CAPE MALAY BIRYANI-FLAVOURED CONFIT OF DUCK WITH NIGHTSHADE PRESERVE

This stunning recipe can be made way in advance, portioned and frozen and taken out before your party. Nightshade preserve is made from nastegal berries, but you can use plum sauce instead.

Serves 20

Ingredients:

1 whole duck

Olive oil

3 red onions, chopped

15ml (1 tbsp) garam masala

5 cloves

Seeds of 4 green cardamom pods

10ml (2 tsp) fennel seeds

10ml (2 tsp) coriander seeds

5ml (1 tsp) cumin seeds

2 cinnamon sticks

750ml dry white wine

500ml (2 cups) good chicken stock

Salt and pepper

Nightshade preserve or plum sauce

Method:

In a cast-iron pot or heavy skillet, brown the duck in a generous helping of olive oil. Take out and let rest. Add the onions to the oil. Gently fry until golden and throw in all the spices. Fry until the seeds start to pop and the beautiful aroma hits you (3-4 minutes). Deglaze the pan with 500ml (2 cups) of the wine. Drink the rest. Add the stock, gently lower the duck into the liquid, cover with lid and roast in the oven at 180°C for 3-4 hours. Check every hour and turn oven lower if cooking too fast. Remove the duck and set aside to cool. Place the pot on the stove and cook until the liquid has reduced by two thirds. Debone the duck, remove the skin and shred the meat. Add spoonfuls of the reduced liquid from the pot to the meat and mix until a soft consistency is reached. Adjust seasoning and refrigerate for about 2 hours. Spoon the meat into pretty spoons and serve with nightshade preserve or plum sauce, garnished with fresh coriander and shredded red cabbage.

HOISIN BEANS AND KUDU CARPACCIO

Serves 20

Ingredients:

10ml (2 tsp) olive oil

1 onion, finely chopped

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1 fresh red chilli, seeded and chopped

5ml (1 tsp) freshly grated root ginger

250g chopped fine green beans

20ml (4 tsp) hoisin sauce

15ml (1 tbsp) black sesame seeds

15ml (1 tbsp) chopped fresh coriander

Kudu carpaccio (or any good carpaccio from a deli)

Method:

Heat the olive oil in a roasting pan and fry the onion until golden and sweaty. Add the garlic, chilli and ginger and fry for 2 minutes. Add the beans, reduce the heat and cook for 8-10 minutes until beans start to soften. Remove from heat and cool for 5 minutes. Stir in the hoisin sauce, sesame seeds and coriander and refrigerate for 1 hour. Make little pockets with the carpaccio, spoon the hoisin bean mixture into the centre and serve garnished with fresh baby beetroot leaves or any lekker fresh herbs.

WASABI AVOCADO AND PRAWN RITZ

There is an air of 1976 olde worlde hotel glamour about this little thing. It's delicious and impressive.

Serves 20

Ingredients:

500g prawn meat (out of the shells)

3 ripe avocados

1 small red onion, chopped

Juice and finely grated zest of 1 lemon

5ml (1 tsp) wasabi paste or powder, to serve

Fresh dill or fennel fronds, to serve

Dried shrimp (available from Asian supermarkets), to serve

Method:

Let the prawn meat thaw properly overnight in a strainer over a bowl in the fridge. Next day, gently steam or pan-fry until it turns pink. Do not overcook. Chill in the refrigerator. Combine the avocados, onion, lemon juice and wasabi paste or powder in a blender and pulse until you have a beautifully smooth creamy, green mixture. Serve in pretty spoons topped with prawn meat, lemon zest, dill and dried shrimp.

SPICED PORK TERRINES WITH APPLE AND MINT SAUCE

Makes about 24

Terrines:

1kg pork mince

2 onions, finely chopped

500ml (2 cups) fruit cake mix

10ml (2 tsp) ground cinnamon

30ml (2 tbsp) freshly grated root ginger

10ml (2 tsp) crushed coriander seeds

5ml (1 tsp) grated nutmeg

5ml (1 tsp) coarsely ground black pepper

5ml (1 tsp) coarse sea salt

10ml (2 tsp) grated orange rind

10ml (2 tsp) chopped fresh sage

Sauce:

500ml (2 cups) canned or bottled apple sauce

Handful fresh mint leaves

Method:

Mix all the terrine ingredients together and roll into small balls. Place in greased small muffin tins and bake at 180°C for 15-20 minutes. Remove and cool. In a food processor, blend the sauce ingredients. Serve the cool terrines with sauce, tinned baby apples and fresh mint leaves.

SNOEK FISHCAKES WITH PINEAPPLE AND CORIANDER SAMBAL

This recipe comes from "Ous" Huyster from Riebeek West, one of the best cooks I have met. She always frowned at my attempts to make fishcakes and finally gave me her ancient family recipe.

Serves 20

Fishcakes:

1 whole snoek (about 2kg), gutted and scaled

4 slices stale brown bread

500ml (2 cups) chopped fresh curly-leaf parsley

2 onions, finely chopped

15ml (1 tbsp) fish spice

2 large eggs

Salt and pepper, to taste

Oil, for frying

Pineapple sambal:

1 pineapple, peeled, cored and chopped

Handful fresh coriander

100ml apple cider vinegar

30ml (2 tbsp) sugar (or to taste)

Method:

Poach the snoek in enough boiling salted water to cover the fish. When cooked, cool and debone (a job for the whole family). Reserve the cooking liquid and soak the bread in this, then squeeze out excess liquid and combine the snoek meat and bread with the remaining ingredients. Mix with your hands, removing any bones. Roll into small balls and press down hard to create dense fishcakes. Refrigerate for about 2 hours (or freeze until needed). Deep-fry in batches in hot oil until golden brown, gently moving around in the pan to keep them from sticking. Drain, place on baking trays and bake in the oven at 200°for about 8 minutes. Remove and cool. Blend the sambal ingredients in a food processor and serve with the fishcakes, garnished with fresh gooseberries and coriander.

STRAWBERRY SHORTCAKE AND GRAPPA ICE CREAM WITH WHITE CHOCOLATE CHEESECAKE GANACHE (below)

Serves 20

For the ice cream:

Mix together 2 litres of vanilla ice cream with 2 cups chopped fresh strawberries, 250g crushed shortbread and 4 shots of grappa. Freeze overnight in a container or in small silver foil cups for individual portions

For the cheesecake ganache:

In a blender, combine 1 cup cream cheese, 1 cup crème fraîche and 1 cup fresh cream. Mix at high speed. Melt 250g white chocolate in a double boiler and slowly blend into the cream mixture until smooth. Mix in the seeds of 1 vanilla pod. Refrigerate for about 2 hours until dense and thick.

To serve:

Smudge nightshade preserve or plum sauce on plates and add ice cream, cheesecake ganache, a strawberry, a maraschino cherry and a fortune cookie.