HERB-CRUSTED LOIN OF LAMB WITH CHARGRILLED AUBERGINE, GOAT'S CHEESE AND AUBERGINE PUREE

5 tablespoons olive oil
½ aubergine, sliced into 4 equal rounds
30g butter
2 red onions, peeled and finely chopped
4 roasted red peppers, cut into strips
½ savoy cabbage, shredded
120g goat's cheese
salt and freshly ground black pepper
100g dried breadcrumbs
2 teaspoons parsley, finely chopped
2 teaspoons chervil, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
2 lamb loins, well trimmed
150ml lamb jus
8 spring onions, roughly chopped
1 small bunch chives, roughly chopped
1 recipe aubergine puree

Garnishes
4 aubergine chips
4 sprigs thyme

Serves 4

Preheat the oven to 200ºC / 400ºC / Gas mark 6.
Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil and fry the aubergine slices until golden on both sides. Set aside.
Heat another tablespoon of olive oil and the butter in a saucepan and sauté the red onions until soft, but do not allow them to colour.
Add the roasted red peppers and cabbage, and continue to cook until the cabbage starts to wilt. Add the goat's cheese and stir. Season and set aside.

Mix together the breadcrumbs, herbs and garlic. Season well and set aside. Smear the lamb loins with another tablespoon of olive oil, season well.

Heat the last tablespoon of olive oil in a frying pan and sear the loins on both sides. Coat the seared loins in the herbed breadcrumbs, transfer to a roasting tin and finish cooking in the oven for 5-7 minutes.

To serve

Reheat the aubergine slices in the oven. Gently heat the lamb jus and add the spring onions and chives. Reheat the goat's cheese mixture and the aubergine puree. Remove the lamb from the oven and leave to rest for 1 minute before carving.

Arrange an aubergine slice in the centre of each plate and place some of the goat's cheese mixture on top. Carve the lamb into thin slices and place on top of the goat's cheese mixture in a fan shape. Spoon some lamb jus over the plate and garnish with aubergine puree, aubergine chips and sprigs of thyme. Serve immediately.

AN IDEAL MATCH
Hamilton Russell Pinot Noir 2003
A match made in heaven and one of the all time classics - Pinot noir and lamb, especially when the lamb is prepared with classic Mediterranean flavours like aubergine and herbs. This pinot is one of the Cape's best, and is highly rated in the rest of the world too, Berry Brothers chose Hamilton Russell as one of their "world's best" producers. Beautiful balance to this wine, good fruit and expressive wood that is already well integrated. It promises much in the future, but will match this dish well right now, with its youthful intensity balanced by the supple and elegant sides to the wine - it also has a notable minerality that will complement the lamb perfectly.

AN INTERESTING MATCH
L'Avenir Pinotage 2002
Pinotage is half pinot noir after all, and this is a wonderfully ripe and fruity example, and with a body that would make a Spice Girl proud. Voluptuous in every respect, a wine that will offer a more expressive match to the rich flavours of the lamb and the aubergine.

PREPARE A PROPER ENGLISH HIGH TEA

English teas are renowned throughout the world for their flavour and relaxing qualities. For a while, however, tea was considered an older, almost "quaint" drink. Today tea is rapidly becoming hip in the United States and Tea houses and coffee shops are being combined into a new social hub for gatherings and work.

The tradition of High Tea goes back many years to the late 1700's. In England, at that time there were two main meals daily, Breakfast and Dinner. Dinner was served very late in the evening, so it was a very long time between meals. The Duchess of Bedford (1788-1861) complained about a "sinking feeling" in the late afternoon. Afternoon tea was her invention to keep her going until dinner. She would invite friends to join her for tea at 5p.m and so other hostesses quickly copied her idea.

Food at tea included such things as thin crust-less cucumber sandwiches, shrimp or fish pate, toasted breads with jams and regional pastries such as scones and crumpets. The emphasis was on presentation and conversation. This pause for tea became a fashionable social event in which the whole of England indulged. The upper-class and society women were changing into long gowns, gloves and hats for their afternoon teas and was usually served in the drawing room, and thus provided the host an opportunity to show off her good taste and refinement with musical entertainment such as a harp or the piano being played.

The wider variety of teas offered along with the additional choices of eats portrayed the class of the hostess.

Today, the proper afternoon tea consists of a selection of dainty sandwiches, scones served with clotted cream, lemon curd and preserves. Cakes and pastries are also served. Tea, grown in India or Ceylon, is usually poured from silver tea pots into delicate bone china cups. It is customary to have nice linen, flowers, soft music and fine china.

There is also, therefore, a proper way to brew English tea. The teapot itself should be warmed in a stove or in a tub of boiling water before the tea leaves are placed into its bowl. Then boiling water should be poured over the leaves to steep for five to seven minutes. Sugar cubes should be added after the tea is prepared, and milk before the tea enters the teacup. An infuser can be used to extract a richer taste from tea leaves. Water should never be boiled twice, as this creates a flat taste. Water may be added to the teapot to allow the tea leaves to steep fluidly while the first cup is drunk, and a tea cozy is necessary for keeping the teapot warm.

It follows naturally that there is a way to serve English tea. No cup of British tea is ever served simply in a saucer. There must be a small teapot, a tray, a sugar holder, a milk pitcher, tongs for sugar cubes, a saucer, a cup, and the tea itself. Tea should be poured with one hand carefully on the top lid so that it does not fall forward. English four o'clock tea should be served with cakes or cookies. Dipping things into tea is never acceptable in polite company. For the converted British tea connoisseur, the following is a list of the five most popular British teas and a description of each:

• Darjeeling:
  An Indian tea, containing a slightly exotic flavour with hints of darker spices
• Orange Pekoe:
  A tea with Indian roots, orange flavoured with a hint of spice
• Imperial Gunpowder:
  With tea leaves the colour and texture of old Gunpowder, it has a strong, slightly bitter taste
• Earl Grey:
  Referring to London Fog, a very haughty tea with a full, rich taste without much spice
• English Rose:
  So called because roses are steeped to flavour it, having a musky, full taste that is good for tea parties

In conclusion, English tea is a ritual that demands respect. Take care to follow the rules of British presentation, and you'll never languish for a proper tea party again!

CENTREPIECES...DECORATING WITH FLOWERS AND FRUIT

Put together a summer arrangement by filling tall glass cylinders with fresh fruits and even brightly-coloured vegetables, bringing about a colourful and inexpensive dimension to floral arrangements. When using citrus fruits in the arrangement, be sure the pretty centre of the fruit is visible by pressing the cut side against the glass.

DÉCOR TIPS

• Put together a summer arrangement by filling a tall glass cylinder with fresh green beans and small orange or yellow peppers. Fill with water, and then add colourful flowers like Gerber daisies.
• Clear glass bowls with new potatoes in the pink variety along with lemons and limes, are a great base to start with. Arrange tulips, daffodils and other summer flowers in-between. Fill the bowl with water, which will bring the colours to life and magnify whatever is in the vase.
• Baby artichokes, cranberries, oranges, kiwis, berries, sugar-snap peas, whole peas, and nearly every other type of vegetable looks beautiful in vase water.
• Try to stay with a colour theme. Green apples, daisies, roses and lemon leaves, for example, all work well together to form a decorative centrepiece.

TABLE SETTINGS THAT SIZZLE

Since all my dishes are decorated with beautiful sauces using creative presentations, I thought the use of white plates, in interesting shapes, would be great. The addition of bold patterns and splashes of colour added to the art deco look.

Since I love food and playing with colours thereof, I decided to focus on just that. Since a lot of my dishes are saucy ones, the use of a brightly coloured oil cloth table covering was perfect for easy clean up and any sudden spills.

DÉCOR TIPS:

• Small rubber bowls can hold sugar, salt, pepper, or even a sauce.
• Small casserole dishes add a splash of colour to the stark white plates.
• Funky stainless flatware balances out the bright colours on the tables.
• A uniquely shaped plate contrasts beautifully with a vibrant red champagne flute, which add height to this sizzling tabletop.
• White ceramic mugs are perfect for hot beverages, but to spice things up, try using them for regular wine instead.

I used three red and and one orange champagne glass to match the tablecloth, and also because I didn't want to do things too symmetrically.

The red and green sauce boats I found paired beautifully with the vintage espresso spoons from a local flea market a gorgeous eclectic combination.

The little red casserole pots, often used in restaurants, work well for soufflés and other foods that need to stay hot like roasted vegetables. Their rich colour also worked well with the colour scheme.

Because there is so much of colour on the table already, I wanted to take the boldest colour and just have things melt into it, which is why I snatched up these red napkins from my favourite table-linen store.

Rather than flowers, a bunch of peppers gathered for the centrepiece add to the bold statement of this art deco theme.

Bouillabaisse: A rich fish stew from southern France. This was once a poor man's meal made of any fish available. Modern versions include lobster and shrimp. The broth is flavoured with garlic, orange peel, fennel, and saffron. Olive oil is added to the stew and rapidly boiled to blend it into the broth. The stew is served with croutons and rouille, a variation of aioli.

THE VERTICAL ROASTER

This unique vertical roaster is a patented design that combines vertical roasting action with aromatic steaming, seasoning your poultry from the inside out. To use this quirky gadget, simply fill the roaster with wine or water, and herbs and spices of your choice. As poultry is roasting, steam flows through the vents and throughout the poultry.

This glass product is made from borosilicate glass (originally developed for lab use), and is flame proof, microwave safe, dishwasher safe, and oven proof. It is 4 inches in diameter at the base, 7 inches high and is best for 3 to 6 1/2 pound of poultry.

CLIFTON DIP

Born out of the idea of Conrad Gallaghers Cinnamon Banana chips.
You start by blending the first 5 ingredients, then add this to the next 2 ingredients that have been placed in a rock glass.
Top up the glass with crushed ice and stir up the ingredients from the bottom. End off by finally adding more crushed ice and garnishing with a lemon twist.
A twisted alcoholic version of the the healthy lassie!

Ingredients

Half a banana
2 pinches cinnamon
50ml Vanilla Vodka
20ml Lemon juice
10ml Sugar syrup

4 Slices lemonK
1 1/2 tea spoons brown sugar

Garnish
Lemon twist

Conrad Gallagher has designed a range of top quality gift hampers. These hampers contain a variety of specially produced and blended gourmet products that are beautifully presented in a hand-woven basket. Included in each luxury hamper is a range of original recipe vinegars, rubs, jams as well as Conrad's cook books, One Pot Wonders and Take 6 Ingredients as well as Cooking with Conrad Gallagher aprons, making the hamper an ideal corporate or personal gift.

You can also custom design individual hampers tailor made to your own personal or specific company branding requirements. For further information contact Sacha Seears. A full hamper comprising of the above ingredients will start at R1250. (excl VAT)

[t] +27 21 434 1584
[f] +27 21 434 1586

P.O. Box 157
Green Point, 8051
Cape Town, South Africa

sacha@conradgallagher.com
www.conradgallagher.com