Crusted crayfish and salmon cake

Let me entertain you

Not quite Robbie but "Supreme" nonetheless, Simon Kemp, executive chef at Cloete's restaurant, finds a match for a maiden Blanc de Blancs. Jeanri-Tine van Zyl has a taste.

 

Cloete's Restaurant at Constantia's Alphen Country House Hotel in Cape Town has recently renovated its interiors and introduced Simon Kemp to its kitchen. A young Robbie Williams lookalike, with the same undertone of mischievousness as the famous pop star, Kemp is everything but old school.

A career as chef wasn't the outcome of a long-held dream, although Kemp does remember his mother's dinner parties, describing her as a "very skilled cook", and dad, too, was a dab hand at making curry. Born in Kenya, he travelled throughout the continent in his youth before being sent to boarding school in the United Kingdom - the latter being an experience which left less than a favourable impression, with Kemp leaving before being asked to do so. The reason? The Essex boys didn't take to kindly to the African and his Spanish friend. "My friend got beaten up and I took revenge," he shakes his head while carefully arranging the presentation of the dish.

His early African food experiences now show up in several dishes, the Mombasa-style prawn curry being just one throwback to his past. But as befits the revived Cloete's, dishes are also contemporary and made with personal involvement - the latter not only because it is a character trait but also because in-house realities dictate a very hands-on approach. The kitchen is quite small, says Kemp, making it difficult to fit a huge brigade. Add to that other challenges like a six-plate burner and a "salamander that doesn't work properly" and one has to wonder how the chef manages to prepare dishes that unfailingly impress.

His professional background includes stints at Simola Hotel, Hotel Le Vendôme, Cape Town International Convention Centre and Bushmans Kloof Wilderness Reserve - a diverse portfolio qualifying him as a good allrounder who can cope with most things, even managing his shifts to include surf-time at Llandudno beach.

Given his somewhat hedonistic streak, Kemp was the natural choice to find a partner for the maiden Teddy Hall Blanc de Blancs 2005 (rated 4 Stars in this year's Amorim Cap Classique Challenge, see p. 89). He is also a chef with a conscience, using organic produce as often as possible and trying to avoid foie gras "due to the force feeding [involved]". Lucky for him, then, that this Cap Classique allowed him to devise a dish made using greens from the garden and fish from trusted resources. "I liked the very fi ne bubbles, and I found the acidity to be quite upfront," he says. "The wine also has quite a bit of fruit character."

To complement these three elements, he set out to prepare an intricate dish of crayfish and salmon on a creamy risotto. The fineness of the mousse was delicately matched by the richness of the crayfish tail, king prawn and salmon (the salmon also chosen because it complemented the colouring of the shellfish). The lime and Thai flavours of the baby leaf salad matched the vibrant acidity of the wine and the Chardonnay's citrus character. And the richness and creaminess of the risotto and Blanc de Blanc reduction added overall balance to the dish. As of yet, this dish is not available on the menu, but Kemp says he will be more than willing to prepare it if guests request it in advance.

THE DISH
It's quite a mouthful - exotic crusted crayfish and salmon cake topped with a lime grilled king tiger prawn over saffron and fennel bulb risotto with a salsa dressed baby leaf salad and a rich Blanc de Blancs reduction. But Kemp maintains that it is surprisingly easy to make as most things can be prepped beforehand and just put together before guests arrive.

A rich dish, both in terms of taste and ingredients, the plated combo includes a generous amount of crayfish, Norwegian salmon meat and a king tiger prawn (although this can be substituted by smaller "tigers" to make the dish lighter). Kemp is also adamant that the salad is an integral part of the dish, so do not plate without the baby salad and a generous amount of lime zest.

Crusted crayfish and salmon cake topped lime grilled king tiger prawn over saffron and fennel bulb risotto

Crusted crayfish and salmon cake (Makes 4)

250g Crayfish tail, cut in cubes
250g Norwegian salmon meat, cleaned
1 Egg white
30 ml cream
1 tsp Fresh garlic, finely minced
1 tsp Fresh ginger, finely grated
20ml Sesame oil
½ t Lime zest, finely chopped
To taste Salt and pepper

In a food processor, blend the cleaned salmon fillets with the egg whites.
Add all other ingredients and fold in.
Shape into 150g cakes and place in freezer to allow to firm slightly

Crust
1 T Coriander, chopped,
1 T Chives, chopped
1 t Lemongrass, very finely chopped
50g Sesame seeds, lightly toasted
50g Fine red pepper brunoise
50g Red onion brunoise
50g Onion sprouts

Mix ingredients well.Roll cakes in mixture, then pan fry slowly in a little olive oil and butter till cooked.

Garlic and lime grilled king tiger prawn

4 x King tiger prawn
100g Butter
½ t Fresh garlic, finely minced
½ t Lime zest
1 T Lime juice
1 t Coriander, chopped
To taste Salt and pepper

Butterfly the prawns and season with salt and pepper, leave prawns in their shells as this helps with retaining flavor and moisture in the prawns. Pan fry in the butter till about 70% cooked.
Remove from the pan, and add garlic, lime zest and juice and coriander to the butter. Drizzle this butter over the prawns and finish under the grill.

Saffron and fennel bulb risotto

Part 1 - Make the risotto base

1 cup Risotto
1 TBS Onions, finely chopped
1 tsp Garlic, finely chopped
1 TBS Butter
3 cups Vegetable stock
1 cup White wine
To taste Salt and pepper

1. Melt the butter in a heavy based pot or sauté pan.
2. Sweat onions for a few minutes, then add risotto, fry a further minute.
3. Add garlic and sauté another minute
4. Add the white wine, and over a low heat allow the rice to absorb the liquid, stirring occasionally to ensure the risotto does not stick.

5. Repeat the same process with the stock, 1 cup at a time, allowing the stock to be absorbed before adding more, repeat till all the liquid is absorbed
6. The risotto should still be al dente, remove from pot and spread out in a clean baking tray to allow it to cool.

Part 2 - finish off

1 tsp Butter
100g Shaved fennel bulb
100ml White wine
Few strands Saffron
50ml Cream
30g Parmesan, grated

1. Lightly sauté the fennel bulb in melted butter, add the saffron then wine.
2. Reduce by half, then add the cream, reduce again by half
3. Add risotto and parmesan, heat through and season if necessary.

Lime salsa dressed baby leaf salad

150g Baby salad leaves

Lime salsa:
1 TBS Red and yellow peppers, finely chopped
1 tsp Coriander, roughly chopped
100g Cherry tomatoes, quartered
50g Red onions, finely chopped
1 TBS Lime juice
1 TBS White balsamic vinegar
1 TBS Olive oil
1 tsp Sugar                                                                                                                   
To taste Salt and pepper

1. Combine all the ingredients and add sugar, salt and pepper to taste.
2. Toss the baby salad leaves through the salsa, then arrange on plate

Rich Blanc de Blanc reduction

1 TBS Butter
100g Celery, chopped
100g Leeks, chopped
100g Onions, chopped
50g Garlic, chopped
200ml Blanc de blanc
200ml Cream

1. Lightly sauté celery, leeks, onions and garlic in butter for 5 minutes
2. Add the sparkling wine and reduce by half
3. Add the cream, bring to the boil then blend with a stick blender
4. Reduce by half, season to taste and strain through a fine chinois strainer.