Stuffed squid, sherry caramel and cauliflower puree
Opposites attract
When asked to devise a dish to serve with a Kaapzicht red, the young team at The Roundhouse in Camps Bay came up with an unlikely but satisfying solution.
By Jeanri-Tine van Zyl.
Established in 1756, The Roundhouse on the slopes of Camps Bay, just off Kloofnek road, boasts an illustrious history. While it dabbled in the hospitality industry in the early years (being used both as a restaurant and boutique hotel in the 1800s), in its current form it is only a couple of months old. Keeping it young and fresh is very much a theme at this zhoosh restaurant, it seems.
Co-owner Fasie Malherbe is proud of the fact that the oldest member of in-house staff is 27. "He's old," he quips, pointing to newly appointed chef PJ Vadas. Maybe, if age is measured in experience: Vadas has been behind the oven in many international kitchens and has trained under über chef Gordon Ramsay. Following a hands-on approach, he changes his menu on a regular, almost weekly basis.
Since Vadas replaced chef at launch Ronan O'Dwyer, the style of the food has also undergone changes. "We have toned down from bold dishes and are instead concentrating on subtle flavours," he says. When tasked with finding a match for the Kaapzicht Bin 3 Merlot & Cabernet Sauvignon 2006, which rated 3½ Stars in this month's additional assessments and overdelivers on value (see pg. 81), Vadas enlisted Malherbe to help him decide on the perfect dish. "It is quite a chunky wine," says the latter, swirling the wine. "There is mulberry bush, herbaceousness and a fair amount of smoked ham." They initially thought that the blend, served slightly chilled, called for something substantial and meaty. But in the end it is a dish of baby squid stuff ed with pork rillettes, served with popped wild rice and cauliflower purée and lined with fresh micro basil and baby parsley, which combines all the flavours needed to complement the wine.
"The fresh herbs accentuate the Merlot, whilst the Sherry vinegar caramel complements the slightly sweeter mulberry flavours of the Cabernet." The cauliflower purée also matches the wine beautifully, much to Malherbe's surprise: "It is often difficult to match red wine with vegetables."
Enjoying the last drop of wine, Vadas remarks that the setting is one of the most beautiful he has ever worked in. Down in the bay, the ocean is choppy, but in this particular glen the only movement is the hustle below at the more casual lunch-only part of the restaurant known as Rumbullion. Malherbe nods: "We have a great team, we are young and lank passionate, and we have energy - we can work 20 hours if we have to."
Stuffed Squid
12 medium-sized squid tubes, cleaned
100g micro greens
300g pork rillettes (recipe follows)
Caulifl ower purée (recipe follows)
40g Sherry caramel (recipe follows)
40g popped wild rice (cooked)
20g cauliflower beginets
20g fried, breaded cauliflower
Salt & pepper
120g cauliflower purée
PORK RILLETTES
1 pork belly
5 medium-sized Granny Smith apples
200g thyme
Salt
Cook pork in trays, on top of sliced
apples, unpeeled, with thyme. Season
generously and cook at 90°C for
10 hours.
SHERRY CARAMEL
200g castor sugar
200g Sherry vinegar
Cook castor sugar until caramelised. Add
Sherry vinegar and cook on low heat until you
can feel it is sticky.
CAULIFLOWER PURÉE
500g/1 head cauliflower
500ml milk
Chop up the cauliflower with milk. Cook until soft and
then purée in a blender until smooth.
TO ASSEMBLE/PLATE
Stuff the squid with the pork rillettes. Pan-fry until
golden brown. Set aside for two minutes to rest.
With a pastry brush, brush the caramel on a plate.
Sprinkle with popped rice. Spoon over the caulifl ower
purée and place the squid on top. Sprinkle with the
micro greens and serve.
Photographs by Joanne Markland
