Zola, Siba, Lorna: try these delectable recipes from SA’s top celeb chefs

Three of the most recognised faces in South African cooking — Zola Nene, Siba Mtongana and Lorna Maseko — are set to go head-to-head for the prestigious Best Chef award at this year's South African Restaurant Awards.

Boasting a number of TV show appearances and judging duties, the three pioneers have won Mzansi over with their unique takes on cooking. The award will be taken home by the chef who displays the finest culinary talent and has demonstrated excellence and innovation in their field.

Haven't had your taste of the heat they bring to the kitchen? Here's a three-course meal you can put together inspired by Maseko's playful Coca-Cola kebabs, Nene's mouthwatering pork belly and Mtongana's heartwarming meringue cheesecake.

KAROO LAMB KEBABS WITH BRANDY & COKE SAUCE

Serves: 4-6 

Ingredients:

8-10 kebab sticks

600g cubed boneless leg of Karoo lamb

Salt and pepper

45ml (3 tbsp) olive oil 

30g (2 tbsp) butter

2 cloves garlic, crushed 

3 sprigs of rosemary

Sauce:

30g (2 tbsp) butter

250ml (1 cup) cola cooldrink 

60ml (¼ cup) brandy 

2 cloves garlic, crushed 

1 finger fresh ginger, grated 

30ml (2 tbsp) Worcestershire sauce 

15ml (1 tbsp) mint jelly 

30ml (2 tbsp) parsley, chopped 

Micro herb salad to serve

Method:

1. Soak kebab sticks in water for 15 minutes. Preheat the oven to 200°C.
2. Season the lamb with salt and pepper and drizzle with oil. Skewer onto kebab sticks.
3. Heat a pan and place the skewers into the pan and sear on each side until browned. Once browned add in the butter, garlic and rosemary. Toss and place into the preheated oven for 5-10 minutes, depending on preferred doneness. Remove from the oven and allow to rest while you prepare the sauce.
4. For the sauce, place all the ingredients except the mint jelly, parsley and salad into a saucepan and heat until the sauce starts reducing and thickening slightly. Finish off the sauce by stirring through the mint jelly and fresh parsley.
5. Serve the skewers on a bed of micro herbs and either pour the sauce over the skewers or serve alongside the skewers for dipping.

CRISPY PORK BELLY WITH PINEAPPLE CHUTNEY

Serves: 4-6

Ingredients:

1-1.2kg pork belly, ask the butcher to score the rind

Vegetable oil

Coarse salt

1 onion, sliced

1 bay leaf

1 carrot, sliced

A couple of sprigs of fresh sage

Freshly ground black pepper

30ml (2 tbsp) brown sugar

Pineapple chutney:

150ml cider vinegar

150ml sugar

1 star anise

1 clove

1 small stick cinnamon

1 pineapple, peeled, sliced into blocks removing the hard core

1 red chilli, seeded and sliced

Method:

1. Rub the pork rind with oil and sprinkle over coarse salt, massaging into the scoring.
2. Using a folded piece of foil, shape into a container with a side big enough to fit the pork snugly.
3. Place the sliced onion, bay leaf, carrot and sage in the base of the foil and sprinkle over pepper. Place pork belly on the top of the veg.
4. Carefully place into the air fryer and set the temperature to 190ºC and timer to 45 minutes.
5. While the pork is cooking, combine the vinegar and sugar in a small pot and add the spices — star anise, clove and cinnamon.
6. Bring to the boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar, then add the pineapple pieces and chilli and cook till the pineapple has softened and liquid is a bit syrupy. Remove the spices.
7. After 45 minutes of cooking, carefully remove the pork and sprinkle the meat with sugar before returning to the air fryer for a further 10-15 minutes, rind side up.
8. Remove meat from air fryer. Pour off the meat juices through a strainer into a small pot for making a gravy. Thicken with a paste of 10ml of flour and water on the stove, add a splash of white wine or sherry and stir till thickened.
9. Place the meat on a plate, cover loosely with tin foil and rest for 10 minutes before serving sliced or cubed with the gravy and pineapple chutney on the side.

SIBA MTONGANA’S CHEAT MERINGUE CHEESECAKE

Ingredients:

200g tea biscuits, such as Bakers Tennis, crushed;

80g dried desiccated coconut, toasted;

125g butter, melted.

Cheesecake

2 x 250g tubs of cream cheese, room temperature;

1 x 398g tin condensed milk;

2 large egg yolks;

100ml fresh lemon juice;

15ml lemon zest.

Meringue topping

2 egg large whites;

Pinch of salt;

100g castor sugar;

200ml store-bought passion fruit coulis.

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C and lightly grease an 18cm loose bottom spring form baking tin with cooking spray.
2. Mix the crushed biscuits with the toasted coconut and melted butter. Tip into the prepared tin and press the mixture down to form the base and sides.
3. To make cheesecake, whisk the cream cheese until smooth, adding the condensed milk a little at a time, until combined. Stir in the egg yolks, the lemon juice and zest and mix to combine. Pour the filling over the biscuit base and bake for 25 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool completely.
4. To make the meringue topping, place the egg whites in a clean bowl and beat until frothy. Add the salt and beat again until soft peaks stage. This takes three minutes on medium to high speed.
5. Add the castor sugar, 30ml at a time, beating well after each addition until all the sugar is dissolved and until stiff peak stage is reached — for about five minutes — and the egg whites are shiny, fluffy and glossy. Do not overbeat as this will deflate the meringue.
6. Spoon the meringue on top of the centre part of the baked cheesecake and blow torch until caramelised or grill in the oven for about five minutes until the meringue is golden.
7. Drizzle with the passion fruit coulis all around the meringue and serve immediately.