Table Bay Hotel launches Fynbos-flavoured cooking package

Sun International’s Cape Town accommodation returns to its roots

From March to December 2012 the Table Bay Hotel is branching out from their usual culinary offerings with a unique ‘Cooking with Fynbos’ package. Championed by Executive Sous Chef Adrian Schreuder, a born and bred South African who’s been preparing dishes with fynbos for over a decade, the package is an inspired opportunity for both hotel guests and local residents to learn about the edible side of the vegetation that dominates the Cape Floral Kingdom.

“Of the 300 different species of fynbos, there are only about eight plants that are edible”, says Schreuder.

Which makes for an incredibly small percentage, considering that the natural scrubland covers nearly 50% of the surface area between the West Coast based Clanwilliam to the South East coast based Port Elizabeth. Nonetheless, Schreuder has conjured some delectable concoctions that will have participants hunting and gathering in no time.

The half-day “Cooking with Fynbos” package entitles guests to a fynbos-infused welcome drink - the choice of infusions range from Buchu Lemonade, Lemon Pelargonium Iced Tea, Rooibos Mojito, Sour Fig and Mint Cordial to Wild Dagga Tea; an assortment of canapés accompanies the welcome drink. Guests are also given a short introduction by Schreuder, and this is then followed by a 5-course tasting menu. Each guest also receives a fynbos gift.

Alternatively, for those who prefer a more hands-on approach, the full-day package includes the same experience above paired with a morning excursion to the Baskloof Private Nature Reserve (roughly 60 minutes from Cape Town). Here, Schreuder will lead participants on a nature walk, during which he’ll explain how to properly pick fynbos. Guests will not only have the benefit of knowing that they rustled up the fare that they’ll enjoy later that evening, but they’ll also be treated to hot soup served in a Blik Beker (rustic tin coffee mug) and crusty loaves. Soup choices include: Chunky bean and waterblommetjie soup with wild rosemary; beef, barley and wild rosemary; vegetable and buchu; or chicken soup with lentil and wild dagga.

The off-beat culinary jaunt is an outstanding example of the world-class service standards upheld by the five-star Table Bay Hotel, which as it happens, celebrated its 15th birthday in May 2012.

Costs

The half-day “Cooking With Fynbos” Package costs R650 per person and the full-day package costs R950.

Five-course tasting menu

There are 5 different tasting menu’s to choose from:

Tasting Menu One

• Samp and bean soup with wild rosemary
• Coffee and cumin crusted Kudu carpaccio with Fynbos honey and quince jelly, baby rocket and watercress salad with crisp pot bread
• Pan seared Norwegian salmon with waterblommetjie tempura, lentil puree and baby gem squash, pickled shimeji mushrooms
• Red Sage with buchu green figs and homemade peppered oatmeal biscuits
• Hot chocolate fondant with wild mint ice cream and crystallised wild dagga flowers

Tasting Menu Two

• Sea bass ceviche style with buchu and lime dressing
• Pea and geranium risotto with vanilla mascarpone cheese
• Grilled springbok loin with butternut puree, sautéed bok choy and baked sour figs with a juniper jus
• Cremelat gorgonzola with honey bush poached pear stack, macadamia nut dust
• Rooibos jelly trifle with amaretto biscuit, naartjie and kiwi

Tasting Menu Three

• Buchu smoked snoek spring roll with grape chutney and herb salad
• Pea and pelargonium beignets with pea and lemon grass puree, fresh sugar snaps and peas
• Sosatie marinated lamb cutlets, apricot and wild dagga polenta, Fynbos liqueur soaked apricots and a fricassee of Edamame and white beans
• Blue cheese and mosbolletjie Melba toast with rooibos candied sweet potato
• Dark chocolate tart with wild dagga, mint ice cream and macerated berries

Tasting Menu Four

• Lentil and pea curry samosas with rooibos dried fruit chutney, fresh coriander
• Grilled vegetable tart with sour figs, walnuts and tomato chutney
• Grilled polenta with exotic mushroom fricassée, pickled baby carrots, warm red onion and wild rosemary vinaigrette
• Brie and wild dagga beetroot jelly with beetroot puree
• Rooibos jelly trifle with amaretto biscuit, naartjie and kiwi

Tasting Menu 5

• Beetroot and blue cheese salad with sour fig dressing and macadamia nuts
• Pan seared cod with corn risotto, cherry tomatoes and buchu butter
• Honeybush smoked duck breast with parsnip and potato gratin, red spinach and apple chutney
• Goats cheese with wild dagga and dark chocolate
• Rooibos mousse with white chocolate blondie, cranberry sorbet

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