Braised lamb knuckles with umngqusho croquettes
Spice is nice
Kim Roberts of catering company The Forum comes up with braised lamb knuckles to match the Shiraz-Grenache blend Ormonde Theodore Eksteen 2007. By Adele Stiehler.
Kim Roberts hates that most classic South African dishes are cooked with all the ingredients in the same pot, but absolutely loves the diversity of our flavour repertoire.
Roberts is the executive chef of the The Forum catering company in Johannesburg that recently acquired and renovated a part of Turbine Hall in Newtown into a vibrant modern South African function venue.
To match her food, she is loyal to South African wine. "I'm a die-hard fan. I think we've incorporated some great international influences and produce remarkable wines. She was thus pleased to be asked to pair a meal with the Ormonde Theodore Eksteen 2007 (a blend of 65% Shiraz and 35% Grenache in the style of the southern Rhône), winner of a silver medal at this year's Old Mutual Trophy Wine Show.
"It's lovely. The wine has spicy tones and loads of fruit. I expected it to be tannic, but it wasn't at all." To accompany this intensely flavoured, full-bodied blend, she came up with a comforting meal of lamb knuckles braised in tomatoes and the Ormonde Theodore Eksteen 2007, creamy umngqusho croquette and a melange of seasonal vegetables.
Roberts fell in love with food whilst working at her aunt's catering company as a youngster in Durban and trained at the Christina Martin School of food and wine. The phenomenal quality of ingredients that she worked with in Harrods, London, boosted her passion for the hospitality industry.
After the stint in London, she moved to America to cater for affluent Aspenites. "I could order ingredients from anywhere in the world. Money was not an issue." Returning to Durban she worked in restaurants before settling in the KwaZulu-Natal Midlands as chef patron at Granny Mouse, where she published her own cookbook. In 2007 she returned to her first love, joining The Forum where she now steers an operation that regularly entertains a thousand a day.
Braised lamb knuckles with
umngqusho croquettes
LAMB
1.8kg lamb knuckles
salt and pepper to taste
fl our for dusting
2T olive oil
1 onion, finely diced
1 leek, finely diced
5ml garlic, minced 250ml Ormonde Theodore Eksteen 2007
1 x 410g can whole peeled tomatoes with juice
250ml brown stock
15ml tomato paste
10ml chopped fresh rosemary
Dust knuckles with flour and season
with salt and pepper. Heat the oil in heavy
large pot over medium-high heat. Working
in batches, brown the knuckles on all sides
and transfer them to a plate. Add onions,
leeks and garlic to the pot and sauté
until golden brown. Stir in knuckles and
remaining ingredients. Add a little water if
not covered, bring to a boil and then reduce
to a low heat. Cover, and simmer until meat
is tender - about two hours. Remove cover
from pot. Simmer about 20 minutes longer
to thicken the liquid. Check final seasoning.
UMNGQUSHO CROQUETTES
250ml samp and bean mix (85/15)
salt
1 onion, finely diced
2ml garlic crushed
50ml parmesan cheese
flour for dusting
1 egg
breadcrumbs
oil for deep frying
Rinse the samp and beans in water until runs clear. Put
on stove with 750ml water and boil for 5 minutes, turn off
and allow it to soak for 1 hour. Sauté the onion with the
garlic and add to a new pot with the samp and beans,
pouring over fresh water to cover and cook until soft and
sticky. Once cooked, allow to cool and add the finely
grated parmesan cheese. Shape into croquettes then
dip in flour, egg and finally breadcrumbs. Deep fry until
golden.
To serve, cut the croquet in half and serve with tender
knuckles and steamed vegetables.
