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December

Maple Glazed Roast Beef

The Western Cape boasts a diversity of landscapes where an exciting array of native plants can be discovered to experiment with in cooking. The Table Bay’s culinary team regularly forages for wild gems to add differentiating, indigenous flavours to dishes.

Edible flowers like Hibiscus blooms, with their cranberry-like flavour and citrus overtones, are used as a colourful and delightful addition to salads, while Nasturtium blossoms, with their sweet yet spicy flavour, are an ideal ingredient for open sandwiches and savoury appetisers. Num num foraged from the nearby V&A Waterfront are innovatively used in a compote for the Camissa Brasserie’s seasonal dishes, while Dune spinach, with its interesting, meaty texture and sea-flavour, foraged in Sea Point, can be used to draw out flavours in a variety of meat and fish dishes.

With the holidays offering some time to explore Cape Town’s surrounds and creating ample opportunity to entertain at home, The Table Bay’s Executive Chef, Keshan Rambarun encourages experimenting with indigenous plants in cooking over the festive season. He shares his recipe for Maple Glazed Roast Beef with handpicked num num as a starting point for creative cooks keen to try cooking with wild plants. “It is an exciting twist on a familiar favourite and has a decidedly festive feel. Go wild in the kitchen over the holidays,” he says.

INGREDIENTS (serves two)
  • 1kg beef fillet
  • 350g green pea
  • 12 medium prawns
  • 100g pickled limes
  • 120g pearl onions
  • 80g num-num or black plums
  • 100g salted butter
  • 50ml olive oil
  • 15ml maple syrup
  • 3g salt
  • 4g coarse black pepper
  • 50g sugar
  • 30g thyme
METHOD
  1. Sear beef fillet with 50g butter, salt and pepper. Peel and cut the pearl onions in half and grill with the beef in the pan. Before placing in the oven, drizzle with maple syrup and roast for 7 minutes. Remove and allow to rest for 3 minutes.
  2. Deshell the prawns marinate in olive oil, thyme, salt and pepper. In a hot pan, place the prawns with the marinade and cook for about 2 minutes on each side. Remove the pan from the heat and allow the prawns to cool slightly.
  3. Blanch peas in salted boiling water until soft. Blend until smooth with 50g butter and 1g salt.
  4. In a small sauce pan, place the num-num and 50g sugar with about 100ml of water. Cook the num-num until soft and mushy. Remove the seeds and blend until smooth and thick.
Watch How it is Made

The Maple Glazed Roast Beef will be available at Camissa Brasserie over the holidays.

Booking is essential.

Email TableBayDining@suninternational.com or call +27 21 406 5988.