Beat s’tlamatlama with these easy meals

We are full swing into music festival season, enjoying the warm weather and living our best lives outdoors. The last thing on our minds is getting over the dreaded s’tlamatlama  (hangover) – cue the Focalistic song. SMag caught up with chef Katlego Mlambo for some fail-proof hangover meals guaranteed to take you to Flavourtown and what we can expect from him upon his return from London:

Go-to hangover meal   

Perfectly pouched eggs on an herbed potato croquette cake with a decadent aerated Hollandaise sauce and smoked ham. Great as a brunch meal. 

If you have time to drum up a delicious homemade meal...  

Carbs are the main thing that helps with a hangover as it is easy for your stomach to digest and gives you that needed jolt of energy. So, pair it [carbohydrates] with something meaty such as a good steak. Chef’s choice would be medium rare steak with potatoes – deep fried or mashed.  

Switching out breakfast eggs, substitute with... 

A good bowl of pasta; spaghetti bolognaise with generous serving of cheese. Obviously, you don’t have a lot of time to stand behind the stove, so a good spaghetti bolognaise with lots of chilies, garlic and parmesan could hit the spot.  

For a healthier alternative to greasy foods... 

Try a good salad with lots of greenery and cucumber, avocado, tomatoes and spicy dressing. This could be your base. Add peri-peri prawns for that naughty but delicious twist and a generous portion of chili to tick all the cravings boxes.  

Favourite cook of all time... 

Hands down my grandmother. I know that she sometimes overcooks the vegetables and it may sound so cliché but when she cooks, she does it with love.  

What have you been up to since returning to Mzansi?  

It feels great being back home from London. Right now, I’m simply enjoying the sun. I’m working on something but can’t really say much now, but it’s going to be a delicious journey to Flavourtown.  

What continues to inspire you to create new dishes? 

Constantly reading cookbooks and a lot of dreaming. About eighty percent of my dreams are about food, so I keep a notebook on my bedside and write them down and try to recreate them in the kitchen. Some are first-hit wonders while other dishes are not that good and need to go back to the drawing board.  

Messy meatball buns

Serves: 4  

Cooking time: 10 minutes

Prep time: 15 minutes 

 Ingredients:  

•  400g lean minced beef  
•  1 x 400g tin plum tomatoes  
•  20g garlic (finely chopped)  
•  20g ginger (finely chopped)  
•  1 x jar basil pesto 
•   2 x ball of mozzarella 
•   4 soft buns 
•   Salt (to season) 
•   Pepper (to season) 

Method:

• Mix half the jar of pesto with garlic, ginger and mince and season well with salt and pepper.
• Roll into 12 small balls and brown balls in a non-stick pan shaking regularly. 
• Once balls are golden, pour in the tomatoes breaking them gently with a wooden spoon. Add some water if necessary to sauce if needed.
• Slice mozzarella and lay over the balls and cover with lid, allowing to thicken this should about 5 minutes. 
• Warm buns on a large non-stick pan. 
• Split each bun and spread remaining pesto inside, divide up the balls and mozzarella with a little sauce. 
• Keep the rest of the sauce for dunking 

Chef’s tip: When making fresh tomato sauce, with fresh tomatoes add a bit of brown sugar, it helps with balancing the tartness of the tomatoes. Basil and tomatoes are a match made in heaven so add a couple of leaves and stems when making your sauce. 

Harissa chicken bake 

Serves: 4  

Prep time: 10 minutes.

Cooking time: 50 minutes.

Ingredients:  

• 4 mixed peppers 
•  2 red onions  
• 1 x whole chicken  
• 6 heaped teaspoons harissa paste 
• 4 sprigs fresh mints  
• 20 g almond flakes  
• 30 ml red vinegar  
• 100 ml olive oil 
•  Salt (to season) 
•  Pepper (to season)  
• To Garnish: 50 g coriander 
• 250 ml plain yoghurt 
• 1 cup pomegranate seeds  

Method: 

• Preheat oven to 180*C, deseed peppers and tear into chunks, peel and quarter the onions and break into petals then place into roasting tray.
• Spatchcock the chicken with a sharp knife or a pair of scissors scoring the legs.
• Place chicken in tray and marinated with harissa, salt and pepper.
• Sit chicken on top of veg, skin side up and roast for 50 minutes until the chicken is cooked through and skin is crispy.
• Garnish with yoghurt, pomegranate seeds, almonds, mint and coriander 

Chef’s tip: For a golden-brown finish, you want to begin with lightly frying off your chicken skin side down, and the skin crisps up before roasting to give it a nice glossy finish.