French cuisine – chop-chop
Depth of flavour and superb presentation are what internationally acclaimed celebrity chef, Mathew Gordon of Laborie wine farm, Paarl, swears by. We met up with this multi-faceted man to find out what makes him tick. It turns out that – away from the kitchen — vintage Land Rovers and flying choppers are his thing.
Seared salmon
What you need:
90g lightly smoked salmon trout
40g thinly sliced Granny Smith apple
40g thinly sliced celeriac
40g thinly sliced baby fennel bulb
10ml plain yoghurt
10ml crème friache
10ml mayonnaise
Olive oil
Trout caviar
Micro herbs
What you do:
To make your slaw:
Combine the yoghurt, crème fraiche and mayonnaise together. Add in the thinly sliced apple, celeriac and fennel bulb. Season to taste.
Salmon:
Pepper salmon and place into a hot pan. Sear each side for about a minute
To plate:
Place slaw in the centre of the plate, place the salmon on top. Drizzle olive oil around the plate, sprinkle a little caviar around the salmon. Garnish with a few micro herbs.
Lamb rump
What you need:
200g lamb rump
3 pearl onions
1 turnip, quartered
1 parsnip, quartered
3 baby carrots
1 beetroot, quartered
500ml brown stock
200ml red wine
30g breadcrumbs
30g fresh, flat leaf parsley
Dijon mustard
Seasoning
What you do:
Vegetables:
Clean and peel the pearl onions, turnips, parsnips, beetroot and baby carrots. Cut the beetroot, parsnip and turnips into quarters. Season the vegetables and roast at 200C until they are soft and tender.
Red wine sauce:
Heat a small saucepan and pour in the red wine. Once the wine starts to bubble, add the brown stock. Reduce the heat and allow the sauce to reduce slowly until it has a thicker consistency.
Herb crust:
Finely chop the flat leaf parsley and mix in the breadcrumbs.
Lamb rump:
Season the lamb rump, place fat side first into a hot pan. Once the fat has a nice brown colour, turn the rump around and brown all over. Place the rump into a pre-heated oven, at 200C. Cook the lamb for about 10 minutes. Remove from the oven. Smear a small amount of mustard onto the fat side of the rump. Cover the mustard with the herb breadcrumbs. Place under a warm grill until the crumbs turn a darker colour. Remove from the grill and allow the lamb to rest. Once rested, slice thinly.