Sophia Lindop - A Unique Food Experience

Have a great weekend!

 

Wherever you are, whatever you're doing, take care and have a fabulous weekend!

F SH...

Thought I had to let you in on a Cape Town secret...it's a new restaurant called F SH and you will find it in the picturesque Kalk Bay. 

The menu is great.  You go to a fresh fish counter, you select what you want to eat, they prepare it in a masterly fashion, and you enjoy!  The waiters are well-informed and really good, and they have a great wine list!  On a good day, sitting outside is a real treat.

This has become one of Paddy and my favourites!  It is truly habit-forming!  Hope you too will find this a gem, and become regulars like we are!  See you there...

Pasta con le Vongole

 

OK, so here's the proof that last night's Pasta con le Vongole was so good that everyone polished their bowls before I could get the camera ready!  It was ambrosial!

Serves 4
Difficulty – easy
Preparation time – 10 minutes
Cooking time – 40 minutes
Suggested wine – Durbanville Hills Sauvignon Blanc or Ross Gower Rosé

Ingredients
2 tablespoons Grapeseed oil
2 cloves of garlic, crushed
A sprig of fresh rosemary
500 ml tomato passata
½ teaspoon sugar
1 kg baby clams, in shells
300 g dried pasta, like spaghetti or linguine (the long ones work best with this sauce)
2 tablespoons chopped Italian flat leaf parsley
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method
1. Heat the oil in a saucepan, add the garlic and rosemary, and cook over low heat for about 2 minutes.  Add the passata, sugar, salt and pepper.  Bring to the boil.  Cover and simmer for about 30 minutes.  Remove and discard the rosemary.
2. While the sauce is simmering, put the clams and 2 tablespoons of water into a large saucepan.  Cover and cook over medium heat for about 4 to 5 minutes, shaking the pan occasionally, until the shells have opened.  Discard any that remain closed.  Set aside to cool.
3. Bring a large pot of water to the boil.  Add a handful of salt, and then add the pasta.  Use a fork to separate the strands, and cook until al dente or according to the directions on the packet.
4. Strain the clam cooking juices into a measuring jug, leaving behind any grit.  Add to the tomato sauce.  Shell about half of the clams and discard the empty shells.  Add the shelled and unshelled clams to the tomato sauce and simmer for 3 to 4 minutes.
5. Drain the pasta and return it to the warm pot.  Add the sauce, the chopped parsley.  Toss gently using two forks.
6. Spoon the pasta into four warm serving bowls and serve.

Terminology
· Vongole – Italian for ‘clams.’
· Passata – Italian for ‘tomato purée.’

Q.  Why add sugar?
A.  To cut the acidity of the tomato.

Q.  What ratio salt to water does one use when cooking pasta?
A.  About 4 litres of water to a handful salt.  The water should taste like water from the ocean.

Q.  Why add salt to the water before cooking the pasta?
A.  Salt acts as a flavouring agent – the pasta absorbs the salt.  If you forget and want to correct the mistake by adding it at the end, you will be left with bland pasta with a salty exterior.

Q.  Should you add oil to the pasta water?
A.  No!  Oil will not keep your pasta from sticking together.  If it sticks it means you have used too little water.   Oil will also inhibit the sauce from sticking to the pasta and will again result in bland pasta.

Enjoy!

Mediterranean Lamb Stew...yummy comfort food!

 

This Mediterranean Lamb Stew is exactly what the doctor ordered on this freezing Cape Town day! 

Serves 6 to 8
Preparation time – 20 minutes
Cooking time – 90 minutes
Suggested wine – Landskroon Shiraz with a few years’ bottle age

Ingredients
2 tablespoons olive oil
700 g boned shoulder of free range Karoo lamb
1 large onion, sliced
1 clove garlic, crushed
Chopped oregano to taste
1 aubergine, cubed
1 bay leaf
300 ml lamb or vegetable stock
2x 400 g cans chopped tomatoes
400 g can chickpeas, drained
50 g seedless raisins

Couscous:
700 ml hot vegetable stock
450 g couscous

Topping:
Feta cheese, crumbled
3 tablespoons fresh mint, chopped

Method
1. Preheat oven to 190ºC.
2. Heat the oil in a large casserole dish and brown the lamb until golden. Remove from the dish with a slotted spoon and put on a plate.
3. Add the onion to the casserole and cook until it begins to soften for 2 to 3 minutes.
4. Stir in the garlic cloves, oregano and aubergine cubes. Cover and cook for 3 to 4 minutes until golden.
5. Return the lamb (and juices) to the dish. Add the bay leaf, stock, chopped tomatoes, chickpeas and seedless raisins. Season to taste.
6. Cover then cook in the oven for 1½ hours until lamb is tender and cooked through.
7. Five minutes before serving, pour the hot vegetable stock over the couscous so it covers it by 1cm.
8. Cover and leave to stand for 5 minutes, then fluff up with a fork.
9. Serve the lamb on the couscous, and top with feta and mint. 

Mint is hard to find here in winter, so I substituted with Italian flat-leaf parsley.  I also used a deboned leg of lamb instead of the shoulder.  Lamb knuckles or shanks would work equally well!

A hot ciabata, a glass of wine, a fire in the fireplace, laughter and friends, and you're set!  Enjoy!