- 33 Meters Beneath Clapham - 28 February, 2014
- And the Oscar Goes to… Wolfgang Puck - 31 January, 2014
- Divine Dining Design - 21 January, 2014
Vegan; verb used to describe a bad hunter and other South African slang
So here’s the deal, my name’s Llewellyn Lambert and I’m a twenty something gay bloke living in a small town out in South Africa. I’m a chef sitting at a boutique micro coffee roastery, they’re all the trend here. focussing on single origin beans. Just the right stretch on your milk and a hot hipster boy that’s just the right amount of dirty to serve you and make your mid afternoon coffee break all that little bit better.
Franschhoek, the small town I’m from, is renowned as the food and wine capital of the Western Cape. We have chefs that are creatively more scientific than Einstein. Think Heston Blumenthal but with a focus on local produce, taking products they grow out in the yard or pick on their way to fetch their kids at school.
We have chefs that forage mushrooms from nearby forests and use farm grown free range chickens eggs to make their tarragon laced Bernaise corseted over a farm, hand reared piece of marbled rib eye. Okay, I suppose I should have put a pre-warning for vegans on this post but you get what I’m saying.
Right now as we speak, metaphorically, I am outside the restaurant of one of South Africa’s biggest foodie exports. He has worked with the likes of Martha Stewart and has just created an incredible local cook book called Braai. He started off in a small rural village and trained with some of our industry’s elite. His one mentor replicated Andrea Feirra’s tasting menu, if that doesn’t show skill I don’t know what else would emphasize it more. Becoming a sought after chef, brand ambassador and consultant to some of the most luxurious brands in the surrounding areas.
A Braai is basically the South African version of an American BBQ. We often use whole pieces of wood, a variety of our favourite meats from local meat merchants and a lot of beer. A can of the golden hops and barley is shoved up the jacksie of a chicken, creating the most succulent and moist chicken your taste buds have ever taken the time to savour (and mountains of potato salad). Recipe to come!
There’s only one rule. Boerewors, always have it and make sure it’s excellent quality. Boerewors is named after Dutch descendants colloquially known as the Boere. They made sausage that often gets infused with coriander seeds, cumin, pepper and a good amount of lamb and beef spek(fat). Made on a Braai, the sounds of the melted fat christens the coals and this aromatic smell floats in the air. One can sense euphoria, taking every chance to get to a hit.
As you can tell, we like beer. I myself am more of a whiskey and wine kinda guy but nothing beats a crafty Capetonian making small amounts of the most refreshing unfiltered golden liquor served in 500mls often adjourned with a story of where the love affair of creating this local bestie began. Not only are local small roasters, farmers and other produce all the up n up here but so is making your own brew, bru.
Bru is local slang for my mate, my brother, a friend you share your time and beer with at a Braai and I’d like to consider that if we are to share recipes and experiences I could consider you a friend, a part of the family. The foodie family.
So it’s only fair to yourself that you then keep visiting Vada magazine, follow the twitter feed and keep in touch to see just what your brother Llew is up to.
Till then, happy eating, bru!
@llewellynwho
