Heritage Month recipes, week 2: make it, send us a photo and you could win

Please note: this competition is now closed.

Where's the fun in being a foodie if you can't show off your creations to all your friends, not just the ones invited to dinner?

That's why you need a great camera to take those high-res food shots that will rival anything seen on BBC Food — especially in the month when SA celebrates Braai Day.

This September, on each of the first three Sundays, we are publishing recipes for three sets of dishes with a South African heritage and inspired by Weber Sauces and Seasonings, paired with delicious cocktails from Fitch & Leedes and compiled by celebrity chef Sandy Wood.

Prepare one or more of these dishes at home (see recipes below), take a gorgeous photo and e-mail it to us to stand a chance of winning a Canon EOS RP camera with an RF 25-105mm lens (worth R33,695) or, for each of the two runners-up, a Canon TS5340 printer valued at R999.

Send your photographs to competitions@sundaytimes.co.za — include your full name, phone number and address, and the subject line "#STFoodiePhoto”.

Click here to read more and view the terms and conditions.

>> Missed week 1's recipes? Click here to find them.

THIS WEEK'S MENU

Starter

Lamb bunny chow

Main

Herb-crusted lamb cutlets

Heritage Day salad

Drinks pairing: Fitch & Leedes tropical cocktail

Dessert

Naartjie milk tart

STARTER

Lamb bunny chow

Pictured above

Serves: 4

Ingredients:

1kg leg of lamb, cut into 2.5cm cubes

A good splash of olive oil

1 onion, diced

2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

2cm piece of fresh ginger, peeled and finely chopped

2 bay leaves

5 cardamom pods, outer bark removed

3 whole cloves

1 cinnamon stick

4 large tomatoes, diced

15ml (1 tbsp) curry powder

7.5ml (1 ½ tsp) chilli powder

7.5ml (1 ½ tsp) garam masala

5ml (1 tsp) ground coriander

5ml (1 tsp) cumin

2.5ml (½ tsp) turmeric

250ml (1 cup) water

4 medium potatoes, peeled and diced

15ml (1 tbsp) white wine vinegar

Salt, to taste

4 sourdough rolls

Method:

1. Heat a large casserole pot. Brown the lamb in batches, a few pieces at a time so as not to overcrowd the pan. Set aside.
2. Reduce the heat to medium, add the oil and preheat before adding the onions and sautéing until golden.
3. Add the garlic, ginger, bay leaves, cardamom pods, cloves and cinnamon stick. Sauté until the mixture is fragrant.
4. Add the diced tomatoes, curry powder, chilli powder, garam masala, coriander, cumin, and turmeric. Cook for about 8 minutes until the tomatoes start to break down.
5. Return the seared lamb to the pot adding enough water to cover the meat; about 250ml (1 cup). Bring the mixture to a simmer, cover and cook over a low heat for about an hour.
6. Add the potatoes and continue cooking until the potatoes are cooked through and the meat is tender, adding extra water as necessary.
7. Towards the end of the cooking time, mix in the vinegar and salt.
8. While the curry is cooking, slice the top off rolls and hollow each out. Be careful to leave enough bread around the edges to keep the structure of the roll.
9. To serve, spoon curry into each roll.

MAIN

Herb-crusted lamb cutlets

Serves: 4

Ingredients:

100g (250ml) panko crumbs

Grated zest of 2 lemons

2.5ml (½ tsp) dried oregano

45ml (3 tbsp) chopped fresh mint

45ml (3 tbsp) chopped fresh basil

45ml (3 tbsp) fresh Italian parsley, chopped

Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

8 French-trimmed lamb cutlets

60ml (¼ cup) flour, seasoned

1 egg, lightly beaten

A good splash of olive oil

To serve:

Lemon wedges

Fresh oregano leaves

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C.
2. Combine the panko crumbs with the lemon zest, dried oregano and freshly chopped herbs. Season to taste.
3. Coat the lamb cutlets first in the seasoned flour, then in the beaten egg and panko crumbs, shaking off any excess.
4. Heat the olive oil in a frying pan over a medium-high heat and brown the cutlets in batches. Then finish them off in the oven for about 6-8 minutes for medium lamb, or until cooked to your liking.
5. Place the lamb cutlets on a serving platter with the lemon wedges and scatter with fresh oregano leaves. Serve with the Heritage Day salad.

Cook's tip: There's not much that can beat a crispy lamb chop cooked over the flames, but adding a shake, sprinkle or rub of Weber's Karoo Chop Spice (pictured above) will transform it into a flavour sensation.

Heritage Day salad

Serves: 4

Ingredients:

1 red onion, cut into thin wedges

3 Roma tomatoes, halved (or a good handful of exotic baby tomatoes)

2 red peppers, roughly chopped (or use a yellow and a red pepper)

3 baby marrows, halved lengthways, thickly sliced

1 garlic clove, finely chopped

30ml (2 tsp) olive oil, plus extra to dress the salad

2.5ml (½ tsp) dried oregano

Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

200g feta cheese, chopped

80g (½ cup) cup Kalamata olives, pitted

15ml (1 tbsp) fresh oregano leaves, plus extra to serve

Balsamic vinegar

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 200°C and line a large baking tray with tin foil.
2. Toss the vegetables and garlic with the olive oil and dried oregano. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
3. Spread the vegetables on the tray and bake for 15 minutes or until they are just tender.
4. Remove from the oven and add the feta, olives and fresh oregano. Season to taste and toss with a little olive oil and balsamic vinegar before serving with the herb-crusted lamb cutlets.

DRINKS PAIRING

Fitch & Leedes tropical cocktail

Makes: 1

Ingredients:

50ml vodka or gin of your choice

15ml (1 tbsp) pineapple juice, or more according to taste

1 can Fitch & Leedes Indian Tonic

To garnish:

Fresh pineapple slices

Method:

1. Pour the vodka or gin into a glass.
2. Add the pineapple juice and top up with Fitch & Leeds Indian Tonic.
3. Top with ice and garnish with fresh pineapple slices.

DESSERT

Naartjie milk tart

Makes: 1 tart

Pastry:

125g butter

125ml (½ cup) sugar

1 egg

240g (2 cups) flour

10ml (2 tsp) baking powder

Pinch of salt

Filling:

1 ¼ litres (5 cups) milk

3 eggs

250ml (1 cup) sugar

37.5ml (2 ½ tbsp) flour

37.5ml (2 ½ tbsp) cornflour

Pinch of salt

18ml (1 heaped tbsp) butter

Zest of 1 naartjie, plus extra to garnish

5ml (1 tsp) vanilla essence

Ground cinnamon, to garnish

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C.
2. To make the pastry, combine the butter and sugar. Add the egg and beat well. Add the remaining ingredients and mix well until you have a stiff dough.
3. Roll out the pastry and use it to line a 23cm cake pan.
4. Blind bake the pastry for 15 minutes. To do so, cover the pastry with greaseproof paper adding a sprinkling of dry beans or rice to hold it down.
5. Remove the pastry from the oven and discard the greaseproof paper and beans/rice. Return the pastry to the oven and bake until light brown and cooked through.
6. For the filling, place the milk in a saucepan and bring to a simmer.
7. In a large bowl, beat the eggs, then add the sugar, flour, cornflour and salt and mix well. Slowly pour over the hot milk, stirring well.
8. Return the mixture to the pot and stir with a wooden spoon over a medium heat for about 10 minutes until it thickens.
9. Add the butter, naartjie zest and vanilla essence and mix well.
10. Pour the filling into the cooked pastry shell and allow to cool before refrigerating.
11. Serve garnished with some additional naartjie zest and a dusting of ground cinnamon.

MEET THE CHEF

Sandy Wood, the chef behind the delicious recipes featured here, grew up on feasts of Sunday roasts, afternoon teas and candlelit dinners.

“My mother was an amazing cook and entertainer and my biggest inspiration. She made an occasion out of every event,” she says.

Wood developed her culinary skills at Le Cordon Bleu, as well as other prestigious cookery schools overseas.

On home turf and with a wealth of experience under her belt, Wood opened Sandy’s Kitchen, where she combines her skills as caterer, stylist and event planner, offering a one-stop-shop for weddings, corporate events, dinner parties and smaller events.

For more info, visit sandyskitchensa.com,
e-mail sandys.kitchen@icloud.com or call 082 882 0238.