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| I couldn't wait to get stuck into Wynandts wonderful creation UHG |
Wynandt Van Rooyen is a young up-and-coming chef, who one
day could become a rock star in the culinary world. When it comes to food, he
is passionate, daring, knows the basics very well and he cares for our planet.
He is all this and what’s more, he is an intrepid hunter of the elusive
Delicious Monster.
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| Too green for chomping UHG |
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| Finally a ripe one UHG |
The giant punctured leaves of the tropical plant, Monsteria Deliciosa, are characteristic
of suburban Cape Town. They seem to
‘jungelate’ every other domestic garden. The Monsters that lurk on the verges
between the high garden walls and public roads are the ones that Wynandt, our
fearless monster hunter, is after. If they are so common, you might wonder, why
are they so elusive? Well, to find a ripe fruit can prove to be a little
tricky. You have a better chance of smelling a ripe one before you see it. They
are the same size and shape as a ‘mealie’ (South African ‘corn on the cob’) and
they have kernels like a ‘mealie’, but their flesh is sticky, juicy and oh so
sweet. The ‘delicious’ part is that they taste like a mixture of banana and
pineapple; the ‘monster’ part is that the fruit can have these little black husks
that stick into your tongue and the inside of your mouth and leave you feeling
a bit like you have eaten an angry cheese grater… so approach with caution!
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| A HUGE and proud 'Monsteria deliciosa' leaf UHG |
For this reason Wynadt’s yummy creation uses only the juice,
combined with white rum. TropicallyPineapplyBananaryRummy, what more could you
want on your crêpe?
WHAT YOU NEED FOR THE CRÊPES (Serves 6)
2/3 cup flour
1 cup milk
1 egg
A pinch of salt
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| Batter time UHG |
WHAT DO TO
Using a whisk or fork, combine all the ingredients in a
mixing bowl. You want the smooth batter to be the consistency of pouring cream,
so add a little more milk if you need. It’s good to let the batter chill in
fridge for a while (overnight is best). It does thicken up while in the fridge,
so you may have to add even more milk. Wipe some oiled kitchen paper over your
frying pan. Place the pan over medium heat and ladle in just enough batter to
cover the base of the pan, pour off any excess batter back into the bowl. When
you are able to lift the crêpe
without tearing it, flip it and lightly cook the other side. Place on a plate
and repeat, to make a pile. (The first crêpe usually comes out a bit scruffy and should be chomped
immediately by the cook with whatever sweet goodies are at hand.) Your little heap
of crêpes can be covered, kept
in the fridge and heated surreptitiously in a microwave oven (did I say
microwave?!) when required to impress anticipating guests. Just remember to
cough when it pings.
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| Kernels ready for squishing UHG |
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| Moster juice; delicious! UHG |
WHAT YOU NEED FOR THE SAUCE
The juice of 1 delicious monster fruit
1 tablespoon of white sugar
A splash of water
A glug of white rum
A generous knob of butterWHAT TO DO
Squish and squeeze the juice of the succulent kernels of the
delicious monster through muslin cloth into a bowl. Sprinkle the sugar into a
small frying pan over a medium heat, splashing just enough water to wet the
sugar. When the sugar starts to caramelize, glug in the rum and flambé. Pour in
the monster juice and reduce until it coats the back of a spoon. Add the butter
and stir until it’s incorporated. The shiny caramely sauce is now ready to be
drizzled over the crêpes, which
you have placed like little ‘wet rags’ (a Nigella-ism) on a platter.
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| Fireworks are always entertaining UHG |
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| Reduce until the sauce coats the back of a spoon UHG |
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| Wynandt, the fearless MONSTER hunter with his bounty UHG |
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| That is seriously YUM UHG |
