Karoo Food

Title: Karoo Food
Author: Gordon Wright
Publisher: Penguin Random House South Africa
Imprint: Struik Lifestyle
Cape Town, South Africa 2018
ISBN 9781432308797 / ISBN 978-1-43230-879-7
Softcover, 22 x 26 cm, 159 pages, throughout colour photographs

About: Karoo Food

Following on the success of Veld to Fork, Gordon Wright’s first cookbook, Karoo Food is bigger, better and tastier than ever, with more recipes, stories and anecdotes about life and food in the Karoo. Once again Gordon takes you on a Slow Food journey, via your taste buds, to foodie nirvana. Tracing the origins of ingredients and the stories behind the dishes, this is a selection of recipes and inspirations from the important people in his life. It’s a mix of the old and the new, and a tribute to all those lovely people and their marvellous food over the generations who have helped foster his love of cooking. Karoo Food is a must-have for cooks, foodies and aspiring home chefs.

Gordon Wright is an author, chef and raconteur based in the Great Karoo. He set the standard for modern Karoo cuisine with his first cookbook, Veld to Fork. He is an ex-restaurateur, the founder of the Karoo Convivium and a member of the national executive of Slow Food International in South Africa. Gordon is a passionate cook, charcutier, outdoorsman, wine drinker and writer.

Content: Karoo Food

Foreword: The outdoors chef
Karoo lamb and mutton
Beef and pork
Venison
Chicken, poultry and wild fowl
Charcuterie and curing
From water and the earth
Smoking and braaiing
Desserts
Conversion charts
Recipe index

Karoo Food recipe: Roasted lamb rumps with balsamic reduction

This recipe was one of the ways I would educate my restaurant patrons about how good Karoo lamb is. I would roast these little lamb rumps and serve them thinly sliced with simple vegetables and a drizzle of sauce. Everyone kept asking me about the secret behind this delicious dish. Karoo lamb is the secret, just good, honest Karoo lamb. This is a slightly pimped-up version with the addition of thyme and garlic.

4 whole lamb rumps (about 200 g each)
40 ml olive oil
2 cloves garlic, grated
2 sprigs fresh thyme, leaves picked
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

BALSAMIC REDUCTION
150 ml balsamic vinegar 150 g light brown sugar

1. Preheat the oven to 180 °C.
2. Rub the rumps with the olive oil, garlic and thyme. Place on a roasting tray and roast for 15 minutes for rare, 20-25 minutes for medium, or 25-30 minutes for well done. (Hint: go for medium.)
3. While the lamb is roasting, make the reduction. Pour the balsamic and sugar into a saucepan and bring up to medium heat. Allow to simmer and reduce for 5-10 minutes until it has formed a sticky consistency, sort of like melted butter. Remove from the heat, transfer to a jug and keep warm.
4. Remove the lamb from the oven, season with a touch of salt and pepper and allow to rest for 5-10 minutes.
5. When the meat has rested, slice thinly and serve with buttery veg and the balsamic reduction. A Shiraz works nicely with this, too. Serves 4-6