Q: How do I get a smoky flavour to meat that is cooked in a kettle braai?

A: Smoking with Speciality Wood – Speciality wood is the secret many grill fanatics swear by for authentic barbecue smoke flavour. Which type of speciality wood to use is widely debated, since each creates a certain flavour. Think of speciality wood as a seasoning for your barbecue. Using it will give flavour to the meat just like using a barbecue sauce.

Varieties of Speciality Woods – Wood from nut trees, such as hickory and pecan, tends to be much stronger flavoured, which some people don’t like. Fruit trees tend to have milder flavours – pecan, cherry, hickory, oak, orange, mulberry, apple, peach, apricot. Until you know which type of smoking wood you like, you might want to try a variety. That way, you can experiment with different flavours without having to buy a whole bunch of different cooking woods.

How to Cook With Speciality Woods – Like wine, certain types of specialty woods go best with certain types of meat. Most barbecue experts like oak with beef, and lighter fruitwoods, such as apple, with chicken. Many seasoned chefs also mix their smoking woods. For instance, you can use half pecan and half apple for a new taste when grilling chicken.
To use speciality woods, soak the wood chips in water for at least half an hour before adding them to the grill. If you have a smoker box in your grill, you can put the chips there. If you are using a gas grill, wrap them in foil and puncture a few holes. If you are using a charcoal grill, you can put them in right on top of the coals.

Smoky roast chicken

Simple roast chicken is delicious. Together with baked potatoes and boiled vegetables, or a green salad it makes a really good healthy family meal. For a delicious slightly smoky flavour, there is no better way of cooking chicken, than on a kettlebraai. Simply rub with salt and pepper, and maybe a bit of lemon juice and cook. The addition of wood to the fire as you put the chicken on gives a wonderful smoky flavour.

1 x ±1,5kg chicken
Salt and pepper
Lemon juice – optional

1-2 sticks of fruit tree wood

1. Trim the chicken of excess fat, checking especially the neck and tail cavities and make sure that there are no feathers left on.
2. Rub the chicken well, including the stomach cavity, with salt and pepper, and lemon juice if using.
3. Place the chicken on the roasting grid of the kettlebraai, breast side down with a container underneath to catch any dripping juices. Add the wood onto the coals, if using.
4. Roast the chicken for 40 minutes, at about 180°C, then turn it over, breast side up and roast for a further 20 minutes.
5. Carve into pieces and serve.

Serves 4

Wickedfood Cooking School

Sunninghill – (011) 234-3252 sunninghill@wickedfood.co.za

Boksburg – (011) 823-5365 boksburg@wickedfood.co.za

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 classes are a novel way of creating staff interaction or entertaining clients.

This is a really tasty cross between a French fricassee and a Russian stroganoff. If you put some rice on to cook, you can quickly make the dish in another pan and by the time the rice is done everything will be ready. Will work well with beef and pork as well as any firm white fish.

Oil for cooking
2 large leeks quartered length way and then sliced into 1cm strips
250g portobello or oyster mushrooms
4 chicken breast skin and bone removed sliced into 1cm lengths
¼ cup butter
2cups dry white wine
1 cup water
2 cups fresh flat leaf parsley (include the stalks and reserve 2T for garnish)
500ml single cream
I lemon
Salt and pepper to taste

1. Heat the oil and butter in a large frying pan. Add the leeks, white wine and water. Season with salt and pepper and allow to simmer for 5min with lid ¾ on.
2. Add the chicken, parsley, cream and mushrooms. Stir in and bring back to the boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer and allow to cook for 10min covered.
3. Take off the heat and squeeze the juice of 1 lemon and stir in well. Season to taste. Serve with rice.

TIP: to add colour add some chopped red peppers when the chicken goes in. beef would also work well replace the white wine for red.

Serves 4

Wickedfood Cooking School

Sunninghill – (011) 234-3252 sunninghill@wickedfood.co.za

Boksburg – (011) 823-5365 boksburg@wickedfood.co.za

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 classes are a novel way of creating staff interaction or entertaining clients.

Q: I was watching a cooking show the other day where they were making a Chicken Korma, looked like and easy enough recipe but one item the recipe called for was Korma paste. How would one make it as i am sure the store bought ones would contain a few preservatives and i try to stick away from those.

A: Chicken korma is a fantastic easy curry to make. I do agree with you about using products that have preservatives in them we try keep away from foods that have been processed to much and will always try make from fresh.

This is a very easy korma paste recipe that we made recently in our Jamie Oliver Ministry of Food class.

2 cloves garlic peeled and sliced
4cm ginger, peeled and finely grated
½t cayenne pepper
1t garam masala
½t sea salt
2T grapeseed oil
1T tomato puree
2 fresh green chillies seeded and finely sliced
3T desiccated coconut
2T ground almonds
Small bunch fresh coriander stalks and leaves chopped

Dry fry
2t cumin seeds
1t coriander seeds

1.    Dry fry seeds until they start to change colour and release an aromatic smell.
2.    Place all the ingredients in a food processor or mortar and pestle and grind until the desired paste is achieved.

Wickedfood Cooking School will be holding an “all you need to know about indian curry” class on the 6th of July where we will give an in-depth hands on demonstration in preparing a number of great Indian curries. Cooking methods covered will include:
A hot fragrant beef curry
A classic lamb curry
Mild slow cooked curry.
A famous Mongol dishes
Fish curry
A vegetarian stew.

Other topics covered will include:

Blending spices and masala mixes;
Making gee and its uses in Indian cooking

Wickedfood Cooking School

Sunninghill – (011) 234-3252 sunninghill@wickedfood.co.za

Wickedfood Cooking school Johannesburg 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 team building cooking classes these classes are a novel way of creating staff interaction or entertaining clients.

The name comes about due to the butterflied chicken liberally seasoned with red chili flakes, but for a milder version just omit the spice.

1 x 1.5kg. chicken
2 lemons
½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
1-2 t red chili flakes
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1. Using a sharp knife or kitchen shears, butterfly the chicken remove chicken backs by cutting along both sides of the backbone. Discard backbones, or save for making stock. Place the  butterflied chicken on a cutting board skin side up, and roll a rolling pin on it, leaning heavily on the pin to flatten the bird.
2. Place chicken in a wide, deep dish. Squeeze the juice from the lemons over the chicken, and add the oil. Sprinkle both sides with chili flakes and season to taste with salt and lots of pepper. Set aside to marinate for 30–60 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, preheat the a gas bbq grill or kettlebraai.
4. Remove chicken from marinade. Grill birds over a medium-heat, basting occasionally with the reserved marinade, until skin is well browned on both sides and thigh juices run clear when pricked with a fork, about 40 minutes. Set the chicken aside to rest for 10 minutes, then cut into quarters.

Serves 4

Wickedfood Cooking School

Sunninghill – (011) 234-3252 sunninghill@wickedfood.co.za

Wickedfood Cooking School Johannesburg 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 team building cooking classes these classes are a novel way of creating staff interaction or entertaining clients.

Q: How can i prepare chicken feet the Chinese way or any other way.

A: Chicken feet or “runaways” and “walkie talkies” as they are more commonly know in South Africa are the part of the chicken that are eaten in Chinese, Jamaican, South African, Peruvian Cuisine and Philippine cuisine. They are mostly comprised of skin and tendons without much muscle which give them a different taste to the rest of the chicken. The bone content gives them great flavour.

The Wickedfood cooking school film team came upon this recipe for a Malaysian mushroom and chicken feet stew, while doing reserch for our South East Asia cooking classes.

12 black mushrooms
2t salt
1-2t vinegar
6 cups chicken stock
24 chicken feet
2 spring onions cut in 2cm lengths
2T sliced ginger

1. Soak the mushrooms in warm water for ±15 minutes, drain and cut off stalks.
2. Clean the chicken feet and boil until tender ±10 minutes, drain and mix together with chicken stock, vinegar, salt, spring onions and ginger.
3. Place in a steamer and steam for 30 minutes.
4. Add the mushrooms and steam for a further 20 minutes.
5. Serve hot with plain rice.

Great Asian recipes – Click here:

Kaeng kari ka - yellow curried chicken

Biryani

Phanaeng Beef Curry in sweet peanut sauce

Phat Thai

Tom yum kung

Green pawpaw salad

Fish head curry

Warm squid salad in a pineapple

Spiced pork spare ribs

Deep-fried silken tofu

Thai beef salad

3 Cup Chicken

Wickedfood Cooking School

Sunninghill – (011) 234-3252 sunninghill@wickedfood.co.za

Boksburg – (011) 823-5365 boksburg@wickedfood.co.za

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 classes are a novel way of creating staff interaction or entertaining clients.