and juices, alcohol, coriander seeds and dill.
Cover the bottom of a medium container with half the salt mixture and place the trout fillets on top, skin-side down. Spread the remaining salt mixture over, wrap tightly with clingwrap and refrigerate for 4 hours or overnight. Once done, wash off the salt mixture from the fillets and pat dry with a kitchen towel.
Using a sharp knife, slice the trout as thinly as possible, discarding the skin. Refrigerate until you are ready to plate the salad.
Salad
Bring a pot of water to the boil and cook the baby potatoes until just cooked. Cut them in half and mix, together with the green beans, into the salsa verde. Leave to cool.
Assemble the salad starting with the lettuce quarters, potato and bean mixture, tomatoes, olives, egg halves and cured trout. Finish with parmesan shavings, anchovy fillets and dollops of fennel emulsion.
Notes and tips
Substitute the trout for a large salmon fillet, then double the salt mixture ingredients and cure the fish overnight.
with green olives & artichokes
“Most lamb shank recipes call for red wine, but this version is cooked with white wine and herbs, which makes for a lighter, more gentle and flavourful sauce. The added orange juice and zest creates magic with the artichokes and green olives. Serve with soft buttery polenta.”
Serves: 6
Preparation Time: 20 minutes
Cooking Time: 2–3 hours
6 forequarter lamb shanks
Cake wheat flour, salt and pepper
Butter and olive oil for frying
4 onions, peeled and chopped
6 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
1 carrot, peeled and cubed
1 celery stalk, chopped
1 leek, washed and chopped
100g tomato paste
1 x 750ml bottle (your favourite) white wine
1 litre prepared chicken or lamb stock
A handful of fresh rosemary, thyme, marjoram and tarragon (reserve some as garnish)
1 x 400g can chopped tomatoes
15ml paprika
4 bay leaves
Grated zest and juice of 2 oranges
2 x 390–400g cans artichokes, drained and quartered
100g pitted green olives
Salt and pepper to taste
Preheat the oven to 150°C.
Dust the lamb shanks in flour seasoned with salt and pepper.
Heat some butter and olive oil in a large ovenproof frying pan and fry the shanks until golden brown. Remove the shanks from the pan and fry the onions, garlic, carrot, celery and leek until browned. Add more butter and olive oil if necessary. Add the tomato paste and fry for 5 minutes. Stir in the wine, stock, herbs, tomatoes, paprika and bay leaves. Return the shanks and bring to a slow boil.
Cover and place in the oven for 2–3 hours or until the meat is soft. Once done, place back on the stove top and add the orange zest and juice, artichokes and olives. Season to taste and simmer for a further 15 minutes.
Garnish as desired. Serve with mashed potatoes or creamy polenta.
NOTES & TIPS
Let the cooked dish stand for 24 hours in the fridge, which will allow all the flavours to develop.
Great for home freezing, so make enough!
"Ons kinders is al van jongs af dol oor hierdie koek en dit is oor die jare vir allerhande soorte feestelike familiegeleenthede gemaak. Ek en my suster het die oorspronklike resep aangepas en al die bestanddele verdubbel vir ’n groter en heerlike klam koek. Dit is ryk en vullend en ideaal vir ’n verjaardag of enige geleentheid vir groot groepe. Laat staan vir minstens ’n dag sodat die geur en digtheid kan verbeter – jy sal nie spyt wees dat jy gewag het nie."
Genoeg vir: 8–10
Voorbereiding: 20 minute
Baktyd: 30–40 minute
Oondtemperatuur: 180 °C
Koek
6 ekstra groot eiers
630 g strooisuiker
250 ml kanola-olie
500 g ongegeurde dubbelroomjogurt
150 g papawersaad
160 g droë klapper
350 g bruismeel
Eetbare vars blomme vir versiering
Versiersel
100 g botter, saggemaak
400 g crème fraîche
130 g versiersuiker
10 ml vanieljepasta of -ekstrak
400 g wit sjokolade van goeie gehalte, gesmelt
Koek
Voorverhit die oond en voer 2 goed gesmeerde 28 cm-losboomkoekpanne met bakpapier uit, die kante inkluis.
Verroom die eiers en suiker tot lig en donsig. Voeg die olie en jogurt by en meng deur. Voeg die papawersaad, klapper en meel by en meng deeglik. Verdeel die beslag tussen die voorbereide koekpanne.
Bak vir 30–40 minute of tot ’n tandestokkie skoon uitkom wanneer jy dit in die middel insteek. Keer uit op draadrakke en laat afkoel.
Smeer versiersel tussen die lae en pak die koeke opmekaar. Smeer die oorblywende versiersel bo-op. Versier met vars rose en/of ander eetbare blomme.
Versiersel
Verroom die botter en crème fraîche met ’n elektriese klitser.
Voeg die versiersuiker en vanielje by en klits deur. Voeg die gesmelte sjokolade by en klits tot verdik. Bêre by kamertemperatuur as jy die versiersel nie dadelik gaan gebruik nie.
Notas en wenke
Versier die koek met vars laventel en rose – dit sal die mooiste verjaardaggeskenk maak.
Recipes extracted from My Station Street Kitchen by Mynhardt Joubert, out now.
Ook beskikbaar in Afrikaans as My Stasie Straat kombuis.
U KAN OOK GENIET
Resep: Kosbaar deur Elmarie Berry