Nkateko Maoke is leaving his mark on Joburg’s fine dining scene.
The 23-year-old demi-chef de partie at Four Seasons Hotel The Westcliff, Johannesburg, was handpicked by executive chef Rudi Liebenberg to co-create an inimitable menu for an exclusive, year-long seasonal dining series in partnership with Babylonstoren, one of the Cape’s most celebrated farms.
The farm is renowned for its extraordinary locally grown produce.
“Everything just tastes so good,” says Maoke. “It’s refined and proper. It’s one thing if food looks good on the plate, but it needs to have an impact on you emotionally – that’s how much I love food."
It was after his promotion that Maoke began to work closely with Liebenberg and landed the opportunity to work on the project.
“I was promoted in November last year, and before then I was in the commis chef position as I was still starting out,” he says.
“I was always curious about a lot of things and I knew he was a genius. So, I wouldn’t hesitate and would always ask him questions and come up with some ideas. Then he started recruiting me a little bit. You know, he started pulling me closer to him.
“After a successful simple wine dinner, when the Babylonstoren experience came, he didn’t even think twice, he just came to me and asked me to go home to research and come up with ideas for us to discuss - and trust me, that’s what I did. I always love a challenge,” says Maoke.
The autumn edition of the seasonal year-long dinner series is centred on the humble but mighty olive. Now, silverware is polished and glassware sparkling, the wheels are already in motion for what promises to be an equally stunning, tangy-sweet citrus-themed dinner in June.
“This dinner is just creating a connection between, of course, the Babylonstoren farm and the table, and it celebrates the local produce, serenity and storytelling through food,” says Maoke
“I learnt so much during this time; Chef Rudi taught me that luxury is restraint and to keep things simple. When you have a positive story and have fabulous ingredients, you don’t need to do much to them. Letting the ingredients speak on its own on the plate,” he says.
Maoke says food has always taken centre-stage for his most special memories growing up. His fondest food memory is the visual of his parents cooking cow trotters in the family kitchen together.
“This was the first and last time I saw them doing that together, as my father later passed away. It was only in high school when it hit me that they were together in the kitchen because of the food. I then realised the power of food can connect people together,” Maoke says.
Maoke completed his studies at the School of Tourism and Hospitality at the University of Johannesburg with a diploma in food and beverage operations.
Mushroom & Babylonstoren Pecan Nuts Pâté
Exquisitely prepared and plated over three days, the scrumptious, beautiful autumn plant-based dish recipe is the collaboration between Liebenberg and Maoke.
Ingredients
To make the mushroom pâté:
- 1,2 kg whole button mushrooms
- 180g dried button mushrooms
- 50g dried porcini mushrooms
- 350ml mushroom broth
- 100g vegan butter
- 120g baby Onion
- 12g garlic
- 30ml neutral oil
- 2 bay leaves
- 25g tomato paste
- 30g miso
- 4 thyme sprigs
- 80ml port
- 110ml brandy
- 190g pecans
- 80ml extra virgin olive oil
- 5g fine sea salt
- 2g black pepper
- 5g agar agar
- 1g Xanthan gum
- Zest of one orange & lemon
To make a quince and gel:
- 1l water
- 500g quince (quartered)
- 150g sugar
- zest of 1 orange
- 1 bay leaf
- 8 black peppercorns
- Reduced poaching liquid
- 3 gelatin sheets
Method
- Soak the pecan nuts overnight in cold water, then drain before use.
- Rehydrate the dried mushrooms in hot mushroom broth for 30 minutes, then strain out the liquid. Reserve both the mushrooms and the liquid separately.
- Mix the water, sugar, orange zest, bay leaf, peppercorns and dried chilli and bring to a gentle simmer.
- Poach the quince in the mixture until tender, then remove and reserve
- Reduce the poaching liquid until concentrated.
- Incorporate bloomed gelatine, chill until set, before blending into a smooth gel.
- Heat a heavy pan and caramelise the whole mushrooms deeply on both sides without agitation until well coloured, then reserve.
- Sweat the onions, garlic, thyme and bay leaves in vegan butter and oil until aromatic.
- Add the miso, tomato paste and rehydrated dried mushrooms and cook until the mixture turns into a deep, dark brown colour
- Deglaze the pan with port and brandy and reduce.
- Add the reserved mushroom liquor and reduce to a concentrated essence.
- Return the caramelised mushrooms to the pan and cook briefly to combine the flavours
- Remove the herbs and blend the mushroom mixture with the
- half-soaked pecans, olive oil, citrus zests, salt and black pepper until smooth. Pass the mixture through a tamis, then fold in the reserved chopped pecans for texture.
- Activate the agar in a small portion of the parfait, whisk it back into the full mixture, add xanthan and blend until glossy and silken
- Fold in the chopped pecans.
- Chill the parfait until set but pipeable.
- Pipe or quenelle the mushroom parfait onto the plate. Dot the parfait with the quince gel.
- Garnish with poached quince slices and watercress.
- Finish with fine salt flakes and a few drops of extra virgin olive oil and serve immediately.
