Quick and easy to make, perfect at home as a starter for a dinner party, or as a satisfying meal with a big salad. The spaghetti is served with pangritata (fried toasted breadcrumbs), which gives the dish an excellent texture and crunch.

Pangritata

±1/2 cup grapeseed or olive oil
1 clove garlic, finely sliced
±1/3 cup fresh thyme
±100g fresh breadcrumbs
Salt & pepper

500g spaghetti
±1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
10 anchovy fillets
1T lemon juice
2 small dried red chillies, crushed

Pangritata

1. Place the oil in a heavy frying pan and heat. Fry the garlic, thyme and breadcrumbs until they begin to toast, stirring every now and again until the crumbs are really crisp and golden (take care not to overcook, they must be golden not dark brown). Season with salt and pepper.
2. Bring a large pot of water to the boil add the salt and the spaghetti, and cook for ±10 minutes.
3. While the spaghetti is cooking, place the remaining olive oil in a pan with the minced garlic, and heat gently. Once the garlic begins to soften, add the anchovy fillets. As they begin to melt, add the lemon juice and chillies.
4. Add the drained spaghetti, and toss well to coat in the sauce, then transfer to a warm serving dish, garnish with the pangritata and serve immediately.

Serves 4 as a main course, 8 as a starter

Wickedfood Cooking School

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

Wickedfood cooking school runs cooking classes throughout the year at its purpose-built Johannesburg cooking studios. 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 – team building 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 teambuilding cooking classes these events are a novel way of creating staff interaction or entertaining clients.

SUNNINGHILL – Information & bookings (011) 234-3252 sunninghill@wickedfood.co.za

Hi all,

We hope you are having a good week so far. This weekend I’m sure everyone’s eyes will be on the Currie Cup final (coverage starts at 16:30). There are only  one or two individual classes left this month as we wind down to the end of the year, but keep an eye out on the blog as we are updating recipes as often as possible.

Also follow us on Facebook and Twitter – just search for Wickedfood and you will find us.

Please contact the school should you wish to make a booking:

Wickedfood Cooking School, Sunninghill

A perfect snack food, deep-fried in a fragrant flour and chilli coating.

1kg baby squid, cleaned, tentacles retained
1 cup flour
2T salt
2T white pepper
3T chilli powder
Oil for deep frying
2 lemons cut into wedges for garnish

1. Slit the squid open, and then cut into 1cm strips.
2. In a bowl combine the flour, salt, pepper and chilli powder.
3. Heat the oil in a deep fryer or wok, to the depth of 5cm.
4. When ready to cook, toss the squid strips, a handful at a time, in the flour mixture, shake off the excess flour and drop it carefully into the hot oil, taking care not to burn yourself. Separate the pieces, and fry for 2 minutes. Remove with slotted spoon and drain on paper towel. Repeat until all the squid is cooked. Serve immediately on a large platter, and garnished with wedges of lemon.
5. Serves 8-10

Wickedfood Cooking School

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

Wickedfood cooking school runs cooking classes throughout the year at its purpose-built Johannesburg cooking studios. 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 – team building 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 teambuilding cooking classes these events are a novel way of creating staff interaction or entertaining clients.

A great quick and easy sweet chilli sauce to make, if you find it is to hot/ not hot enough take away/ add some chilli’s.

4 serrano chillies, minced
4 Thai (birds eye) chillies, finely chopped
1 cup Sugar
1/2 cup Water
1/2 cup Rice vinegar (White Vinegar)
2 tablespoons Finely Minced Garlic
1/2 teaspoon Sweet paprika
1 teaspoon Salt
1 tablespoon Thai fish sauce
1 tablespoon Fresh lime or lemon juice

1. Remove stems from peppers and prepare as specified – (take the necessary precautions when handling hot peppers)
2. In a small, heavy saucepan, combine the chillies, sugar, water, vinegar, garlic, paprika and salt.
3. Bring to a rolling boil over medium heat.
4. Stir to dissolve the sugar and salt and reduce the heat to low.
5. Simmer until the liquid reduces slightly and thickens to a light syrup.
6. Remove from the heat and stir in the fish sauce and lime or lemon juice.
7. If you want a thicker sauce still you can stir in a 1/2 teaspoon of flour mixed in with some water towards the end of the simmer.
8. Cool to room temperature before serving. Transfer the cooled sauce to a tightly sealed jar and store at room temperature for 2 to 3 days.

Wickedfood Cooking School

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

Wickedfood Cooking school runs cooking classes throughout the year at its purpose-built Johannesburg cooking studios. 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 – team building 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 teambuilding cooking classes these events are a novel way of creating staff interaction or entertaining clients.

One of the most popular restaurant dishes throughout China. Prawns are left whole. The secret of the dish is to have all the ingredients ready before starting and cooking over a very hot heat, very quickly. If the prawns are overcooked they become rubbery. Serve with lots of serviettes or finger bowls. The size of the prawns is not important, although smaller prawns are crunchier as the skin is thinner and therefore more palatable.

±1kg whole prawns
Oil for deep frying

Sauce
1T oil
3-4 cloves garlic, peeled and finely chopped
4 spring onions, finely chopped
±1T ginger, finely chopped
1-3 red chillies, seeded and finely chopped
3T soy sauce
1T sweet soy sauce
1T rice wine
1-2T rice vinegar
2T chilli bean paste
2T sugar, dissolved in 2T chicken stock
1/2t roasted sesame oil
1T cornflour, mixed in ±1/4 cup water

Coriander leaves for garnish

1. Trim the prawn legs, and de-vein if necessary by slitting along the back carefully and pulling out the vein.
2. Add about 6cm of oil into a wok and heat to high. Cook the prawns in batches so as not to overcrowd the wok, until they just turn a bright pink, then remove and drain, allowing the oil to return to temperature after each batch.
3. Either drain the wok of oil or in another wok, heat and then add the tablespoon of oil. When very hot, add the garlic, spring onions, ginger and chillies, and stir fry for 30 seconds, ensuring that they do not burn.
4. Immediately add the 2 soy sauces, rice wine, rice vinegar, bean paste, sugar mixture and chillies, and bring to the boil. Cook for ±1 minute.
5. Add the prawns and roasted sesame oil, and cook for ±1 minute.
6. Add the cornflour paste and cook until the sauce is thickened – ±1-2 minutes.
7. Transfer to a serving dish, garnish with coriander leaves and serve immediately.

Serves 6

Wickedfood Cooking School

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

Wickedfood Cooking School runs Johannesburg cooking classes throughout the year at its purpose-built cooking studios. Cooking lessons 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 cooking courses 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.