Caxton magazines staffSavannah to Sea (Struik Lifestyle), R295, by Nico Verster, is aptly described as ‘Fine cuisine under an African Sky’. The recipes are ideal for entertaining as Nico is a chef at some of SA’s most breathtaking hotels. Here’s one of our favourites from the book.
INGREDIENTS
- 4 barbecued duck breasts, sliced
- 1 cup bean sprouts
- 1 handful fresh coriander
- 1 handful fresh mint leaves
- 2 spring onions, sliced
- 1 red chilli, sliced
- 1 cup sliced pawpaw
- 6 rosa tomatoes, halved
- 1 carrot, peeled and sliced
- 1 young leek, sliced
- 1 cucumber, sliced
- 12 garlic flowers
- 12 shimeji mushrooms
- fresh coconut shavings
For the dressing
- ¼ cup grated palm sugar (or white sugar if palm not available)
- ½ cup lime juice
- 1t fish sauce
- ½t sesame oil
- 1 red chilli, chopped
- 1 sprig fresh coriander, chopped
METHOD
- To make the dressing, combine all the ingredients in a bowl and stir.
- For the salad, place the duck, bean sprouts, coriander, mint, spring onions, chilli, pawpaw, tomatoes, carrot, leek, cucumber and palm sugar dressing in a large bowl and toss lightly to combine.
- Garnish with the garlic flowers, shimeji mushrooms and coconut shavings.
Chef’s tip: Other combinations that work well in this salad are barbecued pork fillet spiced with sichuan pepper, thin strips of turkey breast with pomegranates or lightly smoked fish with grapefruit segments
This recipe serves 6 people
