The Stellenbosch, Paarl and Franshhoek Valleys, 55 km east of Cape Town are the home of wine in South Africa and are known as the Cape Winelands.  The industry is enormous, producing 1 billion litres of quality wine per annum.  

The valleys are incredibly picturesque with some of the finest scenery in South Africa and this is where you will find a number of great vineyards.  The most famous and historic is Grande Province Estate, which was founded in 1694 in Franschoek. Neville and Nigel decide to investigate the estate and see just how good the food and wine really is.

Neville heads to the estate restaurant which specializes in modern international cuisine. Executive chef Jacques de Jager teaches Neville how to make a few delicious dishes made from locally grown beetroot. Meanwhile Nigel explores the cellar to find a wine that will work best with the dish.

RECIPE

Assiettte of beetroot
(Yield two portions)

The mousse

Ingredients
3 Whole large beets (juiced)
50ml cream
Salt to taste
Method
Reduce the juice by half then strain through a fine sieve and leave to cool
Whip cream to a stiff peak
Fold the cream into the juice and season
Pour into a ring lined with acetate
Place in a fridge to set

Golden beet jelly

Ingredients
3 tomatoes (quartered)
½ cucumber (peeled and roughly cut)
2 Baby golden beets
Two nice green chervil leaves
1 leaf of gelatine
Method
Boil baby golden with the skin on till soft (once done peel and leave to cool)
Liquidise the tomato and cucumber (once liquid season the mix)
Hang in a muslin cloth and allow to  drip ( the liquid must be very clear )
Soak the gelatine leaf in cold water
Heat a little water and dissolve the gelatine then mix with the tomato water
Using a small muffin tray line with cling film
Then place a piece of chervil in each mould
On top of that put a golden beet in each one
Then fill with the liquid
Twist the cling film into a tight ball and tie with string

The beetroot carpaccio

Ingredients
One large beet root (thinly sliced)
Extra virgin olive oil
Maldon sea salt
Method
Place the sliced beetroot on a pre-cut triangular piece of silicone paper
Cut to shape

Beet root foam

Ingredients
3 whole beets (juiced)
1 tsp of soya lecithin
Method
Reduce juice by half cool to about 60°c
Season
Add lecithin
Blend with a stick blender to to form foam
Garnish
Two sliced candy stripe beets
Beetroot cress
To assemble
Place the carpaccio on the corner of a square plate
Rub with EVO and sprinkle with maldon salt
Place mousse in center of plate (de moulded)
Remove jelly from the clingfilm
Place in opposite corner to carpacccio
Place the sliced candy stripe beet on top of the mousse
Place the cress dressed with some olive oil and lemon juice adjacent to the mousse
And finally the foam opposite the cress

Contact
GRANDE PROVENCE ESTATE
T +27 (0)21 876 8600
F +27 (0)21 876 8601
Main Road, Franschhoek 7690
PO Box 102, Franschhoek 7690
Western Cape, South Africa
enquiries@grandeprovence.co.za

For more information and to start planning your trip, visit the South African Tourism website at www.southafrica.net