Latest recipes from La Motte

The Cape Winelands, from the Constantia Valley to Stellenbosch, Franschhoek, Paarl, Wellington, Worcester and Tulbagh, hold the combined history of many different nationalities who, over the centuries, travelled to this most southern part of Africa to start a new life. As they adapted the recipes of their homeland to new surroundings and ingredients and shared...

Persian-Arabian pasta recipes were also known in Spain, but it was the Italians who experimented with the recipes and exported the use of pasta to France. The Italian cooks started to fold pieces of meat or vegetables into pasta dough strips, which they then fried in fat. According to Anne Willan (Great Cooks and Their...

In the days of the early Cape, meat was scarce and the ocean was big. We can therefore easily assume the fish dishes were often served. The Cape cooks improvised and adapted their fish soup recipes according to the availability of ingredients and the seasons. Snoek head soup is one such adaptation and today it...

With the promise of stormy winter weather in the Cape Winelands, we asked staff to contribute their recipes for warming one pot wonders. Brand Manager, Stephanie van Rensburg, shares her recipe for an easy, but hearty chicken curry: “I have a heavy hand with the Masala – it gives that extra bit of heat…. and...

The earthy flavours of rosemary, parsnip, roasted nuts and mushrooms combine in this delicious winter cake.  A dense and delightful cake that will add flavour and flair to any affair. Delicious as a side dish and perfect on its own, as long as you serve it with a glass of wine! Try it with the 2019 La...

Before Christopher Columbus ‘discovered’ the Americas in 1494, cooks following the Persian-Arabian culinary tradition had to rely on a type of calabash pumpkin that couldn’t be used when ripe (the pumpkin dried out and became hollow as it ripened). Therefore they prepared green pumpkin stew. Jan van Riebeeck planted South American pumpkins at the Cape...

During Easter, the tradition in the Cape is to serve curried or pickled fish. The recipe for Curried Fish in our Cape Winelands Cuisine cookbook has a sauce that contains, among other spices, saffron or turmeric. These spices with their intense colour give the curry a beautiful flavour as well as its characteristic yellow colour....

Ingredients Ripe sweet grapes 10 ml lime per 5 litre grape juice* Method De-stalk the grapes, put berries in a big bowl and crush. Cover the bowl and leave for grapes to ferment – this can take a few days. Wait for skins to rise to the surface, pour liquid through a sieve. Measure liquid...

Although Ireland’s history with the potato is tragic (read more), this humble vegetable stays a popular and versatile ingredient. For St Patrick’s Day, we share two delicious potato recipes from our Cape Winelands Cuisine Cookbook with wine suggestions to try this weekend. Potato salad Page 156 of the Cape Winelands Cuisine Cookbook Potatoes in one...

Zwiebelkuchen is a German onion tart traditional to Swabia in south-central Germany. Custom is to enjoy this onion tart with the first fresh wines of the season and often the result is quite a festivity. With La Motte’s 2017 harvest in the cellar, Chef Michelle Theron of Pierneef à La Motte Restaurant shares a recipe...