New Heritage Menu at Red Carnation Hotels

Words: Crush

Red Carnation Hotels South Africa’s sister properties will celebrate Heritage Month in September with a unique culinary experience. The hotels have created three special ‘proudly South African’ heritage dishes, which will be available at all three properties throughout the month, at R115 per dish. Twelve Apostles Hotel and Spa Executive Chef Christo Pretorius has devised a tasty ‘Gourmet Boerie Roll’, while Floris Smith, Executive Chef at Bushmans Kloof Wilderness Reserve & Wellness Retreat will delight guests with his signature ‘Cederberg Lamb Shank Bobotie’ dish; and Executive Chef Kevin Joseph from The Oyster Box in Umhlanga will present diners with a delectable chicken ‘Bunny Chow’.

 ‘Gourmet Boerie Roll’

Chef Pretorius’ dish is a luxury version of South Africa’s beloved Boerie Roll, using the renowned ‘farmer’s sausage’ and giving it a contemporary makeover. He serves venison wors on toasted baguette, garnishes it with spicy tomato smoor and beetroot chutney, and serves it with crispy sweet potato wedges. ‘The idea’, he says, ‘was to go as local as possible – my mantra is always that ‘local is lekker’. According to Pretorius, the perfect boerewors contains high quality meat, spices and just the right amount of fat. ‘The other components all work together beautifully to highlight the beautiful venison wors we use – it’s a modern, Red Carnation interpretation of a classic dish!’

 ‘Cederberg Lamb Shank Bobotie’

Bobotie is a traditional South African dish consisting of spiced minced meat baked with an egg-based topping. The recipe is said to have originated from the Dutch East India Company colonies in Batavi, and has been known in the Cape of Good Hope since the 17th century. The dish is made with curry powder, leaving it with a slight ‘tang’. ‘Bobotie is one of my favourite dishes’, says Chef Smith. ‘I associate it with childhood memories of good wholesome food that is truly South African’. The chef’s specialty is his Lamb Shank Bobotie, which is a constant fixture on the Bushmans Kloof menu. In honour of the lodge’s Cederberg location Smith also uses a special Rooibos egg custard, plus several other secret ingredients, which has led certain food critics to declare that his Bobotie is ‘the best in South Africa’.

New Heritage Menu at Red Carnation Hotels

 ‘Bunny Chow’

The humble Bunny Chow, or ‘Bunny’, as it is known locally, was created in Durban. Home to a large community of people of Indian origin, the precise heritage of the famous curry ‘sandwich’ is a matter of ongoing debate, although its creation has been dated to the 1940s and is associated with the indentured Indians who were brought to Durban to work on the sugar plantations. Chef Joseph uses chicken for his ‘Bunny’, with other vital ingredients including fresh white bread, perfectly spiced curry of medium strength, and just the right amount of gravy. The curry is served in the hollowed-out loaf of bread, with the remaining bread functioning first as lid and then as spoon. ‘This is the number one rule of Bunny Chow’, says Joseph: ‘You scoop out the contents with pieces of bread – no cutlery allowed!’

 About Heritage Month

Heritage Month recognises aspects of South African culture which are both tangible and intangible: creative expression such as music and performances, the country’s historical inheritance, language, food and popular memory. The month culminates in Heritage Day on 24 September, which celebrates the nation’s cultural wealth. South Africans spend the day remembering the cultural heritage of the many cultures that make up the population of South Africa.

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