Q: I often have trouble getting my mash potato light and fluffy, What do you think the problem could be? I often buy pre-made mash and its always lovely and creamy.

A: Once you learn how to make mash the right way you will only ever make it and you will never want to buy store bought mash. As far as store bought mash they will often use creamers and who knows what else and thats how they make it so smooth, Below is a easy to follow recipe that we at Wickedfod Cooking School use in our kitchen skills class.

4 large or 6 medium potatoes
1t salt
2T olive oil or butter
1/2 cup milk
1 clove garlic, crushed to a paste (optional)
1/2 cup pecorino cheese, finely grated (optional)
Chives (optional)

1. Peel potatoes and quarter (even sized pieces) and put into a bowl of cold water.
2. Place in a pot, cover with water, add salt and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes (until a clean toothpick passes smoothly through). Take care not to overcook.
3. Drain in a colander for a few minutes, return to the pot and mash.
4. Add the oil or butter and mix in well. Gradually add the milk, ensuring that the mixture does not become too sloppy. Add garlic, chives, cheese and salt to taste.

Serves 4

Serving ideas:
- stews
- spread over mince to make cottage pie, or over fish for fish pie.
- tablespoons of potato can also be rolled into balls or cylindrical shapes,
dusted with flour and rolled in breadcrumbs and deep-fried.

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 cookery 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.

Crispy courgette and feta fritters, served with a yoghurt sauce. They are delicious served warm, or at room temperature, and can be made a day ahead and then just brought back to room temperature, or flash fried to re-crisp, before serving. Also delicious as a light vegetarian meal with salad.

±1kg courgettes, grated
12 spring onions, coarsely chopped
±150g feta cheese, crumbled
±1/2 cup parsley, finely chopped
±1/4 cup fresh mint, chopped
3 eggs, lightly beaten
±1/2 – 1 cup flour
Salt and ground black pepper
Oil for deep-frying (±2cm in the pan)
Lemon or lime wedges

1. Place the courgettes in a colander, sprinkle lightly with salt, toss and set aside to drain for 30 minutes. Squeeze out the excess liquid and pat dry with tea towels.
2. Place the courgettes, spring onions, feta cheese, parsley, mint and eggs in a bowl, and combine. Mix in the flour to create a loose batter (the flour should just hold the mixture together, add more if necessary). Season with salt and pepper. (At this stage the mixture can be stored in the fridge for up to 4 hours.)
3. Heat the oil in a large frying pan over a medium heat. Drop heaped tablespoonfuls of the batter into the hot oil, flattening gently to create fritters. Fry until golden on one side then flip and fry the other side, before transferring to a paper towel to drain.
4. Serve with lemon wedges, and yoghurt sauce.

Makes ±20-30

Yoghurt sauce

2 cloves garlic, minced
2T extra virgin olive oil
1 cup thick Greek plain yoghurt
1/4 cup lemon juice
Salt and pepper to taste

1. Place all the ingredients in a bowl and combine. Chill until ready to serve.

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.

Q: I have tried to recreate this ready meal (chicken and broccoli dish) from Woolies but without success. Any suggestions?

A: I am not sure what dish it is but if you are looking for something with Broccoli and Chicken I would suggest the recipe below although it does not have chicken in this dish it is an easy addition, simply Slice 2-3 breasts and fry until just cooked and the continue from (Pasta) step 2 in the recipe below.

This is a quick version of a classic Italian dish called tagliatella alla Genovese. Its not known practice to put potato shavings into a pasta dish but adding shavings and mash are a very authentic way of creating a wonderful creaminess and an amazing taste. Why not try it?

Basil Pesto
4 cups basil roughly chopped with stalks
1 cup pine nuts
±1t sea salt
¼ cup Parmesan
1-2 cups olive oil

2 medium potatos peeled and then sliced with the peeler
2 small heads of broccoli cut into florets and thick stalks thinly sliced
2 cups fresh basil ½ roughly chopped ½ leaves for garnish
Grated Parmesan
500g dried tagliatelle
Salt and pepper
½ cup basil pesto (see below)

Basil Pesto

1. Put the basil, pine nuts and salt in a morte and pestle and grind until a paste has formed.
2. Add the Parmesan and pound until it has been soaked into the basil.
3. Slowly add the olive oil, mixing continuously until the desired paste has formed.

Pasta

1. Bring a Large pot of water to the boil. Add ½ a handful of sea salt and allow to come back up to the boil. Add the pasta and broccoli stalks and stir in, allow to cook for ±8 minutes.
2. Add the broccoli florets and potato slices and leave for a further 2-4min (important not to over cook your pasta) then strain well reserving some of the cooking water.
3. Transfer the cooked pasta to a large warm serving bowl and toss in the chopped basil, basil pesto and Parmesan. Mix in well. If the sauce is to thick add some cooking water 1T at a time until the desired consistency is achieved.
4. Season with salt and pepper and then garnish with the remaining basil leaves and Parmesan.

TIP: to create different pestos just add different “main ingredients” e.g. sun dried tomatoes, roasted peppers, roasted butternut, different fresh herbs i.e.; coriander, mint, rocket.

Serves 4

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.

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.

South Africa’s national dish, traditionally made with beef or lamb mince and a baked custard topping. Other variants include a fish and vegetarian alternative. Interestingly this dish has its roots in Europe – think Greek moussaka. Turmeric was introduced to Europe in the middle ages by the crusaders. On the old Cape and Karoo farms, this dish was traditionally made with the leftover meats from the Sunday roast.

2 thick slices stale white bread, crusts removed
1 cup milk
Oil for frying
1 large onion, peeled and finely chopped
1/2 – 1T curry powder
1t turmeric
1kg lean beef or lamb mince
1/2 cup seedless raisins
1/2 cup almond nibs or slivers
1T smooth apricot jam
1T fruit chutney
2T lemon juice
Salt to season

3 large eggs
4 bay or lemon leaves

1. Preheat oven to 180°C.
2. Place the bread in a bowl, sprinkle with milk. Allow to stand for 2 to 3 minutes, then gently squeeze dry, reserving both the milk and bread in two separate bowls.
3. Heat oil in a large pot. Add the onion and fry until soft. Add the curry powder and turmeric and mix in.
4. Add the mince, raisins and almonds, and fry until the meat is lightly coloured. Remove and transfer to a large bowl.
5. To the cooked meat mix in the bread, apricot jam, chutney and lemon juice. Season to taste.
6. Place the meat mixture in a large casserole or baking dish and pack down firmly.
7. Whisk together the reserved milk with the eggs and a pinch of salt. Pour over the meat mixture, then arrange the bay/lemon leaves on top.
8. Place in a preheated oven for ±35-45 minutes or until the egg is set – do not overcook!!. Traditionally served with yellow rice and chutney.

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