Noble Savage (he said):
This is a quick one, perfect for when you’re hungry, but not really in the mood to go all out with cooking. You’ll need:
- A curry cook-in sauce (we used Woolies’ Durban Curry sauce)
- An onion
- 500g chicken, cut in cubes (or whatever the cook-in sauce package says)
- Crispy rolls
Fry the onions and chicken, and then add the sauce as per the package instructions.
That’s pretty much it. In the meantime, cut the tops off the rolls, and take the middle out. Don’t get too carried away – the roll still needs to be able to hold the curry. Once the curry is done, scoop into the rolls, and serve with a few slices of rolls on the side.
A traditional accompaniment to spicy food is an off-dry white, like a Riesling or Gewuterwroughtsersubmariner. But a proper wooded Chenin, in this case, Spier’s 21 Gables 2016, works very well. It’s a wooded Chenin from an old vineyard, which adds to its complexity and richness. The spice on the food doesn’t overpower or drown out the Chenin but complements the aromatic apricot and honey on the palate. And stuff.
In keeping with the Spier/effortless cooking theme, dessert was baked camembert with herbs and savoury jams.
Slice the top skin of the camembert off (without taking off a finger, like I did).
Scoop on the jam – we used whiskey-infused bacon jam on one, and beer jam on the other.
Cover with your choice of herbs. Put it on a sheet of foil, and then fold the edges of the foil up to create a sort-of bowl around the cheese. Pop it in an oven, or on the braai with the lid closed, for about 15 minutes. Serve with crusty baguette slices that you definitely did not make yourself.
With the camembert, we had Spier’s Creative Block 3.
The numbers on the Creative Block series indicate how many varietals are used in the blend; in this case, Shiraz, Mouvèdre, and Viognier (SMV). You would normally pair camembert with a wooded Chardonnay or a softer red, but the savoury jam adds a meaty dimension which was perfectly complemented by berry, black pepper, and coriander notes on the wine – an impeccable ending to a (very) lazy Sunday afternoon.
We’re obviously huge Spier fans, read more here:
Kitchen at the End of the Universe: A Burger
#SpierMyWay: Sundowners with Spier Wine Estate (BoozyFoodie)