Fynbos and Bokkoms

TOM YUM PASTE

INGREDIENTS

• 50g chili paste (from soaked, deseeded and blended dry chilies or a chilli paste of
• your choice)
• 40g bokkom powder (or more to taste)
• ½ cup tamarind pulp water
• 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 4 pieces kaffir lime leaves, finely chopped
• A thumb ginger, finely chopped
• 1 stalk lemongrass, white parts only, finely chopped
• ½ large red onion, finely chopped
• 1 ½ tbsp brown sugar
• 1 ½ tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 tsp ground coriander

METHOD

1. Blend the paste ingredients together until a paste forms or use a pestle and mortar to bash it up finely. Keep in a jar in the fridge.

 

THE TOM YUM

INGREDIENTS

BROTH

• 2-3 tablespoons tom yum paste
• 2Tbsp neutral tasting oil like sunflower oil or peanut oil
• 3-3 ½ cups bokkom broth
• 6cm piece of ginger (sliced into 6 pieces)
• 2 cups chicken stock (or 2 cups milk)
• ¾ -1 cup mielie meal
• 1 cup parmesan
• Salt and pepper
• 3 Tbsp butter

FILLING

• 2 king oyster mushrooms, sliced
• 2 roma tomatoes, diced
• ½ red bell pepper, sliced
• ½ cup coconut milk *optional
• 2 tablespoons chopped coriander
• 2-4 tablespoons fresh lime juice
• 180g ramen noodles, cooked
• A handful dune spinach
• 2 soft boiled eggs

METHOD

1. To make the paste, blend all the ingredients together or grind to a paste in a pestle and mortar.
2. Heat the oil in a wok, add the tom yum paste and cook for a minute. Then add the bokkom stock and ginger.
3. Cook for 5 minutes.
4. Add the oyster mushrooms, tomatoes, red peppers, coconut milk, coriander, lime juice and ramen noodles.
5. Plate up into bowls, add the eggs (and the dune spinach (pick individual leaves off the stem).

*To make the bokkom broth cook 1/2 a bokkom in chicken, vegetable or shrimp broth for 20 minutes to infuse.

DISH 2 - SMOKED TERIYAKI AUBERGINE SERVED WITH CRISPY FRIED RICE & BOKKOM MAYO

INGREDIENTS

• 2 aubergines, halved
• ¼ cup teriyaki
• ¼ cup soy
• ¼ cup ponzu
• 2 tsp garlic and chilli paste
• 2 tbsp honey

METHOD

1. Cut each aubergine in half and then criss-cross the inside, pop into a pan large enough to hold 4 halves and add enough water to almost cover the aubergines.
2. Cook with a lid on for 10 minutes.
3. While its cooking mix the teriyaki, soy, ponzu, garlic paste and honey.
4. Drain the water.
5. Add the teriyaki sauce mix to the saucepan and cook the aubergine in the sauce until it starts to thicken and caramelise but be very careful so it doesn’t burn.
6. Make sure its flesh side down towards the end so you have nice caramelisation.

 

CRISPY RICE

INGREDIENTS

• 2-3 cups cooked sushi rice (best when its 1 2 days old and cold)
• 2-3 tbsp sunflower or peanut oil

METHOD

1. Take the leftover rice and place it into a plastic wrap lined 20cm frying pan and press until it’s about 2cm thick.
2. Carefully remove and place onto another freezer safe plate.
3. Freeze for at least 20 minutes. Dust both sides with flour or corn starch.
4. Heat a non-stick pan with the oil and fry the rice cake until crispy and golden brown on both sides be careful when you turn it around so it doesn’t break.
5. Top with teriyaki aubergine, dollops of bokkom mayo and some freshly foraged sea leaves.

 

BOKKOM MAYO

INGREDIENTS

• 2-3 bokkom pieces, blended to a powder
• ½ cup kewpie mayo

METHOD

1. Grind the bokkoms to a powder in a coffee grinder or bash up with a pestle and mortar and blend into the mayo.
2. Pour into a squeeze bottle.

TO PLATE

• Put whole crispy rice disc onto plate, add aubergine, pipe dollops of bokkom mayo on.
• Garnish with fresh sea pumpkin.