Making the most of meat

Meat only poses two possible threats, namely its visible fat and the fact that too much of any good thing is .... well, not much good. Eating too much meat means you are eating too much saturated fat, absorbing too many unwanted fat kilojoules and pushing your protein intake through the roof.

Enjoyed in moderation though, lean red meat (with all visible fat removed) is quite a bright star in the nutrient skies. It is rich in potassium, B vitamins, zinc and iron and an excellent source of protein. Served in small, lean portions with the addition of dietary fibre, red meat will enhance your health rather than harm it.

Fibre, as found in grains, dried beans and vegetables, helps to fight heart disease, digestive disorders and certain types of cancer. These foods, when served with meat, will assist your body in coping with the hidden fats in the meat. Fibre-rich foods will also help you feel satisfied faster and for longer - an excellent way in which to help you control your meat intake and so too, those unwanted fat kilojoules.

You can make some clever cuts in your meat consumption, and I am not referring to cutting it out. I mean buying and eating cuts that contain less of the hidden fats (often called the marble fat) and cholesterol-causing saturated fat. Be 'pound' wise and buy clever cuts. Those are the hind-quarter cuts such as fillet, rump, topside and leg of lamb. They contain the least hidden fats. However, even after the visible fat has been removed, you'd be surprised to know how much fat is hidden in what you deem 'pure' meat.

The cooking method also dictates how much fat you will eventually consume. Red meat actually loses weight during cooking or grilling on a rack, and depending on the period of time for which the meat is exposed to the heat, between 7 and 23% of the fat could drip away. That is provided of course you don't consume the pan drippings! With stews and casseroles, in which the fat becomes part of the sauce, no dripping away of fat takes place and it seeps into the cooking liquids. Those you end up eating by way of the gravy or a sauce. And needless to say, frying meat in fat or oil obviously adds even more fat (and unwanted) kilojoules to your unsuspecting body - rather a stupid thing to do if you want to be lean and healthy. So consider your cut and its cooking method with great care if you care about your weight.

Best of all course, is to go wild. it you enjoy red meat, 'have venison often. A very large serving of grilled game steak (300 g) will only add a humble 9,6 g of fat to your intake, whereas a similar serving of grilled beef steak (rump, fat removed) could add as much as 30 g of fat.

Similarly, if you enjoy poultry, be game for game. Ostrich, pheasant and quail are ultra-lean and 300 g of roast game will only provide you with about 10,5 g of fat. On the other hand, if you roasted (with the skin intact) and consumed its domesticated counterpart the chicken, the exact same size of serving will happily lay in the region of 39 g of fat on your body.

Be cautioned, though; game and venison tend to be dry - as a result of their low fat content - so don't defeat the whole object by adding buffer, oil, bacon, lard or cream to the dish. Use wine, fruit and stocks instead to moisten the meat. As for a sauce or gravy, the stock of game or venison is delightfully robust in flavour. Reduce your cooking liquid by boiling it rapidly with garlic, aromatic peppercorns and herbs until richly brown and thickened to your liking. A wiser, leaner and more nourishing bet than a creamy sauce, for sure.

Don't inhibit your^- nutrients

There is no point in trying to follow a healthy diet if you are not aware of the fact that the absorption of certain nutrients can be inhibited. In other words, their assimilation and uptake by the body can be hindered by some or other bad food combination with nutrient inhibitors.

The nutrients most at risk are calcium and iron. Thus, try not to consume calcium-rich foods with alcohol, high-fibre cereals or red meats - they restrict the absorption of calcium. This means for example, that it is not wise to combine cheese and wine or cereal and milk. Serve wine with low-fat meat, chicken, fish, fruit and vegetable snacks and your cereal with fruit juice instead of milk. Vitamin D, however, aids the absorption of calcium. As sunlight is an excellent way to improve your vitamin D levels, serve lean, fruity milkshakes around your pool instead of fruit juices. That way your body will benefit fully from your clever combinations.

The absorption of iron is hampered by the simultaneous intake of tea, red wine and high-fibre cereals, so don't serve, say, iron-rich liver with whole wheat bread or brown rice, Rather serve it with potatoes or white rice. On the other hand, foods rich in vitamin C assist in the absorption of non-heam iron (iron derived from vegetables), so combine those foods for optimum nutrition. For instance, a salad made from iron-rich spinach, vitamin C-rich tomatoes and sweet peppers would be an excellent choice for super-A nutrient absorption without any threat of inhibitors.

Baked Geelbek in Lemon Sauce

4 x 150 g portions filleted geelbek(Cape salmon)

4 large lettuce leaves

75 g soft butter

1 clove garlic, crushed

finely grated rind of 1 lemon

15 ml freshly squeezed lemon juice

15 ml chopped fresh dill

salt and milled black pepper

175 g whole peeled shrimps, well drained on kitchen paper (weigh after shelling)

60 ml dry white wine

dill fronds for garnish

Set the oven at 200°C. Cut four squares of foil, large enough to enclose the fish.

Place a lettuce leaf on each; this will prevent the fish from sticking, and will make serving easier. Put a piece of geelbek on each leaf.

In a small bowl cream together the butter, garlic, lemon rind and juice and dill, and season with salt and pepper. Spread on the fish and top with a scattering ofshrimps.

Pull up, the edges of the foil and add 15 ml wine to each parcel.

Turn the edges over to seal the parcels. Cook for about 15 minutes until the fish is firm to the touch.

To Serve: Remove fish and lettuce from the parcels, or simply place the parcels on warm plates and garnish with dill. Serves 4

Leonie's Snoek Tart

Delicious warm or cool, as a savoury snack with a glass of good wine. Serve with moskonfyk and seeded, finely chopped green chilli.

1 kg smoked snoek, deboned, skinned and flaked

vegetable oil

1 onion, finely chopped

125 ml grated mature Cheddar cheese

Pastry

375 ml cake flour

90 g unsalted butter, cut into blocks 45 ml iced water

White Sauce

500 ml milk

15 ml butter

15 ml flour

salt, milled white pepper, grated nutmeg

Pastry: Sift the flour into a large, chill. bowl. Rub in the butter with your fingertips until the mixture is flaky. Don't let it become oily.

Pour the iced water over the mixture and toss lightly. Gather the dough into a ball. If it crumbles, add a little more iced water a few drops at a time, until the pastry forms a ball. Dust with a little flour, wrap in waxed paper and refrigerate for 1 hour to rest.

Set the oven to 180°C. Roll out the pastry, line a greased quiche tin and bake blind for about 15 minutes. Cool.

White Sauce: Warm the milk in a small saucepan. Melt the butter in a medium saucepan. When the foam subsides, sift in the flour and stir with a wooded spoon to form a smooth paste. Remove from the heat and blend in the warm milk. Cook, stirring until the sauce thickens. Season with salt, pepper and nutmeg.

Heat oil in a non-stick frying pan and fry the onion until translucent.

Spread a little white sauce onto the pastry, then add the flaked snoek and onion. Repeat the layers once more, ending with a layer of white sauce. Cover with grated cheese and bake for about

20 minutes until the cheese is golden.

Serves 8

Baked Linefish with Minted Mango Yoghurt

4 x 200 g portions filleted linefish; skin on 60 ml olive oil

salt, milled black pepper, cayenne pepper

30 ml freshly squeezed lemon juice Tabasco sauce

Minted Mango Yoghurt

250 ml plain, thick yoghurt

1 medium, ripe stringless mango, peeled, pipped and chopped

leaves plucked from 2-3 sprigs fresh mint

Set the oven at 220 °C. Pour the olive oil into a baking dish to fit the fish snugly, add the fillets and turn to coat. Season with salt and pepper and sprinkle with lemon juice and a few drops of Tabasco.

Bake uncovered for 10-12 minutes until cooked.

Minted Mango Yoghurt: While the fish is cooking mix together the yoghurt, mango and mint in a food processor. Purée smoothly and season with salt and pepper.

Pour the minted mango yoghurt sauce over the fish and place under a hot grill for 2-3 minutes. Garnish with a dash of cayenne pepper.

To Serve: Place fish on warm plates and serve with sautéed potatoes and lightly cooked vegetables.

Serves 4

Black Mushrooms

Rolled in Sesame Seeds, with Prawns,

Julienned Vegetables and Indonesian Peanut Sauce

4-8 large black mushrooms (1-2 per serving)

200 ml sesame seeds

cake flour

2 eggs, lightly beaten

Peanut Sauce

30 ml olive oil

100 ml Ketjap Manis

60 ml peanut butter

Prawns and Julienne Vegetables 16 large prawns, shelled and deveined

300 g julienned vegetables (carrots, leeks, celery, red, green, yellow peppers)

olive oil

5 ml crushed garlic,

5 ml finely chopped fresh red or green chilli (discard seeds, or add for a hotter dish)

5 ml crushed green ginger

5 ml finely sliced fresh lemon grass stalks small bunch fresh coriander, chopped coriander leaves for garnish

Set the oven at 180 °C. Grease a baking tray. Toast the sesame seeds in a dry frying pan.

Roll the mushrooms in flour, dip in beaten egg, and coat with sesame seeds. Place on a baking tray and bake for 10-15 minutes.

Peanut Sauce: Mix the ingredients in a small saucepan and simmer, stirring constantly, to form a smooth sauce. If it's too thick, add a little water or chicken stock.

Dukkah-Crusted Fish with Cucumber Salad

Dukkah is an Egyptian nut and seed mixture. Eat on bread, sprinkle over salads and vegetables, or use to coat fish. It keeps well in an airtight jar, so mix a reasonable quantity at a time.

6 x 180 g portions filleted, firm white fish, skinned and sliced on the diagonal

freshy squeezed lemon juice, salt,

milled black pepper, butter

lemon wedges for squeezing

Dukkah

250 g sesame seeds

125 g coriander seeds

125 g hazelnuts, roasted and skinned

75 g cumin seeds

Cucumber Salad

1 English cucumber

salt

1 red onion, finely sliced

1 fresh red chilli, seeded and finely chopped 10 ml sugar

50 ml freshly squeezed lemon juice

Dukkah: Roast all the ingredients separately in a dry frying pan. Grind in a hand mill or blender, keeping the mixture coarse (don't allow the nuts and seeds to become oily). Mix and store in a sealed bottle.

Cucumber Salad: Make ahead so that it can drain and chill; it is best within 2 hours of preparing. Finely slice the cucumber (a mandoline works best), sprinkle with salt and pile in a sieve. Set aside to drain for 10 minutes.

Rinse with cold water and spread on a cloth to dry. Mix in a bowl with the onion, chilli, sugar and lemon juice. Cover and chill.

To Serve: Sprinkle fish with lemon juice, season with salt and pepper, roll in dukkah and fry in sizzling butter in a non-stick frying pan, turning once. As it's thinly sliced, the fish cooks in a minute or two.

Place on warm plates and serve with cucumber salad and lemon wedges. Serves 6

Pomegranate's Pickled Fish

This is well worth making in large quantities, as it improves with keepin and has a fridge life of two weeks, if kep well covered.

1,5 kg yellowtail, kabeljou or geelbek (Cape salmon), filleted and skinned

200 ml vegetable oil

1 kg onions, finely sliced

15 ml fresh, well-made masala

5 ml fennel seeds

5 ml coriander seeds

5 ml black peppercorns

2 ml whole cloves

4-5 bay leaves, preferably fresh

125 g dried apricots

500 ml red or white wine

(red gives a deeper colour to the dish)

10 ml coarse salt 75 ml vinegar

30 ml brown sugar

Place fish in a baking dish which allows sufficient space for the sauce.

Heat the oil in a large saucepan and fry the onions very slowly until they begin to colour; allow about 30 minutes, so the onion becomes nice and sweet.

Stir in the masala, fennel, coriander, peppercorns, cloves and bay leaves, fry for about 30 seconds, then add the apricots, wine and salt. Simmer very gently uncovered for about 20 minutes (or longer) until the flavour is just right; the wine reduces and the oil begins to thicken the sauce; don't rush things!

Add the vinegar and brown sugar. Check and adjust the flavour if necessary.

Set the oven at 200 °C. Pour sauce over the fish, cover with foil and bake for 20 minutes. Pierce with a fork to see if the fish is-nearly done; if not bake for 5 minutes more (cooking time depends on the oven and the baking dish, but remember that the fish will continue to cook as the sauce cools).

Cool completely, then cover and refrigerate for at least a day before serving.

To Serve: Offer as is, or serve on salad leaves with home-made mayonnaise. Serves 10 as a starter or light lunch

Seafood Curry Le Med

Don't be put off by the list of ingredients in this famous curry, as it will undoubtedly become a favourite with your guests. The sauce can be made a day ahead or ozen for future use. Remember to add he seafood at the last minute to ensure hat it's not overdone.

300 g calamari tubes, well cleanedand cut into rings

300g large prawns, shelled and deveined

300 g filleted firm fish (for example gamefish Ike tuna or yellowtail), skinned and cut into 2 cm cubes

500 g black mussels on the half shell

Curry Sauce

45ml vegetable oil

3 onions, chopped

1 red pepper, seeded and chopped green pepper, seeded and chopped nil crushed garlic

15 ml crushed green ginger

15ml commercial green curry paste

10ml finely grated lemon rind

5 ml chopped fresh fennel

10 ml Chinese five spice powder

2ml cumin seeds, crushed

5 ml paprika 4 bay leaves 60 ml tomato paste

60 ml chutney 15 ml honey

500 ml chicken or Fish Stock (page 209) 400 g can coconut cream

30 ml corn flour mixed with

60 ml water salt

45 ml finely shredded fresh basil leaves

Curry Sauce: Heat the oil in a wide saucepan and fry the onion and red and green pepper until softened.

Add the garlic, ginger and curry paste and cook for 5 minutes.

Add the lemon rind, fennel, five-spice powder, cumin seeds, paprika, bay leaves, tomato paste, chutney, honey, stock and coconut cream, cover and simmer gently for 20 minutes.

Add the cornflour and water and simmer for a further 5 minutes until the sauce thickens. Check the flavour and add salt to taste.

Bring the sauce to the boil. Add the prepared calamari, prawns and fish and simmer for 5-6 minutes until done. Add the mussels and basil and heat through.

Serve curry on rice with a selection of assorted sambals like bowls of toasted coconut, chopped onion and tomato and chutney.

Serves 6

Smoked Salmon Gnocchi with Parsley Butter

If you wish to make gnocchi ahead of time, cover with oil and store in the fridge for up to four days. Drain well and dip in hot water to reheat.

3 potatoes (about 350 g), peeled and cubed 200 g smoked salmon

80 g (150 ml) cake flour

1 egg

5 ml dried dill

milled black pepper

Parsley Butter

100 g butter

5 ml chopped fresh parsley freshly squeezed lemon juice

Boil the potatoes in salted water until cooked. Drain and mash.

Purée the smoked salmon in a food processor or blender. Mix in the potato, flour, egg, dill and a little pepper, and knead well. Roll into about 40 small, irregular pieces - they should not be perfect rounds.

Bring water to the boil in a medium saucepan. Add the gnocchi in batches;

when they rise to the surface they are cooked. Remove from the pot with a slotted spoon, place on a warm plate and keep warm.

Parsley butter: Melt the butter in a small saucepan. Stir in the parsley, and season with pepper and lemon juice. Pour over the gnocchi and serve hot.

Serves 4-5 as a main course;

6-8 as a starter

Baby Octopus in Peanut and Soy Sauce

750 g baby octopus, well cleaned freshly squeezed lemon juice, olive oil watercress sprigs for garnish

Peanut and Soy Sauce

125 ml soy sauce

15 ml crushed green ginger

50 g roasted peanuts, crushed 100 ml cream

Place the baby octopus in a bowl and pour over plenty of boiling water. Drain, tip back into the bowl, and squeeze over plenty of lemon juice.

Peanut and Soy Sauce: Whisk together all the ingredients in a small saucepan, adding the cream last. Bring to the boil.

To Serve: Heat a little olive oil in a frying pan, add the octopus and fry for a few minutes until sizzling hot. Toss in the peanut and soy sauce and garnish with sprigs of watercress.

Serves 6

Sole Huguenot and Hollandaise Sauce

6 soles, filleted; reserve skin and bones vegetable oil

12 button mushrooms

500 ml dry white wine

500 ml water

30 ml freshly squeezed lemon juice

5 ml dried thyme

3 bay leaves

4 sprigs fresh parsley

1 onion, sliced

6 large lettuce leaves

2 ml salt

2 egg yolks

400 g soft butter, cut into 1 cm squares

Place the top of the double boiler in the fridge to chill. Heat oil in a frying pan and fry the mushrooms until lightly browned. Remove from the pan and set aside.

Measure 30 ml each of the wine and water into a medium saucepan and add the lemon juice, thyme, 1 bay leaf, 1 parsley sprig and 1 slice of onion. Simmer uncovered until reduced by half. Strain and chill.

Lay lettuce leaves in a metal or enamel oven dish. Top with the remaining onion, bay leaves and parsley, and add fish skin and bones.

Starting at the tail ends, roll up the sole fillets and secure with toothpicks. Place on the bones or lettuce leaves (if the fish touches the dish it may stick). Pour in the remaining wine and water, season with salt, cover with foil and bring to the boil on the stovetop. When the foil puffs up with steam, remove from the heat and uncover.

Remove sole rolls, place on warm plates and carefully remove the toothpicks. Keep warm.

Place the baking dish on the stovetop and boil uncovered until reduced by 80%. Strain.

Hollandaise Sauce: Place the chilled, flavoured wine reduction in the top of the double boiler with the egg yolks. Whisk in a piece of butter with a hand whisk.

Place in the base over simmering water and whisk in the butter bit by bit until the sauce thickens.

Remove from the heat and pour some of the sauce into a gravy boat.

Add 45-60 ml reduced fish stock to the remaining sauce and pour over the sole rolls. Garnish with a mushroom and place the plates under a hot grill for 1 minute.

Serve with the remaining hollandaise sauce, mashed potato and lightly cooked vegetables.

Serves 6

Fish Florentine

750 g filleted hake loins

500 ml Court Bouillon

400 g brown mushrooms, sliced butter

125 ml toasted breadcrumbs

100 g Cheddar cheese, grated

finely grated rind of 1 lemon

30 ml chopped fresh parsley

Spinach Sauce

50 g butter

50 g (100 ml) cake flour

250 ml cream

250 ml milk

400 g spinach, well washed, trimmed, steamed and chopped

2 cloves garlic, crushed

salt, milled white pepper, grated nutmeg

Set the oven at 180°C. Bring court bouillon to simmering point in a saucepan, add the fish, cover and poach for 2 minutes. Remove from the pan, place in a large gratin dish and keep warm. Strain and reserve the stock.

Spinach Sauce: Melt the butter in a medium saucepan. Remove from the heat and stir in the flour. Mix together the cream and the milk and heat. Add to the pot and cook, stirring constantly, until the sauce it smooth and thickened.

Stir in the chopped spinach and garlic, and season with salt, pepper and nutmeg. If the sauce needs thinning, add a little of the reserved stock.

Fry the mushrooms in a little butter for about 2 minutes until tender. Place on the fish. Pour over the spinach sauce.

Mix together the breadcrumbs, cheese, lemon rind and parsley and sprinkle on top. Brown in the oven for 5-10 minutes.

Serves 4

Oriental Kingklip

4 x 200 g portions filleted kingklip; skin on cake flour seasoned with salt and milled black pepper

butter and vegetable oil

2 green peppers, seeded and sliced 1 onion, finely sliced

24 button mushrooms, sliced

125 ml mixed fresh sprouts

5 ml crushed garlic

5 ml crushed green ginger

60 ml commercial sweet and sour sauce

Toss the kingklip in seasoned flour. Heat butter and oil in a large frying pan and fry the fish until golden on both sides and cooked through. Place on warm plates and keep hot.

Heat oil in a wok or frying pan and stir-fry the green pepper, onion and mushrooms until crisp-tender. Stir in the sprouts, garlic, ginger and sweet and sour sauce and season with salt and pepper.

Pour sauce over or around the fish and serve immediately with rice.

Serves 4

Crab and Cashew Nut Salad

8 crab sticks (about 250 g)

50 g butter

freshly squeezed juice of ¹/2 lemon

'/2 medium English cucumber, sliced mixed lettuce leaves

100 g cashew nuts

Dressing

125 ml water

'/2 small onion, finely chopped

2 green pepper, seeded and finely chopped small bunch fresh mint leaves, finely chopped

30 ml freshly squeezed lemon juice

20 ml fish sauce

Dressing: Bring the water to the boil, add the remaining ingredients and simmer uncovered for 1 minute. Cool.

Cut the crab sticks into bite-sized pieces. Melt the butter in a non-stick frying pan, add the lemon juice and heat until sizzling. Sauté the crab sticks for about 2 minutes until golden. Remove from the heat, toss with the cucumber and cool. Drizzle over the dressing and toss.

To Serve: Arrange lettuce on a large platter (or individual plates) and top with crab mixture. Garnish with cashew nuts. Serves 4

Fish Velouté

A classic sauce for all types of fish and shellfish.

50 g butter 45 ml flour 250 ml cold Fish Stock (page 209)

150 ml cream

salt and white pepper

Melt the butter in a medium saucepan, remove from the heat and blend in the flour.

Whisk in the stock, pouring slowly to avoid lumps. Cook over medium heat for about 5 minutes, stirring all the while, until the sauce is silky smooth and

thickens slightly.

Remove from heat, stir in the cream and season with salt and pepper.

Makes 500 ml

Saffron Fish Veloute

250 ml Fish Velouté (previous recipe) 30 ml Pernod or Vermouth

20 saffron threads in 30 ml warm water 50 g soft butter, cut into blocks

Make the fish velouté, remove from the heat and stir in the Pernod or Vermouth and saffron water. Just before serving, reheat and whisk in the butter block by block.

Makes 300 ml

Béchamel Sauce

50 g butter

45 ml cake flour

500 ml full cream milk, or milk and cream salt and milled black pepper

Melt the butter in a medium saucepan. Remove from the heat and blend in the flour. Slowly stir in the milk (or milk and cream), until the mixture is smooth. Season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring, for 3-4 minutes until the sauce thickens.

Makes about 500 ml

Hollandaise Sauce

500 g unsalted butter

5 extra large egg yolks

1 extra large egg

salt, milled white pepper, cayenne pepper, turmeric

freshly squeezed lemon juice

Melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Skim the foam from the surface. Bring to the boil.

Meanwhile, place the egg yolks and egg into a food processor and whizz until pale yellow.

Add the boiling butter with the machine on. (Reheat the butter if it cools; the idea is to cook the egg yolks with the hot butter and in the process to form an emulsion.)

Season with salt and white pepper and a pinch of cayenne pepper and turmeric. Add a little lemon juice.

Makes about 500 g