Linda's Excella Cook-Off Dish

Linda's Excella Cook-Off Dish

Recipe by Linda Mazibuko
Serves: 4
Prep time: 20 min utes
Cooking time: 40 minutes

INGREDIENTS
Mussels :
1kg Fresh Mussels
½ cup Butter
2 tbsp Excella Sunflower Oil
6 Garlic Cloves (thinly sliced)
1 Red Chilli (finely chopped) – optional
½ cup White Wine
½ cup fish/chicken stock
1 Lemon (juice)
2 tbsp Fresh Parsley (finely chopped)
Salt and pepper, to taste

Rice :
2 shallots/Onion
1 stick of celery
4 tablespoons salted butter
1 tablespoon Excella Sunflower Oil
1½ cups Excella Thai long grain Rice
4 cups hot Vegetable/Chicken stock
zest and juice of ½ unwaxed Lemon
2 Sprigs of fresh Rosemary needles (finely chopped)
¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese (plus more to sprinkle)
¼ cup heavy cream
Salt & Pepper

Veloute :
1 litre warm white chicken/fish stock
50g flour
50g butter
Salt and pepper, to taste

Herbed oil :
½ cup Fresh Basil (washed)
½ cup Fresh Coriander (washed)
½ cup Fresh Thyme (washed)
1 ½ cup Refrigerated Excella Sunflower Oil

Amadumbe and sweet potato crisps :
1 Medium Sweet Potato (washed & peeled)
1 Medium Madumbe (washed & peeled)
1 cup Excella Sunflower Oil

METHOD
For the mussels: Heat oil and butter in a Wok/Pan until hot, toss the fresh garlic and chili into the oil until fragrant (30 seconds) followed by the fresh mussels. Add the white wine, stock and lemon juice and allow to simmer for up to 5 minutes with the lid on, once the shells have opened, remove from the pan, season and sprinkle fresh parsley.

For the rice: Put the shallots and celery into the blender/nutribullet and blitz until they are a finely mushed. Heat half the butter and oil then add the shallot and celery mixture in a wide saucepan and cook to soften the mixture for about 3 minutes. Mix in the rice, stirring to give it a good coating of oil and butter.

Pour a ladleful of the stock into the rice and keep stirring until the stock is absorbed. Then add another ladleful and stir again. Continue doing this until the rice is al dente. Please note, you may not need all of the stock. Mix the lemon zest, juice and the rosemary into the rice.

In a bowl, beat cream, parmesan, salt and pepper. When the rice is ready - al dente, after about 15 to 20 minutes - take it off the heat then add the creamy mixture and the remaining butter and salt to taste. Check the seasoning and serve immediately.

Veloute : Melt the butter over a medium-high heat, and then add in your flour and cook it out until you have a blonde roux. Add the warm liquid stock to the roux while using a whisk to stir in the liquid as you pour to prevent any lumps from forming. Gently bring the sauce to a simmer and cook on low heat for about 20 minutes to half an hour.

Herbed oil : Place the herbs and oil into the blender and blitz for about 1 minute until the herbs are finely chopped. Strain the herbed oil into a squeeze bottle & set aside for later

Amadumbe:  Shave the vegetable using a peeler/mandolin until you have fine strips/shavings. Rinse shavings in cold water until water runs clear. Pat shavings dry using a kitchen paper towel making sure they are as dry as possible. Heat oil in a pot over medium temperature. Test the oil by dropping in a shaving. When it starts to sizzle this means the oil is ready.

Drop a handful of shavings into the oil at a time, moving them around with a slotted spoon. Once they are crispy remove from the oil and drain on a dry paper towel. Lightly season with salt and pepper. Set aside for plating later.