Cook up a storm this Easter with these delicious recipes from local chefs sure to wow everyone around the table.
Chef Paul George Dukai
With a culinary career beginning at a young age, and an innate drive that led him to own his first Italian restaurant in Pretoria’s Waterkloof neighbourhood, his journey is a testament to an unwavering passion for culinary excellence. As the youngest Italian restaurateur in the area, he spent twenty one years mastering the intricacies of running a successful eatery. He has crafted a career that is as dynamic as it is flavourful. A chef, consultant, and entrepreneur, Paul has left his mark on kitchens across the world, from exclusive fine-dining establishments to intimate private functions, especially in Umhlanga.
Starter
Umami Bomb: Miso-Roasted Eggplant with Crispy Chilli Oil
Ingredients
For the eggplant:
- 2 medium eggplants, halved lengthwise
- 2 tbsp neutral oil (like avocado or sunflower oil)
- 1 tsp sea salt
For the miso glaze:
- 2 tbsp white miso paste
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tbsp honey or maple syrup
- 1 tbsp rice vinegar
- 1 tsp sesame oil
- 1 tsp grated ginger
- 1 garlic clove, finely grated
For the topping:
- 2 tbsp crispy chilli oil
- 1 tbsp toasted sesame seeds
- 1 red onion, finely sliced
- fresh coriander leaves (optional)
Method
Prepare and roast the eggplant:
- Preheat the oven to 200°C
- Score the cut sides of the eggplant in a crisscross pattern, being careful not to pierce the skin
- Brush each half with neutral oil and season with sea salt
- Place cut-side down on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Roast for 25 minutes until tender
Make the miso glaze:
- In a small bowl, whisk together miso, soy sauce, honey, rice vinegar, sesame oil, ginger, and garlic until smooth
Glaze and caramelise:
- Flip the roasted eggplant halves cut-side up and brush generously with the miso glaze
- Return to the oven and roast for another 10 minutes, until deeply caramelised
Garnish and serve:
- Drizzle the roasted eggplant with crispy chilli oil
- Sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds and red onion
- Garnish with fresh coriander if desired
- Pair with steamed jasmine rice or serve as a bold appetiser with a side of pickled cucumbers
Serve warm.
Instagram: @chef_private_paul
Chef Themba Mngoma
Cooking since 13-years-old, his father taught him how to cook for survival, learning an unorthodox way of cooking. “He would instruct me to heat up cooking oil and throw in unevenly chopped onions and ‘runaway’ meaning I should step back to avoid oil spills,” Chef Themba reminisces. He developed a love of food on the job, working in the late Martin Lombard’s restaurant El Cubano which evolved to Havana Grill and Little Havana. He now works as a consultant chef and as a private chef, creating memories through good food between Umhlanga and Ballito, where he also hopes to open a restaurant one day.
Main
Braised Leg of Lamb
Ingredients
For the marinade:
- 1 whole leg of lamb (bone in)
- 100ml olive oil
- 2 tbsp paprika
- 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 2 sprigs rosemary, finely chopped
- salt and pepper to taste
For braising:
- 2 onions, roughly chopped
- 1/2 bunch celery, roughly chopped
- 2 leeks, roughly chopped
- 2 carrots, roughly chopped
- 1 bulb garlic, cut in half
- 100g tomato paste
- 2 glasses white wine
- 4 sprigs fresh rosemary
- 1/2 bunch fresh thyme
- 5 bay leaves
- 2l lamb stock/water
For the sauce:
- 2 tbsp butter
- 2 tbsp flour
- cooking liquid
- 1 sprig rosemary, finely chopped
Garlic mash potatoes:
- 1kg potatoes, peeled and cut into 4
- 100g butter
- 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 100ml milk
- 1 onion cut into quarters
- 2 tbsp parsley, finely chopped
Pan roasted baby carrots:
- 50ml olive oil
- 2 punnets baby carrots
- 2 tbsp honey
- 4 sprigs rosemary
Method
Leg of lamb:
- Preheat oven to 200℃
- Combine olive oil, garlic, paprika, salt and pepper and marinate leg of lamb (preferably overnight)
- Pan-fry leg of lamb on a casserole pot and set aside
- Using the same pot sauté all vegetables, herbs and tomato paste, deglaze with white wine
- Bring back the lamb add lamb stock/water until its covered, cover with lid bring it to boil and place it in pre-heated oven to braise for two and a half to three hours until it falls off the bone
- Remove the lid/tin foil, drizzle with little olive oil and put it back in the oven to let the meat get beautiful “roasted” colour for about 20 minutes
- Remove meat from the casserole pot, strain the vegetables and reserve the cooking liquid
For the sauce:
- Put butter in a sauce pan and heat up the pan until butter starts to be golden brown and nutty, add flour and stir for a minute, add heated cooking liquid and let it simmer
- Finish off with chopped rosemary and check seasoning
Garlic mash potatoes:
- Bring potatoes and onion to boil in salted water until soft
- Discard the onions and mash potatoes until smooth
- Gently heat up butter and garlic add to mashed potatoes
- Add warm milk, parsley and adjust seasoning
Pan roasted baby carrots:
- Peel and bring baby carrots to boil in salted water until tender
- Heat up olive oil and pan roast carrots roasted colour, glaze with honey and rosemary
- Salt and pepper to taste
Slice pieces of lamb and plate with the garlic mash and baby carrots. Serve warm.
Instagram: @privatechefthemba
Chef Marcelle Roberts
Growing up in a household where Sunday lunch was a big thing, she spent a lot of time on her grandparents’ farm in Ixopo. Sunday roast was always followed by a delicious dessert and Chef Marcelle soon got involved and fell in love with baking. Eventually, she took over the dessert and must’ve baked every single recipe in the Kook en Geniet before the age of 13! After school, she studied at Christina Martin School of Food and Wine. Back in SA, she eventually settled at Café 1999, opening a pizzeria, a craft beer bar and a brewpub attached to their brewery. At the end of 2024, Marco Conte from the Marco’s and Mama Luciana brands approached her and proposed to reopen Café 1999 in Umhlanga. They reopened the doors last year and haven’t looked back.
Dessert
Chocolate Raisin Bread and Butter Pudding with Hot Cross Bun Ice-Cream
Ingredients
Hot cross bun ice-cream:
Makes approx. 2.5 litres
- 18 egg yolks
- 1.5l cream
- 500ml full cream milk
- 1 cup sugar
- 2 cinnamon sticks
- 2ml all spice
- 1/2 cup raisins, soaked in ½ cup of brandy (optional)
Chocolate raisin bread and butter pudding:
10-12 portions
- 2 raisin bread loaves, crusts removed and sliced
- 100g butter, softened
- 1 jar nutella or any other chocolate spread
- 12 egg yolks
- 6 whole eggs
- 1l cream
- 500ml full cream milk
- 1.5 cups white sugar
- 2 cinnamon sticks
- 1/2 tsp all spice
- 1/2 tsp nutmeg
Method
Hot cross bun ice-cream:
- Place the milk, cream, all spice and cinnamon sticks into a put and heat to just below boiling point
- While the cream is heating, whisk together the egg yolks and sugar until pale and creamy
- Slowly whisk in the hot cream mixture whilst whisking
- Place the custard mix on top of a double boiler and cook for about 20-30 minutes until it is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon
- Cool down and place in the fridge, preferable for about four hours minimum to cool down completely
- Place into an ice-cream maker and, whilst churning, add in the brandy soaked raisins.
Chocolate raisin bread and butter pudding:
- Preheat the oven to 170℃
- Spread the raisin bread slices with butter and chocolate spread and place into a greased oven proof dish
- Place the cream, milk, cinnamon stick and all spice into a pot and bring to boiling point
- Whilst the cream is on the stove, whisk together the sugar, whole eggs and egg yolks until pale and creamy
- Once the cream mixture is almost at boiling point, pour it over the egg mixture whilst whisking well
- Pour the warm custard over the bread and let sit for about 30 minutes to soak
- Bake in the oven for about 45 minutes until set
Dish a serving of the bread and butter pudding and then add a scoop of the hot cross bun ice-cream. Serve immediately.
Instagram: @marcelles_food