There’s a notable chill in the air. The seasons are changing and so too will our preferred meals. Cooler weather requires more rich and warm food. We’ve compiled recipes to help you kick-start your cold weather menu planning and to get you into the autumn groove. 

Roasted pork belly with chardonnay and mustard sauce and apple slaw

By Steenberg executive chef Kerry Kilpin

Serves 4

Pork belly roast:

1.2kg pork belly

5ml Maldon salt

2.5ml fennel seeds, crushed

1 pinch dried chilli

Olive oil

Combine the fennel seeds, pinch of dried chilli and Maldon salt to make a salt rub for the pork belly. Score the rind of the pork belly with a sharp knife. Rub both the skin and flesh side of the pork belly with a little olive oil and season with the salt rub, making sure the oil and salt penetrate the scores (add more Maldon salt if you like salty crackling).

Place the pork belly on a wire rack inside a baking tray and cook at 240°C for 30-40 minutes until the rind crackles and is golden brown. Turn the oven down to 180°C and cook for 20-30 minutes or until the meat is soft with no resistance when you insert a skewer. Once cooked, let the roast rest for 10 minutes before slicing.

Chardonnay & mustard sauce

65ml sugar

80ml milk

65ml chardonnay

30ml mustard powder

1 egg

30g butter

Place the chardonnay in a pot and bring to the boil, then remove from the heat. This allows the alcohol to cook off. Beat the egg, mustard and sugar in a bowl over a double boiler until light and fluffy.

Add the milk and wine and continue to beat and cook until the sugar has dissolved, and the sauce has thickened. Remove from the heat and stir in the butter.

Serve at room temperature.

Slaw 

1 Granny Smith apple, julienned 

1 cup finely shredded red cabbage 

100g finely sliced mange tout 

2 spring onions, sliced

Raspberry vinaigrette

35ml raspberry vinegar

20ml honey

2 sprigs thyme, chopped

Salt

Pepper

200ml olive oil blend

In a bowl, whisk the vinegar, honey and thyme. Gradually add the oil while continuously whisking. Season with salt and pepper. Combine the slaw ingredients with the raspberry vinaigrette about 15 minute before serving.

Serve a piece of pork belly on a plate, pour the chardonnay and mustard sauce next to the pork belly and serve with the slaw.

Chef Jenny Morris’s yummy plummy bread and butter pudding is a sure-fire way to end a dinner on an autumn evening. Wow your guests or family with this treat.

Yummy plummy bread and butter pudding 

By Jenny Morris 

Serves 4

Ingredients:

10 slices of stale white bread, crusts removed and buttered on both sides

2 heaped Tbsp of strawberry jam

Zest and juice of one lemon

6 large plums stoned and chopped into small pieces

350ml milk

125ml cream

2 large eggs

½ tsp ground cinnamon

2 Tbsp castor sugar

Extra caster sugar for sprinkling

Flaked almonds (optional)

Preheat the oven to 180°C. Cut the buttered bread into triangles. Place the jam, lemon zest and juice along with the plums into a saucepan, bring to the boil and remove from the heat. Arrange half the bread in a baking dish, spoon over the plum mixture and cover with the remaining bread. Whisk together the milk, cream, eggs cinnamon and castor sugar. Pour it over the bread and let the pudding stand for 30 minutes before baking. Sprinkle over the castor sugar and almonds if you are using them. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes, or until the custard has just set and the top is golden brown. Remove from the oven and dust with icing sugar. Serve warm with whipped cream or great blobs of vanilla ice cream.

Drinks Ahoy!

For an idea on what drinks you can serve on the night here is a classic daiquiri recipe courtesy of Brent Perremore, World Class 2021 champion and owner of Art of Duplicity.

For those that prefer to have the cocktail professionally made for them in a sublime setting, it is available on the Art of Duplicity menu, Cape Town.

Classic daquiri (not the frozen version) 

50ml Earthbound distillery White Rum 

25 ml freshly squeezed lime juice 

2 barspoons (or teaspoons) of castor sugar 

Add all ingredients to an empty cocktail shaker and stir well to dissolve the sugar. Then add ice and shake very well for about a minute. Fine-strain into a chilled coupette or martini glass (either straight from the freezer or add ice to the glass before you start making the drink then discard the ice in the glass). Use a fine tea strainer to remove bits of lime and broken ice. Serve straight up (no ice). Garnish with a lime wheel or wedge on the side of the glass.

not the frozen version) 

50ml Earthbound distillery White Rum 

25 ml freshly squeezed lime juice 

2 barspoons (or teaspoons) of castor sugar 

Add all ingredients to an empty cocktail shaker and stir well to dissolve the sugar. Then add ice and shake very well for about a minute. Fine-strain into a chilled coupette or martini glass (either straight from the freezer or add ice to the glass before you start making the drink then discard the ice in the glass). Use a fine tea strainer to remove bits of lime and broken ice. Serve straight up (no ice). Garnish with a lime wheel or wedge on the side of the glass.