Deconstructed Lime Meringue Pie

You all might probably have heard about the deconstruction of a dish. You either hate it or you love it. I love it! It is a way to take a dish to a new level – to take an ordinary dish and transform it into something that looks similar and nothing alike at the same time. I like the way the dish looks after it has been plated up in a deconstructed way.

The best description I found on a website, ChefTalk.com, was the following: “deconstructed dishes may take the foods that are normally combined in the dish, change their forms, and then plate them together in a different way. It’s not just about taking the dish apart, but putting its elements back together.”

My sister, Jani, recently attended a short DSLR Videography course. As part of her final assignment, they had to shoot a short video. What better video than one that involves food? We decided to make something a little more intricate to give her more footage to play around with and practice editing.

Here is an example of what a deconstructed dish looks like. This one is a lime meringue pie. It consists of lime curd (make sure to use GREEN limes, not yellow limes), meringue shards, piped Italian meringue, pastry crumb, guava jelly, gooseberries and edible flowers for garnish. You can serve it up as a dessert for one person, or what I have also done is a dessert to share.

This was her first attempt at making a video. We look forward to making the next one. Hope you like this one!

Thank you, Jani Rust Photography.

Round LMP Closeup - FB

Round LMP - FB

Sharing Plates LMP - FB

Créme Fraîche, Onion Marmalade and Thyme Roll-up Bread Rolls

We were recently invited to a braai. Nice people always offer to take something with and I think of myself as a nice person.

I was really lazy on Saturday and just wanted to quickly put something together for this braai. And believe me, it really does not get easier than this. You can literally check what you have in the fridge and make your own flavour combinations.

Many food bloggers make their own bread dough from scratch, but I really did not want to make my own dough, plus there is nothing wrong with store-bought dough. It is also sold at a great price! (be sure to get to the supermarket quite early as it sells out fast!)

I had crème fraîche and onion marmalade left over from a function and you know my rule – No wastage!

The bread was a real hit – I received a lot of compliments! Some guests even asked for the recipe. Well, your wish is my command!

Keep your eyes peeled for the next roll-up bread recipe – a sweet one!

Rolled Bread Dough - FB

Rolled Bread Dough with Creme Fraiche and Thyme - FB

Rolled Bread Dough with Creme Fraiche Thyme Onion Marmalade 2- FB

Rolled Up Bread Dough

Rolls in Baking Dish

Roll Up Bread baked - FB

Creamy Potato, Leek & Bacon Soup

I love going to the local farmer’s market and getting some inspiration from the beautiful fresh produce. Unfortunately, the farmer’s market is only open on Saturdays. If I can’t get my hands on the local produce at the farmer’s market I visit a fruit and veg. store run by a closely-knit family. And their imperfectly perfect fruit and vegetables definitely excite me. This time, my eyes were drawn to the large, still quite dirty leeks that were bunched together with a brown string. It was so attractive, how could I resist! And what better combination than leeks and potatoes!

leeks unwashed FB

There is something really great about a creamy potato & leek soup. If you have not tried making your own, it really is worth the (little) effort. But, add bacon and you pretty much have the best ever recipe, plus your fussy’ I-hate-vegetables’ eater will also like this one! Who doesn’t like bacon? And if you know someone who doesn’t like bacon, please ask them what is wrong with them and from which planet are they? I would be a complete mess without bacon.

There is one thing that is a little tricky when it comes to making potato and leek soup – the leeks should absolutely be grit free. I am sure you have all tasted spinach with grit in – it feels like there is a sandstorm in your mouth. It really is horrible. Leeks are like celery stalks, spring onions and spinach – the need a little attention when it comes to cleaning them. Here are the steps in cleaning your leeks:

  • Cut the root end off, as well as the darker leaves. Normally only the lighter part of the leek is used.
  • If the leek is really large or long, it might be easier to cut it in half first. Slice the leek lengthwise.
  • Run a small stream of water through the leeks. The grit will fall out. You can also sort of page through the leek, making sure the water flows through all of the skins until you can’t see any more grit. Especially check the root part where the leek would have grown in soil.
  • You can also roughly rinse the leeks, cut them and then place them in a large bowl of water. You can mix them with your hands. The grit will fall to the bottom. Scoop the leeks from the water.
  • Your leeks are now ready to be used.

Leeks on Scale FB

Leeks Sliced FB

Using a potato cultivar that has more floury characteristics (lower moisture content) is great for mashing and will thus be great for this recipe. Examples of floury potatoes include Up-to-Date, Darius, Avalanche, and Caren. If you cannot find any of those, you can use a potato that has a combination of floury and waxy characteristics. Examples of these include BP1, Valor, Fianna, VDP, Lanorma or Sifra. Waxy potatoes have a high moisture content and retain their shape very well when they are cooked. These potatoes are not ideal for mashing, but rather for recipes where the potato needs to retain its shape. Examples of these include Mondial, BP13, and Fabula.

Half of the salt used in this recipe is smoked salt. It really is a great investment and enhances the flavour of so many of dishes I make. If you see it at the supermarket, do yourself a favour and buy some for yourself and for your best friend!

I used the skins of the potatoes to make a crispy garnish for the soup. The skins were left to dry out a little bit and were deep-fried in a combination of sunflower oil and bacon fat that was rendered some time ago and stored in the fridge. I sprinkled some salt over the deep-fried potato skins once they were removed from the oil. I put a few potato skins on the soup with a dollop of sour cream and then something green – I recommend using a sprig of rosemary. You can also make your own bacon powder and use it as garnish.

Pot FB

Deepfried Potato Skins

Soup in Bowl 2 FB

Soup in Bowl 1 FB

Make 1 Big Pot (enough to feed a large family or a couple could eat this for a few meals)