A Modern South African Festive Menu with Chef Wandile Mabaso

Ingredients:

1. leg of lamb
2. 6 cloves of garlic
3. 1 cup olive oil
4. 4 sprigs of rosemary 
5. salt & black pepper

Let the lamb sit at room temperature for at least 30min while the oven pre-heats to 200º.

Peel garlic cloves, strip the rosemary leaves from the stem and place the garlic and rosemary in a small sauce pot.

Add olive oil and simmer for 30min or until the garlic is soft and cooked, making sure to let it cook slowly, so the oil takes on the garlic & rosemary flavour.

Remove the mixture from the stove and when cooled down strain out half of the olive oil to coat the lamb.

Blend the remaining mixture into a garlic & rosemary paste which you stuff into three small incisions made into the lamb.

Use the remaining strained oil to rub and coat the surface of the lamb and place the seasoned lamb on a rack with a tray underneath and place inside the oven and cook for 1hr 30min.

Once the lamb is cooked remove from the oven and season with salt and pepper, cover it with foil and let it rest for 15min before serving -- this will help retain the moisture and texture of the lamb.

Ingredients:

1. 1 cup roasted & sliced almonds 
2. 1 cup extra virgin olive oil 
3. 1 cup mint leaves ( off the stem )
4. 2 cups basil leaves ( off the stem )
5. 1 tablespoonful of lemon juice 
6. salt & white pepper

Place 1/2 of the 1 cup of olive oil inside the bottom of a blender.

Add almonds, mint & basil inside the blender.

Blend the mixture at a rapid speed and pour in the remaining olive oil gradually until the mixture turns into a thick paste.

Add salt & pepper to your preferred seasoning.

Finish with lemon juice and blend together for another 10seconds.

Ingredients:

1. 1 cup bulgur wheat
2. 2 cup coconut milk
3. 1/2 cup coconut cream
4. 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
5. 1/4 cup diced white onion
6. 3 tablespoonfuls of olive oil
7. 2 tablespoonfuls of diced baby marrow 
8. 2 tablespoonfuls of diced carrots
9. salt & white pepper 
10. 1 spoon of lime juice

Turn the stove on to medium heat and cook the onion, carrots & baby marrow in the olive oil.

Cool the vegetables for three minutes while stirring constantly.

Add the bulgur wheat and cool together for another three minutes.

Add the coconut milk, salt & pepper and bring to a boil.

Taste the liquid for perfect seasoning.

As soon as the liquid come to a boil switch off the stove and keep the pot covered for 20min.

After 20min the bulgur should rise and the coconut milk fully absorbed.

Add the coconut cream and bring the pot back to a simmer stirring continuously.

You should have a wet and creamy risotto like consistency, add more coconut cream if required.

Turn the stove off and add Parmesan cheese and incorporate it into the risotto by stirring vigorously until you have a creamy texture.

Add lime juice.

Ingredients:

1. 2 Granny Smith apples
2. 1 spoon of brown sugar
3. 1 teaspoon of cinnamon powder 
4. 1 teaspoonful of vanilla extract 
5. 1 cup of heavy whipping cream
6. pinch of salt
7. 1 spoon of cooking oil
8. 1/4 cup of sweetened condensed milk

Peel apple and remove the core and cut into chunks.

Turn the stove up to medium heat, place a flat pan on it and add the cooking oil.

Wait for the pan to get hot and add the chopped apple inside.

Add salt wait until the bottom of the apple chunks are golden brown.

Toss the pan and brown the other side of the apple chunks.

Turn down the heat to simmer, add a pinch of salt, brown sugar and cinnamon.

Toss the apple until soft and remove from the heat.

While the apple is still hot remove from pan and place inside a blender.

Add the condensed milk and vanilla extract into the apple and blend until smooth.

Remove from the blender, place into a bowl and let it cool down.

In a separate bowl add heavy cream and activated charcoal.

Whip the cream mixture until stiff peak.

Add the whipped cream into the blended apple mixture.

Slowly fold the cream into the apple mixture until completely combined.

Take care not to fold or mix vigorously as this will kill the fluffy texture of the cream.

Place the mixture into a container, make sure its covered airtight and freeze for an hour or until frozen.