World Class Cuisine

Myth: Many folks are under the mistaken impression that adventure travelers must “rough it” including inferior cuisine.

Fact: Not true! Sometimes you do have to endure some tough conditions, such as poor terrain, bad weather, and long journeys with delays. But some of the best food I’ve ever eaten has been on adventure trips. In fact, the last time I was in South Africa I gained five pounds! Safari=journey. But it also means “Pass the food!”

Here’s a great recipe I want to share with you to show you what I’m talking about…

Open-fire Grilled Beef Fillet with Blue Cheese Mousse

• 6x 5.5 ounce beef fillets

• vegetable oil

• salt to season

Blue cheese mousse

• 1.75oz of olive oil

• 5.3oz of boneless and skinless chicken breast

• 5.3oz of courgette, peeled and diced

• 2 garlic cloves, minced

• 3/4 pint of double cream

• 7oz of Roquefort cheese

• 7oz of blue cheese, cows milk

• pinch of salt

• 1 egg

Vanilla and horseradish mash

• 21oz of potatoes, peeled and largely diced

• 3.5oz of butter

• 1.75 of creamed horseradish

• 2 tsp of salt

• Drops of vanilla essence

• 2 tsp of sugar

Wild mushrooms

• 14oz of wild mushrooms

• 2 sprigs of fresh thyme

• 2 sprigs fresh rosemary

• 2 garlic cloves, crushed

• 1/4 pint of sunflower oil

Leeks

• 7oz of leek, sliced across in fondant shape

• 1.5oz of butter

• 1 nutmeg, fresh and ready to grate

• salt to season

Turned carrots

• 4 large carrots

• salt

Place the potatoes in a saucepan with lightly salted cold water and bring to the boil. Reduce toa simmer for around 30 minutes or until the potatoes are fully cooked. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a heavy-based pan over a medium to low heat. Add the courgette and garlic and cook until tender – stir frequently to avoid browning. Remove from the pan and set aside to cool. Trim the chicken and dice into medium-sized cubes. Place in the food processor and blend until smooth. Add the cooled courgette to the food processor and blend until smooth. Add the egg and salt, Roquefort and another blue cheese, and blend into a smooth paste. Add the cream and blend again – be careful not to over mix as the cream will split. Form into quenelles and steam for 12-15 minutes, set aside for later use.

Quenelling

To quenelle, hold a spoon with the rounded bottom up. Place the far edge of the spoon into the mixture with the near edge close to the surface but not touching it. Drag the spoon towards you, twisting your wrist up. The mixture should curl up with the shape of the spoon and fold into an egg shape. Drain the potatoes. Mash them while adding the butter, vanilla, horseradish, salt and sugar. Mix well and pass through a drum sieve. Place in a saucepan to reheat and cover the surface with baking parchment to keep moist. Combine with a little hot water when reheating to serve. For the mushrooms, heat the oil in a frying pan and once hot, add the mushrooms and sauté for 1 minute before adding the garlic, thyme and rosemary. Cook for about 5 minutes more, or until tender. Set aside to keep warm. For the and leeks, place a heavy pan over a medium heat and add the butter. Add the leeks and cook for 5 minutes, or until tender. Add the spinach and season with a pinch of grated nutmeg and some salt. Transfer to a colander to drain and set aside in a warm place. For the carrots, cut each one into four, by first cutting in half lengthways and then across the middle. Use a peeler or paring knife to shape each piece into a barrel shape. Cook in boiling salted water for 10 minutes or until the carrots are cooked but still firm. Drain and keep warm once cooked. Preheat the oven to 180°C/gas mark 4. Heat the oil in an oven-proof frying pan until smoking. Sear the beef fillets for 1 minute on each side, or until golden brown. Place the beef in the oven for 4-5 minutes to achieve a medium rare finish – you can cook for longer if you prefer steak well done. Allow to rest for 5 minutes before serving – reserve the pan juices. To serve, place a bed of the leek in the middle of each plate, lay the beef fillets aside. Add the blue cheese mousse on top of the beef and a quenelle of the horseradish mash alongside. Arrange the carrots next to the mash and the mushrooms with the mousse. Garnish with a sprig of rosemary and sliced fennel. Drizzle with pan juices and serve immediately.

*Recipe provided by Executive Sous Chef Munyaradzi Zariro with Victoria Falls Safari Lodge (courtesy of South African Airways)