Locally inspired menus and authentic homegrown flavours define culinary experiences in business-centric Sandton.
The city’s modern oasis @Sandton Hotel appeases the tastebuds of local and international diners with a menu cart that boasts premium local produce with deep, flavourful roots.
“The inspiration behind the dishes on our menu is the diners we serve,” says Freedom Khanyile, 41-year-old executive sous chef.
“The make-up of our diners is a mix between local and international diners, so our menu is collaboration with our diners, and whenever we plan a menu we try to accommodate everyone. They give us ideas for the kind of traditional SA dishes they enjoy, and we put a modern twist on them.
“Ostrich is a popular dish on our menu, followed by our signature grilled venison loin, beef fillet, boerewors and lamb cutlet served with pap tart, chakalaka and a Sheba sauce.”
Khanyile grew up in Port Shepstone, northern KwaZulu-Natal, and relocated to Meadowlands, Soweto, to stay with his father at age 12.
“We didn’t have money for me to further my studies, so I had to find my own way and make a living. I had an uncle who is a chef. He approached me and asked me if I wanted to cook to get pocket money. This is where my passion for cooking began,” Khanyile says.
“I worked at Liza’s Quality Food Restaurant making pizza and bread on a part-time basis. In 2003 my uncle moved to Intercontinental OR Tambo and mentioned my love for food to his executive chef and my interest in learning about cooking. I started as a volunteer until I was offered the position of commis chef.”
Khanyile never looked back and obtained a qualification in culinary arts while working up the ranks of professional kitchens across Johannesburg.
“The first dish I made was a homemade pasta linguine with grilled chicken and mushroom cream sauce. I remember I made the pasta from scratch, not having full knowledge about how to make pasta. I asked my uncle to come and taste it and he was very happy,” Khanyile says.
Grilled ostrich and roasted butternut, accompanied by buttered mushrooms, roasted garlic and onion puree and finished with a green pepper corn jus.
,
Ingredients
For the loin of ostrich:
- 200g loin of ostrich
- 2 cloves fresh garlic
- 10g rosemary fresh herbs,
- 10g thyme fresh herbs,
- 1 tsp coarse black pepper
- 1 tsp fine salt,
- 30ml cooking oil.
For the roasted butternut:
- 20g butternut, cubed
- 30g butter mushrooms
- 30g brown mushrooms
- 1 tbsp brown sugar
- 5g cinnamon powder
- 1 tsp parsley, finely chopped
- 100g margarine butter
- 2 cloves fresh garlic, finely chopped.
For the garlic and onion puree:
- 2 medium-sized white onions
- 6 cloves fresh garlic
- 100ml fresh cream
- 30ml olive oil
- Salt and pepper to taste.
For the green pepper corn jus:
- 100g green pepper corn
- Knorr jus powder
- 20g carrots
- 20g leak
- 20g white onion
- 20g garlic,
- 10g thyme and rosemary herbs,
- 1 tsp tomato paste.
- 20g cooking oil
- 1kg water.
Method
- To prepare the ostrich loin, finely chop all the herbs and combine the rest of the ingredients to make a thyme and rosemary marinade.
- Soak the ostrich loin in the marinade overnight to allow the flavours to penetrate through the meat.
- The next day take it out of the fridge and let it rest and rise to room temperature
- Remove the loin from the marinade 15 minutes before grilling.
- To prepare the roasted butternut in a bowl, combine parsley, margarine and fresh garlic to make the herbed butter.
- Place the butternut on an oven tray and sprinkle sugar and cinnamon over it. Add your herbed butter.
- Roast at 160C for 20 to 25 minutes, depending on the strength of the oven.
- On the stove top, melt butter and brown mushrooms and place them into a saucepan.
- Cook on medium-low heat using the herb butter to saute.
- Salt and black pepper for seasoning.
- To prepare the roasted garlic and onion puree, chop the garlic and onion roughly. Place them on the oven tray and drizzle with olive oil.
- Roast until they become soft and place them in a saucepan.
- Add fresh cream, salt and pepper for seasoning and set it to low heat. Don’t rush it.
- Allow it to simmer. As it simmers the cream will start getting thicker.
- Once the cream thickens, remove it and pour the sauce into blender.
- Blend until it becomes smooth.
- To prepare the green pepper corn jus, chop all your vegetables roughly.
- Rinse the vegetables and make sure they are dry.
- Place them in the pan and turn on. Add the cooking oil.
- Keep turning until it gets golden brown. Add your tomato paste and keep turning until it looks brown.
- Add water and let it simmer for at least 3 hours before straining.
- The vegetable stock is ready. Note the colour will be brown.
- Strain your stock and let it cool down.
- Pour out the stock and put it in a saucepan. Let it simmer and add your green pepper corn and Knorr jus powder.
- Turn down your stove heat to medium and keep an eye on the thickness of the sauce.
- Remove from the heat when you are happy with the consistency of the sauce.
