Schmaltz or schmalz is rendered pork, chicken or goose fat used for frying or as a spread on bread, especially in German, Ashkenazi Jewish and Chinese cuisines.

Schmaltz rendered from a chicken or goose is popular in Jewish cuisine;  it was used by Northwestern and Eastern European Jews who were forbidden by kashrut (Jewish dietary laws) to fry their meats in butter or lard, the common forms of cooking fat in Europe, and who could not obtain the kinds of cooking oils, such as olive oil and sesame oil, that they had used in the Middle East and around the Mediterranean (as in Spain and Italy) – the overfeeding of geese to produce more fat per bird produced post classical Europe’s first foie gras as a side effect.

Schmaltz is great for frying potatoes, sauteing vegetables, making a roux, or flavoring pâtés and savoury mousses.

Tapas originated in Andalucia Spain and are now served as a casual meal in bars across Spain. Tapa is the Spanish word for Lid, in the past glasses of sherry bought in bars would come covered by a slice of bread topped with ham, cheese or fried black pudding to keep out the flies. Enterprising  bar owners quickly discovered that the salty ham spurred beverage sales and the delicious tradition of tapas was born.

Today, tapas are an integral part of  Spanish lifestyle, served in bars and cafes throughout the country. They are a variety of little, often free, snacks like olives, almonds and cubes of sheep’s milk cheese generally consumed while standing up in neighborhood bars with a glass of beer, wine, or sherry. Visiting a tapas bar is both a social opportunity and a way to relieve hunger between meals. The concept has evolved to include little dishes of hot, cold and marinated foods, perfect in Spanish culture for appetizers or a diverse dinner buffet full of flavor and variety.

Albondigas – Meatballs In Garlic Tomato Sauce

These delicious little meatballs are perfect for a tapas party, or as a pre drink snack, and fairly easy to make. They are especially good the next day so make it in advance. This is a Wickedfood Cooking School interpretation, from one of our Spanish Cooking classes.

Meatballs:
1 large onion, finely chopped
1 large green bell pepper, finely chopped
olive oil
1kg minced beef (not lean)
250g minced pork (not lean)
2/3 cup fine dry bread crumbs
2 1/2t salt
1/4t freshly grated nutmeg
1/4 cup fresh parsley leaves, finely chopped

Sauce:

• Heat a little oil in a large, heavy,  frying pan and cook onion and bell pepper over moderately low heat, stirring occasionally, until softened. Cool mixture.
• In a large bowl combine the cooled onion mixture, minced meats, bread crumbs, salt, nutmeg, and parsley. Form level tablespoons of mixture into small balls (about 90).
• Heat a little oil in a large, heavy,  frying pan and brown meatballs in batches (about 16 at a time), shaking frequently so that meatballs maintain their shape. Transfer meatballs with a slotted spoon as browned to a plate.

Sauce:

• Heat a little oil in a  frying pan and fry the garlic, stirring, until fragrant, taking care not to burn.
• Add tomato and oregano and simmer. season with sugar and salt.
• Add meatballs and simmer, covered, gently stirring occasionally, 25 minutes, or until meatballs are tender and sauce is thickened slightly.
• Transfer meatballs with slotted spoon to heated serving dish. If sauce seems thin, boil gently, stirring frequently, until thickened to desired consistency. Spoon over meatballs. Reheat meatballs before serving, if making in advance.

For more Tapas recipes see The Book of Tapas

Wickedfood Cooking School runs cooking classes throughout the year at its purpose-built Johannesburg cooking studio. Cookery classes are run in the mornings and evenings 7 days a week (subject to a minimum of 12 people). The venue is also popular for corporate events and private functions – teambuilding cooking classes, birthdays, kitchen teas, and dinner parties with a difference.

Our cooking lessons are hands-on, where every person gets to participate in the preparation of the dishes. They are also a lot of fun where you not only learn new skills, but get to meet people with similar interests. For corporate groups and team building cooking classes these events are a novel way of creating staff interaction or entertaining clients.

This Vietnamese chicken salad is one of the favorites at Wickedfood cooking school’s Vietnamese cooking class as well as our Asian cooking classes.  Vietnamese cuisine is considered by many as one of the healthiest cuisines in the world.  This chicken salad demonstrates that perfectly.  Although the ingredients list might seem rather long,  don’t be put off, it is a quick salads to make, and remember to serve it immediately.

Chicken

1 x 1.5-2kg chicken

1 onion, quartered

2 kaffir lime leaves or bay leaves

2 stalks lemongrass, bruised

Salad

1 cucumber, peeled and seeded, then cut into long strips

1t salt

2T sesame seeds

3 stalks celery, cut into long fine strips

2 large carrots, peeled and cut into long fine strips

¼ crisp white cabbage, thinly shredded

a large handful fresh whole coriander leaves

a large handful fresh whole mint leaves

4-6 whole lettuce leaves, such as Little Gem or Cos

Dressing

1 garlic clove
1 small red chilli
3T caster sugar
2T lime juice
3T fish sauce

Chicken

• Put the chicken into a large deep pan, together with the other ingredients, and cover with water.  Bring to a gentle boil, cover the pot and simmer on very low for 20 minutes. Allow to cool in the liquid.
• Once cool, take the chicken out, discard the skin, pull the flesh off the bones and tear into bite-sized pieces. Place in a bowl and set aside. (Strain and save the poaching liquid and use it as stock for another dish.)

Salad

• Put the cucumber into a clean bowl with the teaspoon of salt. Mix well and set aside for ten minutes.
• Meanwhile, place the sesame seeds into a small frying pan over a moderate heat (don’t add oil) and dry-fry until they turn a shade darker, then take them off the heat and transfer immediately to a cool plate to prevent burning .
• Once the cucumber has been salting for ten minutes, use your hands to squeeze out any excess liquid from the cucumber. Discard the liquid and transfer the cucumber to a large bowl.
• Add the celery, carrots and cabbage, together with the chicken.

Dressing

• Peel and roughly chop the garlic then place in a mortar and pestle.
• Deseed and roughly chop the chilli and add to the garlic.
• Add half of the sugar and pound to a rough paste. Add the rest of the sugar and pound again.
• Add the lime juice  and fish sauce to the paste, mix well, then add  a splash of cold water. Taste and adjust the flavours if necessary (you should have a good balance between sweet, salty and sour.)
• Toss the salad with enough of the dressing to give a lively flavour, starting with about two-thirds of the dressing and adding more if necessary. Add half the mint and coriander leaves and mix thoroughly.
• Line a serving plate with the lettuce leaves. Pile the salad onto the lettuce, then top with the remaining coriander, mint and toasted  sesame seeds. Serve swiftly.

Wickedfood Cooking School, Sunninghill – (011) 234-3252 sunninghill@wickedfood.co.za

Wickedfood Cooking School runs cooking classes throughout the year at its purpose-built cooking studios. Classes are run in the mornings and evenings 7 days a week (subject to a minimum of 12 people). The venue is also popular for corporate events and private functions – team building cooking classes, birthdays, kitchen teas, and dinner parties with a difference.

Our classes are hands-on, where every person gets to participate in the preparation of the dishes. They are also a lot of fun where you not only learn new skills, but get to meet people with similar interests. For corporate groups and teambuilding cooking classes these events are a novel way of creating staff interaction or entertaining clients.

Frikkadels – a lovely old-fashioned word – refers both to fishcakes and meatballs. Big, fat ones are fab for dinner, while smaller ones are good with pre-prandial drinks. Fish frikkadels may be flavoured in various ways; in the book Tortoises and Tumbleweeds they have an Indian spin. Any fish can be used, freshly-cooked for the occasion, left-over from a baked or braaied – even tinned salmon, tuna or pilchards if all else fails. Rougail – a salady garnish of Tamil origin that has made its home in the Indian Ocean islands – rounds things off gloriously. Alternatively serve with a homemade tomato sauce, as we do in Wickedfood cooking School in our fish cooking class.

500 g smoked or cooked fish fillets
300 g potatoes, peeled and diced
60 ml chopped coriander
2 eggs, lightly beaten
salt and milled black pepper
juice of 1 lemon or lime
250 ml toasted breadcrumbs
2 limes, to serve
vegetable oil

Rougail:

3 – 4 spring onions, finely chopped
3 roma or plum tomatoes, chopped
60 ml chopped coriander
salt and milled black pepper
olive oil
lime juice

1. Skin and flake the fish. Cook the potatoes in a saucepan of salted boiling water. Drain well and mash. Mix in the fish, coriander and egg, and flavour with salt and pepper and a good squeeze of lemon or lime juice. Shape into patties, flattening them between your palms. Coat with toasted crumbs.
2. Cut the limes in half, brush generously with oil and grill in a frying pan until lightly charred and smoky.
3. Rougail Mix the spring onions, tomatoes and coriander, and season with salt and pepper. Add a little olive oil and lime juice. Spoon into a bowl.
4. Heat oil in a medium frying pan for shallow-frying, and fry the frikkadels until crisp and golden; 2 or 3 minutes on each side should do it.
5. Serve hot or at room temperature – never chilled, as they lose all their flavour. Rougail and charred limes can be presented alongside or in separate bowls.

(Makes about 12; Serves 4 to 6)

More recipes from the book …click here.

Wickedfood Cooking School, Sunninghill – (011) 234-3252 sunninghill@wickedfood.co.za

Wickedfood Cooking School runs cooking classes throughout the year at its purpose-built cooking studios. Classes are run in the mornings and evenings 7 days a week (subject to a minimum of 12 people). The venue is also popular for corporate events and private functions – team building cooking classes, birthdays, kitchen teas, and dinner parties with a difference.

Our classes are hands-on, where every person gets to participate in the preparation of the dishes. They are also a lot of fun where you not only learn new skills, but get to meet people with similar interests. For corporate groups and teambuilding cooking classes these events are a novel way of creating staff interaction or entertaining clients.

© David Loftus

At Wickedfood Cooking School, we have used a number of Jamie Oliver books over the years as inspiration for Jamie Oliver cooking classes. This recipe is taken from his latest book, Jamie does…, Jamie Oliver’s personal celebration of amazing food from six very different countries.

When the Moors invaded Spain they brought grapes and dried fruits with them. Their love of mixing dried fruits with meats definitely left its mark on Spanish cooking and this is my nod to that time in Spain’s history. Cut into these big tender chops and you’ll get sweet juicy flavours inside perfectly cooked meat. Go to a good butcher and ask for chops that are 2.5cm thick, ideally with two different colours of meat on them: the sweet darker meat, and the leaner eye meat. Then head to any good food store for a jar of beans. Spanish beans are like the Bentley of beans, so although they cost a bit more than the tinned ones they make all the difference.

For the chops

a few sprigs of fresh oregano or marjoram, leaves picked
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
a small handful of raisins
good quality dry sherry
Spanish extra virgin olive oil
4 large, thick pork chops (approximately 350g each), bone in, the best quality meat you can afford

For the beans

2 rashers smoked streaky bacon, roughly chopped
olive oil
1 red onion, peeled and finely chopped
1 large red pepper, deseeded and roughly chopped
a few sprigs of fresh rosemary, leaves picked
a few fresh bay leaves
1 x 540g jar of white beans or butter beans, drained
400g Swiss chard, stalks trimmed, or spinach leaves

1. Pound most of your oregano leaves with a small pinch of salt and pepper in a pestle and mortar. Roughly chop the raisins, then add them to the pestle and mortar with a splash or two of sherry and a splash of extra virgin olive oil. Muddle everything together to make a paste, then put to one side for a minute.
2. Lay each pork chop in front of you so the side with the fat is farthest away. Carefully insert a knife into the side nearest you and move it around to make a pocket inside. Use your fingers to fill each pocket with the raisin paste. (click here to see a video on how to do this.)
3. Fry the strips of fat from your bacon in a medium pan on a high heat for a few minutes, then add the bacon and a drizzle of olive oil. Stir in the chopped onion and pepper, then turn the heat down and cook for about 5 more minutes, or until the vegetables have softened. Roughly chop your rosemary leaves and add those to the pan along with your bay leaves.
4. Add your beans to the pan with 350ml of water. Stir, then leave to cook away for about 20 minutes. Keep an eye on the beans and add a splash more water if they look dry.
5. Get a barbecue or griddle pan really hot. Rub some olive oil and a good pinch of salt and pepper all over the pork chops. Put them on the very hot side of your barbecue and sear them for 2 to 3 minutes on each side to get some good colour going, then move them to the gentler side of the barbecue so they can cook slowly. If you’re using a griddle pan, turn the heat down to medium low and cook for a further 10 minutes, turning occasionally.
6. Meanwhile finely chop the stalks of the Swiss chard and add them to the pan with the beans. Roughly chop the leaves and add them to the pan for the last minute or two of cooking so as not to lose the flavour. Taste the beans and season with salt and pepper. Cook for a few more minutes if you want to achieve a thicker consistency.
7. Divide the beans among four plates and lay a pork chop on each. Sprinkle   reserved oregano leaves over chops, finish with a drizzle of olive oil & serve.

Serves 4

For more recipes from the book …click here.

Wickedfood Cooking School, Sunninghill – (011) 234-3252 sunninghill@wickedfood.co.za

Wickedfood Cooking School runs cooking classes throughout the year at its purpose-built cooking studios. Classes are run in the mornings and evenings 7 days a week (subject to a minimum of 12 people). The venue is also popular for corporate events and private functions – team building cooking classes, birthdays, kitchen teas, and dinner parties with a difference.

Our classes are hands-on, where every person gets to participate in the preparation of the dishes. They are also a lot of fun where you not only learn new skills, but get to meet people with similar interests. For corporate groups and teambuilding cooking classes these events are a novel way of creating staff interaction or entertaining clients.