Food Is One Of The Joys Of Life
"Food," says Andy Falk wiping his hands on a chequered apron, "is one of the continuing joys of life, so it's sensible to make the most of each meal, however simple it might be.”
This elementary approach to food preparation complements Dullstroom's numerous eating establishments, each claiming a’ special or different' culinary enticement; some qualifying, some not.
Andy's `Plat du Jour' makes no highfalutin' claims to pretentious eating. He merely offers good, tasty food in an atmosphere much as you might discover in a provincial French restaurant; the owner defining the meal with fresh, seasonal ingredients.
Were you to order porcini soup off the menu, Andy would serve you one made from porcini mushrooms from under oak trees near Belfast that he picked himself; the exact location of the oak trees only he knows. Should you order roast duck, it will arrive crisp and moist, served with a home-orchestrated ginger and orange sauce. "I make the best roast duck in Mpumalanga”,Andy claims.
Earlier years at the Bistro restaurant in Sea Point consolidated the’ good, simple food' philosophy for
Andy."Food has an enormous range of flavours and textures, so don't overdo your cooking by using too many spices, herbs or ingredients," he suggests. "Keep it simple and let the food do the work. That’s very much the French provincial approach I enjoy.”
Andy."Food has an enormous range of flavours and textures, so don't overdo your cooking by using too many spices, herbs or ingredients," he suggests. "Keep it simple and let the food do the work. That’s very much the French provincial approach I enjoy.”
An example for a starter: sardines baked in the clay oven with olive oil, lemon juice and oreganum. A main dish might include pot roasted lamb, slow cooked for hours with rosemary, red wine and lemon juice and served on a bed of mashed potato. Or a mild, aromatic lamb curry served on the bone with sambals and poppadoms.
Wine? Le Bonheur Sauvignon Blanc or a Haute Cabriere Pinot Noir/Chardonnay (one of the finest local blends, he claims).
Desert? Tandi's secret recipe for Malva pudding, or Crepes Suzettes, the traditional way, "taught to me by the former maitre d'hotel at the Polana."
Country Life – November 2009
Country Life – November 2009
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