The Du Toitskloof-Muratie cook off 2014 at Du Toitskloof

Du Toit’s Kloof vs Muratie annual Cook-off

It was Du Toitskloof’s turn to host this competition this year and we were taken there in one of their small buses. It is in Rawsonville, just through the Du Toitskloof tunnel, and they had set up a huge marquee and cooks from both farms were all busy cooking the lamb. This year they were to showcase Karoo Lamb and they had to cook some chops on a braai and larger cuts like the shoulder or leg in a pot. It was not great weather but we had a very jolly crowd of supporters and media and lots of wine from both farms flowed. Muratie were quite clever in producing a starter – they put an entire Brie on a tray on the braai till it got lovely and warm and gooey and you could scoop up warm cheese which was then topped with slices of fresh strawberry – unusual but it works. It certainly kept the wolf from the door while we waited for the lamb to cook.

Arrival as the bad weather sweeps in across the mountains. But the marquee wil protect us. Lynne is chatting to Pete Goffe Wood and Arnold Tanzer, who was visiting from Johannesburg. Both are involved with SA Masterchef, Pete as a judge

The Du Toitskloof ladies get ready for us

Their chops were seasoned with just salt and pepper and coriander seed

Their shoulder of lamb in a huge potjie also was just flavoured with salt and pepper and coriander

A welcome glass of Du Toitskloof Sauvignon Blanc sparkling wine with a strawberry, some good biltong and droëwors (dried sausage)

On the Muratie table, some of the Karoo lamb they are using. A whole shoulder and some "Saratoga" chops. They also just seasoned with salt and pepper to show the meat at its best

The whole Muratie team at their cooking station

The tray of a whole brie topped with strawberries warming on the braai fire

Their shoulders of lamb were cooked very simply with onions, salt and pepper and some water and braised for hours till very soft and tender

Some vegetable kebab sticks ready for the fire

After the tasting we were to have a spit roasted lamb for lunch, prepared by a local family. This is not part of the competition. This is it, turning on its spit

Cutting up the spit roast lamb and putting it into the gravy with the roast potatoes. This is a very traditional South African specialty

Tables all laid in the marquee

Bubbly chilling

TV is filming

Rijk and Kim Melck with the producer

Those Saratoga chops have been seasoned ready for the braai

A selection of wine for drinking

Those chops go on the coals watched by Neil Pendock and chef Arnold Tanzer

The judges' table

No input allowed from the professionals, they didn’t even get to vote

Marius Louw of Du Toitskloof gives words of welcome and introduces proceedings

We wait for the competition food to come to the table

The Du Toitskloof team

DOC Lamb for the Karoo. During the event Professor Johann Kirsten Head of the Department of Agricultural Economics, Extension and Rural Development at the University of Pretoria told us about how South Africa is trying to value, promote and protect our special regional foods, starting with Karoo lamb, as products of origin and quality, as we already do with our wines. It is rather like the European Commission has done with Welsh Lamb, Gorgonzola Cheese, Parma Ham etc. It means that identified foods are ethically produced, marked, numbered and this means their origins can be checked and authenticated. 

To explain this further we quote Wikipedia entry for DOC:

Denominazione di origine controllata ("Controlled designation of origin") is a quality assurance label for Italian food products, especially wines and various cheeses (Denominazione di Origine Protetta). It is modelled after the French AOC. It was instituted in 1963 and overhauled in 1992 for compliance with the equivalent EU law on Protected Designation of Origin, which came into effect that year.

The South African project will differ but, basically, it will be similar. We think this is a wonderful initiative and hope to see lots more of our special regional foods joining this programme. To learn more look at www.karoomeatoforigin.com

He shows us how wine is classified

And now how Karoo lamb is also classified as Meat of Origin

Red wine is served, the meat is on the way

We listen to the presentation

We are given two corks, one for each farm. Our winner’s cork will go into the hat

Muratie's serving of half a Saratoga chop and their meltingly tender and very tasty lamb shoulder from the potjie

Rijk Melck pours us glasses of Ansella van de Kaap red blend and his wife, Kim, holds a handful of Saratoga chops to distribute

Nicely cooked, with crisp fat

Mother and son

Du Toitskloof serve their lamb

Paired with their excellent 2010 fruity and spicy shiraz, which goes beautifully with the lamb

The two chefs wait to hear which team won

And the winners are: Muratie takes the award this year. They will host the competition next year and pick the dish that will be cooked by both teams.

Koeksisters (crisp plaited syrup donuts), profiterols and caramel cream horns for dessert. The traditional South African Koeksister also needs to become a food or origin! But where would we put the stamp?

The girls pose for the camera

Maryna Strachan and Pete Goffe Wood

Pete, Maryna and Bernard Kotze of Du Toitskloof

Maryke and Clifford Roberts

And then it is time for a late lunch. Some more traditional South African food. A carrot and pineapple salad, a tomato feta and olive salad, a butternut and courgette bake all to go with the spit roasted lamb

Errieda du Toit of Kokkedoor with Michael Olivier

Johan de Wet, Rijk Melck and a friend

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© John & Lynne Ford, Adamastor & Bacchus 2014

A day in Hermanus

Off to the seaside again – a stay in Hermanus

We left Franschhoek late afternoon and headed over the magnificently heady Franschhoek pass to Hermanus via the very full Theewaterskloof Dam. We had been lent a lovely spacious and modern flat on the coast in Hermanus and were amazed to see that we were right on the rocks overlooking the bay and we could see many whales cavorting from the large glass windows. This was to be our home for the next two nights

The view of the southern tip of Africa in the distance on arrival early evening from the flat

We celebrated with a glass of Creation's terrific Sauvignon Semillon blend. Crisp, citrussy, with good minerality and delicious

Sunrise the next morning

The misty mountains

It is Arum time in the Cape Spring. They grow everywhere on the coast and are indigenous

Whales were everywhere in the bay. This one is flashing its tail

Pods of dolphins too

Lots of gulls

A very barnacled head on a Southern Right whale

We saw a mother and baby cruising and blowing in the bay every morning

Honestly, some people have absolutely no idea about how to promote themselves. We decided, on Tuesday, to go and see some of the wine farms in Stanford that we have never visited before. Almost there, we saw an impressive set of gates with a very small dilapidated sign saying wine tasting. But there was no name on the gate. It turns out it was Misty Cliffs who had their signage stolen a while ago. We were welcomed by Angela Kies in the tasting room, who gave us a tasting of their three wines, two Shirazes and one Pinotage, made by consultant winemaker Philip Costandius, who is now at Oldenburg in Banhoek. “No, they have not been busy” she said. With no signage outside, we are not surprised that everyone is driving right past. 

It got worse. We could not find a tasting room on the Robert Stanford farm despite driving all over the estate looking for one and any signage and nearly took a road over a very rickety wooden footbridge that would not have held our car. There is building going on, so perhaps they are closed for a while. We left and then proceeded to Stanford Hills next door. You turn off the main road onto a smaller road and drive at least a kilometre to the small winery. It was lunch time and we were spurred on by the thought of the memorable pork pie they serve, mentioned by Christian Eedes in the Platter guide. When we reached it, we discovered that they are only open Thursdays to Mondays. It was Tuesday. We really would have appreciated this information at the turning from the main road. So it was not a successful trip to taste Stanford wines.

Trying the wines in the tasting room at Misty Cliffs winery in Stanford

One day this might become a restaurant

Their labels

Angela Kies was very helpful, knowledgeable and did a very professional tasting for us

A huge conference of white-faced coots on the Prawn Flats

The tide beginning to go out on the flats on the Stanford estuary

Flamingos  in the distance on the edge of the estuary

Cormorants watching the water

And a tiny abandoned 6 week old (approx.) kitten living on the side of the slipway. We fed it some ham and sausage and it was ravenous. We did report it to Animal Welfare who said they would go and rescue it.

We headed back into Hermanus to find some lunch. Lynne had met the owner of Bientang’s Cave the previous day at Creation so we decided to give it a try. And we were very pleasantly surprised

A lovely close up of a whale from the deck at Bientang’s Cave

This is just next to the old harbour in town

Steep steps down (And up later!)

A view from above of the terrace

Not too daunting

We think these far tables must be the ones for the smokers! They should be

They ring a bell every time someone spots a whale in the bay

Specials of the day

John’s portion of Hake and Chips. Rather a small portion for the cost but very fresh and good

Lynne opted for the Bouillabaisse  and it was delicious and very good value at R95. Two huge prawns on top, and in the soup mussels, calamari, smaller prawns and fish in a light tomato fish/seafood broth

They charge R50 a bottle for Bring your Own Wine and this is one of our current favourites,  a Chardonnay made by David Finlayson at Edgebaston

More cormorants

The Bar at Bientang’s Cave

A last look at Walker Bay before the long road home 

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© John & Lynne Ford, Adamastor & Bacchus 2014