S2E2 Constantia Dinner

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S2E2 recipes

Prawn, Watermelon, Sesame-Lime

Hot, chile-lime prawns tossed with juicy watermelon, showered in herbs and cashews.
At a glance
Yield: Serves 4 as a starter
Prep / Cook / Total: 10 min / 3–4 min / 14 min
Skill level: Easy
Equipment: large nonstick or carbon-steel pan, zester, mandoline (optional)
Ingredients
  • Olive oil, for frying and finishing (about 2 tbsp/30 ml)
  • 8 large prawns (about 1 lb/450 g total), deveined, butterflied
  • 1 tsp (5 g) kosher salt, black pepper to taste
  • 1 red chili, split lengthwise (or 1 tsp/2 g chili flakes)
  • 2 cups (300 g) watermelon, deseeded and cubed
  • Zest and juice of 1 lime
  • 1/2 cup each chopped parsley, mint, coriander (about 15 g each)
  • 50 g toasted cashews, chopped (about 1/3–1/2 cup)
Method
  1. Heat pan on high with a slick of olive oil. Lightly coat prawns with a little oil; season with salt and pepper.
  2. Sear prawns 30 seconds, add chili and watermelon; toss another 30–60 seconds just to kiss the melon with heat.
  3. Add lime zest and juice; toss through the herbs 30 seconds to just wilt.
  4. Plate immediately. Finish with chopped cashews and a thread of olive oil.
Tips & substitutions
Add a pinch of toasted sesame seeds for aroma. Swap lime for lemon if needed.
Dietary tags: dairy-free, gluten-free
Allergens: shellfish, tree nuts (cashew)
Make-ahead / storage / reheat: Best cooked to order; prep herbs and watermelon cubes ahead and keep cold.
Chef’s note: Keep the heat high so the prawns char at the edges while the melon stays crisp.
Optional pairing: Dry Riesling or lime soda.
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Scallops with Cauliflower–White Chocolate, Curry Salt, Radish & Macadamia

Sweet-seared scallops over buttery cauliflower purée spiked with white chocolate, with curry-salt heat and lemony radish.
At a glance
Yield: Serves 6 as starter
Prep / Cook / Total: 25 min / 10–12 min / 35–40 min
Skill level: Intermediate
Equipment: two nonstick pans, blender, fine sieve, microplane
Ingredients

Cauliflower purée

  • 2 heads cauliflower, grated ( 4 cups )
  • 200 g unsalted butter (7 oz )
  • 100 g white chocolate (3.5 oz), chopped
  • Pinch salt, to taste

Curry salt

  • 1 tbsp curry powder
  • 1 tbsp kosher or flaky salt

Macadamias

  • 8 whole macadamias 
  • 3 tbsp (42 g) butter

Radish vinaigrette

  • 1/2 cup (120 ml) chili olive oil
  • Juice of 2 lemons
  • Pinch salt
  • 8 radishes, mandolined

Scallops and finish

  • 16 large dry-packed scallops
  • Olive oil, for seasoning and frying
  • Pea shoots, to finish
Method
  1. Purée: Cook grated cauliflower in 200 g butter over medium heat until very soft and steamy, 6–8 minutes. Blend completely smooth; add white chocolate and blend again until glossy. Pass through a sieve; keep warm.
  2. Curry salt: Toast curry powder with 1 tbsp salt in a dry pan until fragrant; cool.
  3. Macadamias: Foam 3 tbsp butter; toast macadamias until golden. Cool, then microplane or very finely chop for service.
  4. Radish: Whisk chili oil, lemon juice, and a pinch of salt. Toss radishes; set aside.
  5. Scallops: Pat dry. Season lightly with curry salt and olive oil. Sear in a hot slick of oil 20 seconds per side. Add a knob of butter, baste 10–15 seconds, then remove.
  6. Plate: Spoon a bed of cauliflower purée, nestle scallops, top with finely grated macadamia, and add a few dressed radish slices and pea shoots.
Tips & substitutions
If white chocolate feels too sweet, reduce to 60–70 g. Use ghee for a nuttier purée.
Dietary tags: gluten-free
Allergens: dairy, tree nuts, fish/shellfish
Make-ahead / storage / reheat: Purée holds 24 hours; rewarm gently. Curry salt keeps 1 month airtight.
Chef’s note: The purée should be satin-smooth; don’t skip the sieve.
Optional pairing: Pinot Gris or citrusy NA spritz.
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Beef fillet, snails, Parsley, Croutons

Sliced, seared fillet with blocks of sticky short rib, garlicky snails, and crisp ciabatta in a glossy glaze.
At a glance
Yield: Serves 8 as a generous main
Prep / Cook / Total: 45 min active + 4 hr braise + resting / 5–10 min finish / about 5 hr
Skill level: Advanced
Equipment: large Dutch oven, sheet trays, two heavy skillets, oven, fine sieve
Ingredients

Short rib braise

  • Olive oil for searing
  • 3 kg beef short rib (6.6 lb), English cut preferred
  • Salt and coarse pepper
  • 1 head garlic, halved
  • 2 shallots, halved
  • Few sprigs rosemary and thyme
  • 2 L hot veal stock (about 2.1 qt), plus water as needed

Garlic-parsley paste (persillade)

  • 4 heads garlic, whole
  • 2 bunches flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
  • Olive oil, to loosen
  • Salt, to taste

Croutons

  • 1 loaf ciabatta, torn into chunks
  • Olive oil, salt

Beef fillet

  • 2–2.5 kg center-cut beef fillet (4.4–5.5 lb)
  • Olive oil, salt, coarse pepper

Snails

  • 48 snails (6 per person), rinsed and drained, coarsely chopped
  • Olive oil

 

Method
  1. Braise short rib: Heat oven to 325°F (165°C). Sear salted ribs in oil until well browned. Add garlic, shallots, rosemary, thyme. Cover with veal stock (top up with water if needed). Braise 4 hours until tender. Lift ribs out; remove any bone or gristle. Reduce strained braising liquid to a glaze. Chill ribs to set for neat blocks.
  2. Persillade: Wrap remaining garlic heads in foil; bake at 320°F (160°C) for 2 hours until soft. Squeeze into a bowl; mix with chopped parsley, olive oil, and salt to a spoonable paste.
  3. Croutons: Toss ciabatta in olive oil and salt; bake at 375°F (190°C) until crisp.
  4. Fillet: Heat two heavy pans to smoking. Season fillet generously. Sear 3–5 minutes per side until deeply browned. Finish in a hot oven ~8 minutes to medium-rare, then rest 10 minutes.
  5. Snails: In a hot pan, sauté snails in olive oil 1 minute. Stir in a big spoon of persillade to coat; remove.
  6. Crisp the short-rib offcuts in a little oil; warm the rib blocks and glaze.
  7. Plate: Slice fillet. Arrange rib blocks, snails, and croutons around. Spoon over the shiny braise glaze; dot extra persillade if desired.
Tips & substitutions
If veal stock is unavailable, reduce a rich beef stock. Whole snails can be left intact for a different texture.
Dietary tags: dairy-free
Allergens: gluten (croutons); mollusks (snails)
Make-ahead / storage / reheat: Short rib can be braised 2 days ahead; reheat in glaze. Persillade holds 3 days.
Chef’s note: Don’t drown the plate; you want a lacquer of glaze, not a soup.
Optional pairing: Left-bank Bordeaux or a robust NA black tea.
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Green Tea Sponge, Nitro Ice Cream

Soft green-tea sponge cubes, toasted and topped with silky dry-ice ice cream spun à la minute.
At a glance
Yield: Serves 8–10
Prep / Cook / Total: 25 min active + chill / 25 min bake + 10 min churn / ~1 hr 15 min plus chill
Skill level: Intermediate (dry ice handling)
Equipment: stand mixer, baking tray (greased and lined), saucepan, thermometer, food processor, stand mixer with whisk, gloves and eye protection for dry ice
Ingredients

Green-tea sponge

  • Leaves from 10 green-tea bags (about 2–3 tbsp/6–8 g)
  • 500 g self-raising flour (about 4 cups)
  • 250 g caster sugar (1 1/4 cups)
  • 250 g soft butter (1 cup/2 sticks)
  • 4 whole eggs
  • 1 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 30 ml milk (2 tbsp)

Ice-cream base

  • 250 ml rice milk (1 cup)
  • 250 ml heavy cream (1 cup)
  • 200 g caster sugar (1 cup)
  • 12 egg yolks
  • 1 kg dry ice, broken to small pellets (you won’t use all; add to texture)
Method
  1. Heat oven to 340°F (170°C).. Stir tea leaves into self-raising flour; set aside.
  2. Cream butter and sugar until pale. Beat in half the flour mix and 1 egg until smooth. Add remaining flour, remaining eggs, cinnamon, and milk; beat just to combine.
  3. Spread in a lined tray; bake 25 minutes until a skewer tests clean. Cool fully; cut into cubes.
  4. Ice-cream custard: Heat rice milk and cream to steaming. Whisk sugar into yolks until pale. Temper with hot dairy, return to medium heat, and cook, stirring, to nappe (170–175°F / 77–79°C). Strain and chill completely.
  5. Toast sponge cubes in a hot oven 8–10 minutes until lightly crisped.
  6. “Nitro” churn: Wearing gloves and eye protection in a well-ventilated area, add chilled custard to a stand mixer. With mixer running, sprinkle in finely crushed dry ice a spoonful at a time until thick and scoopable. Stop once smooth and frozen; avoid large dry-ice chunks.
Tips & substitutions
No dry ice? Churn in a machine or freeze-whip method. Fold in a little matcha for deeper tea color.
Safety: Handle dry ice with gloves; never seal it in a lidded container; don’t serve any visible pellets.
Dietary tags: vegetarian
Allergens: egg, dairy, gluten
Make-ahead / storage / reheat: Cake keeps 2 days airtight; ice-cream base holds 24 hours chilled. Nitro ice cream is best à la minute.
Chef’s note: Dry-ice powder gives the silkiest micro-crystals; pulse in a processor just before churning.
Optional pairing: Jasmine tea or a light dessert wine.
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