We’ve hidden an upside-down V, like the one on the left, on one of the pages on our new website and online shop: www.verlaque.co.za
If you can find the symbol, you stand a chance of winning one of six of our gorgeous Verlaque gift boxes, which we’ll deliver to your door! (Please note that this competition is open only to people residing in the Republic of South Africa.)
Here’s how to enter:
1. Visit the website – www.verlaque.co.za – and find the symbol.
2. Send an email to blogverlaque@gmail.com telling us the TITLE of the page on which you found the symbol (that is, the name of the product). In the subject line of your email, write the words ‘Find the symbol competition’. Don’t forget to include your name and contact telephone number.
3. Sit back and wait to see if you’ve won. We’ll award a prize to the 1st, 25th, 50th, 75th, 100th and 125th email we receive.
For further information, and to read the rules, please visit our competition page on Facebook.
This delicious-looking tomato relish, made with Verlaque Sundried Turkish Figs Balsamic Reduction, 
was voted the winning dish by Facebook users in the first of our Verlaque Recipe Challenges. The recipe was dreamed up by South African food blogger Jessica Ulyate of Tiny Oven Adventures.
Jessica, a student and passionate cook, has only a tiny 25-litre oven at her disposal, hence the name of her blog! But she didn’t need her tiny oven for this recipe, an easy-to-make relish using cherry tomatoes, chutney, balsamic vinegar simmered in a pan to a sticky consistency. Jessica served her relish with blue cheese, glazed figs and rocket leaves.
Just behind Jessica, in second place, was Colleen Grove of browniegirl, whose recipe for Mandarin Duck Breast Verlaque with Citrus Ginger Soy Glaze (left) 
was a firm favourite among voters.
In third place was Sue Green of Supagran, whose homely Fillet Steak in Verlaque Marinade drew many appreciative comments from Facebook users.
Jessica wins R1000 worth of products from our new online store, while Colleen and Sue have won beautiful Verlaque Gift Boxes.
Congratulations to all the winners and finalists!
To see photographs of all the finalists’ recipes, visit our competition page on Facebook.
Our next Verlaque Recipe Challenge will be announced shortly: watch this space!
Hot, sticky pear slices coated in Verlaque Five-Spice Pomegranate Reduction make a tangy contrast to pan-fried duck breasts served on a bed of fresh salad greens. A sprinkling of spiced brazil nuts and a vinaigrette twanged with more pomegranate syrup give this salad a final sparkle.
Duck breasts are expensive, but this delicious warm winter salad stretches two breasts between four people – or even six, at a push.
When you cook a duck breast, it’s important to fry it, skin-side down, over a fairly moderate heat so that the fat beneath the skin has a chance to render.
Use firm, almost-ripe pears for this dish, so that they don’t disintegrate in the pan.
If you have a favourite winter salad of your own, why not enter our Verlaque Recipe Challenge on Facebook? Enter your original recipe, using a Verlaque Balsamic Reduction, and stand a chance of winning a first prize of over R1000 worth of Verlaque products.
Duck-Breast Salad with Hot Verlaque Pears & Spicy Brazil Nuts
For the nuts:
1 teaspoon (5 ml) olive oil
10 brazil nuts
1 teaspoon (5 ml) cumin
a pinch of chilli powder, to taste
salt
For the pears:
2 firm pears
1 tablespoon (15 ml) butter
2 teaspoons (10 ml) caster sugar
2 tablespoons (30 ml) Verlaque Five-Spice Pomegranate Reduction
For the salad:
2 deboned duck breasts, skin on
salt and milled black pepper
½ teaspoons (2.5 ml) five-spice powder
a pillow-packet of mixed salad leaves: watercress, rocket, sorrel, baby spinach, and so on
For the dressing:
4 tablespoons (60 ml) Lemon Olive Oil, Cranberry Balsamic and Pomegranate Splash, or your favourite salad vinaigrette, to which you’ve added an extra tablespoon (15 ml) of Verlaque Five-Spice Pomegranate Reduction
First prepare the nuts. Lightly coat the brazils in a teaspoon of olive oil and place them in a dry frying pan. Toss gently for a minute or so, over a brisk flame, or until crunchy and lightly toasted. Sprinkle with cumin, chilli powder and salt and toss again. Chop into big pieces and set aside. Wipe out the pan with a piece of kitchen paper.
Peel the pears using a potato peeler. Cut into quarters lengthwise and carve out the cores. Cut each quarter in two again. Melt the butter in a frying pan and sprinkle with the caster sugar. Add the pear slices and cook over a moderate heat, tossing now and then, for three to four minutes, or until beginning to turn golden brown at the edges. Set the pan aside.
Using a very sharp knife – or a craft blade – score the duck breast skin in a diamond pattern, making sure not to cut into the flesh. Season on both sides with salt and pepper, and dust with the five-spice powder. In a separate frying pan, heat 1 teaspoon of olive oil. When the oil is blazing hot, but not smoking, place the breasts skin-side down in the pan. Immediately turn down the heat to a medium flame and cook for three to five minutes, or until the skin is dark gold and very crisp. Every few minutes, tilt the pan and spoon off any duck fat as it renders. Turn the breasts over and cook until done to your liking (see Cook’s Notes, below). Set the duck breasts aside to rest for a few minutes.
Arrange the salad leaves on four plates. Slice the duck breasts and arrange on top of the leaves. Put the pan of pears back on the heat and, when hot, pour in the pomegranate reduction. Cook over a high heat for a minute or so, tossing frequently, or until the liquid has reduced to a sticky glaze. Arrange the hot pear slices on the leaves and sprinkle on the chopped nuts. Drizzle the dressing over the salads and serve immediately.
Serves 4.
Cook’s notes:
- Don’t throw away the duck fat you’ve spooned off. Pour it into a ramekin, cover with clingfilm and use it next time you make roast potatoes.
- How long you cook the underside of the duck breast depends on how you like it done. Most people like duck a little pink in the middle, but you can cook it for longer if you’d like it cooked right through. To test for doneness, cut a deep slit in the underside of the breast and take a peek.
- You can use any nut in this salad, as long as it’s crunchy: try it with toasted macadamias or almonds.
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A sticky baste made with honey, lemon and Verlaque Balsamic Reduction gives these oven-baked chicken breasts a lovely tangy flavour. This is an easy recipe that’s ideal for family dinners, although you might want to omit the chilli flakes if you’re feeding small children. You can use chicken thighs or wings instead of breasts, but you may need to adjust the cooking time.
If you have a favourite basting sauce of your own, why not enter our Verlaque Recipe Challenge on Facebook? Enter your original recipe, using a Verlaque Balsamic Reduction, and stand a chance of winning a first prize of over R1000 worth of Verlaque products.
Sticky Honey, Lemon & Vinegar Chicken Breasts with Olive-Oil Mash
4 large chicken breasts, bone in and skin on
salt and milled black pepper
1 large onion, skin on
4 tablespoons (60 ml) clear honey
80 ml freshly squeezed lemon juice
3 tablespoons (45 ml) Verlaque Fynbos Honey Balsamic Reduction, or a Verlaque reduction of your choice
1 tablespoon (15 ml) Dijon mustard
2 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
½ tsp (2.5 ml) dried chilli flakes
two large sprigs of fresh thyme, leaves stripped
For the olive oil mash:
6 large potatoes, peeled
salt
3 tablespoons (45 ml) olive oil, and extra for dressing
a little milk
salt and milled black pepper
For the gravy:
1 cup (250 ml) water
½ cup (125 ml) white wine
Preheat the grill of your oven to its hottest setting. Trim any fat off the chicken breasts and season on both sides with salt and black pepper. Cut the onion, skin and all, into four thick slices. Place the chicken breasts, skin-side up, on a roasting tray, and tuck a thick slice of onion under each one. Place the the roasting dish about 15 cm under the grill. Grill for 10-15 minutes, or until the skin begins to blister and turn golden brown. Remove from the oven and drain off any fat. Switch the oven back to its normal baking setting and turn the heat down to 150ºC. Whisk together the honey, lemon juice, vinegar, mustard, crushed garlic, chilli flakes and thyme leaves. Spoon the mixture all over the tops and sides of the chicken breasts, allowing the excess to drip down into the pan. Put the roasting dish back in the oven and bake at 150ºC for 20-30 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through. Baste the chicken with the glaze every now and then, making sure that the glaze does not catch and burn on the bottom of the pan. If the glaze looks as if it’s about to caramelise, add a little water to the pan.
In the meantime, make the mash. Peel the potatoes, cut into chunks and and add them to a pot of rapidly boiling salted water. Boil until quite tender. Drain the potatoes in a colander and allow to dry out for five minutes. Return the potatoes to the pan you boiled them in and place over a low heat. Add the olive oil and mash until smooth, adding just enough milk to produce a smooth, creamy texture. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Keep warm while you make the gravy.
Remove the chicken breasts from the roasting pan and keep warm. Leave the onion slices in the pan. Set the pan over a medium flame and pour in the water and wine. Bring to the boil, stirring briskly to loosen any sediment and glazed. Turn up the heat and allow to boil furiously until reduced by half. Strain the gravy into a clean jug.
Place a pile of hot mash on each plate, drizzle over a little olive oil and top with a chicken breast. Serve hot, with the gravy.
Serves 4.
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Both the chops and the couscous salad in this recipe use Verlaque’s Moroccan Pomegranate Glaze, a versatile product containing pomegranate, lemon, peppers, cumin, coriander and other North African flavours. To celebrate the launch of our new online shop, we’re giving away a free bottle of Moroccan Pomegranate Glaze with every purchase to the value of at least R330.00, so head on over to the Verlaque website, place your order and have your products delivered to your door!
These lamb chops are ideal for braaing, but if you don’t have access to a BBQ, you can grill them in the oven, as instructed in the recipe. The couscous salad should be made an hour or so in advance, in order to let the flavours mingle.
Couscous can be quite tricky to cook, as it can turn into a claggy mess in the twinkling of an eye. Follow the cooking instructions on the packet to a tee, or use the warm-water method outlined below, which results in light, fluffy, separate grains.
Moroccan-style Lamb Chops with Citrus Couscous Salad
12 lamb chops
the juice of 1½ lemons
3 tablespoons (45 ml) olive oil
3 tablespoons (45 ml) Verlaque Moroccan Pomegranate Glaze, plus extra for basting
For the salad:
2 cups (500 ml) couscous
4 cups (1ℓ) warm water
a tin of chickpeas, drained
2 tsp (10 ml) chopped preserved lemon peel (or Verlaque Zesty Lemons in Sea Salt)
the finely grated zest of an orange
salt and milled black pepper
150 ml slivered almonds
½ cup (125 ml) finely chopped fresh parsley
For the salad dressing:
2 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
4 tablespoons (60 ml) fresh lemon juice
4 tablespoons (60 ml) fresh orange juice
75 ml olive oil
1 tsp (5 ml) cumin
½ tsp (2.5 ml) cinnamon
Put the lamb chops in a non-metallic dish. Whisk together the lemon juice, olive oil and pomegranate glaze, pour the marinade over the chops and toss, using your hands, so that each chop is well coated. Cover and set aside for an hour or two.
Now make the salad. Put the couscous in a deep bowl and pour in the warm water. Cover with clingfilm or a cloth and set aside for 15 minutes. Now place the couscous in a big sieve set over the sink, and allow any excess water to drain for five minutes. Return to the bowl and, using a fork, fluff up the couscous so that the grains are separate. Stir in the chickpeas, preserved lemon and orange zest.
To make the dressing, combine all the dressing ingredients. Pour the dressing over the couscous and toss well. Season, to taste, with salt and plenty of black pepper. Set aside for an hour or two. Heat a frying pan, add the almond slivers and toss over a medium heat, until lightly toasted. Set aside.
Fire up the braai, or preheat your oven’s grill to its hottest setting. Remove the chops from the marinade (discard marinade), season with a little salt and pepper, and braai over hot coals (or place under the grill) until they are brown and the fat is crispy. Ten minutes before the end of the cooking time, brush both sides of the chops with a little extra pomegranate glaze.
Stir the toasted almonds and chopped parsley into the couscous and toss well. Serve the chops piping hot, with the couscous on the side.
Serves 6
Cook’s note: Reserve a few almonds, preserved lemon pieces and chopped parsley to sprinkle over the top of the couscous, and dust with a little cumin, paprika or cayenne pepper.
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Scented with orange juice and cinnamon and twanged with chopped red chilli and harissa, this warming dish of baked butternut is the perfect dish for a cool winter’s night. The pomegranate concentrate adds colour and tang to the dish, and perfectly complements the natural sweetness of the butternut.
Hot and Spicy Baked Butternut
Harissa is an aromatic North African spice paste containing garlic, cumin, chilli and other spices, with many regional variations. It’s available, in bottles, from Woolworths, and from delicatessens and specialty food shops. The best harissa, according to Adrienne Verlaque-Napper, comes from Pesto Princess, and is sold at selected food markets ‘Their chermoula and berebere pastes are also outstanding,’ says Adrienne, ‘and both go very well with this butternut dish.’
If you can’t find harissa or chermoula, it’s easy to make your own.
Peeling butternut is a laborious task. If you’re using a young butternut and don’t mind the skin, leave it unpeeled. Or buy a pack of ready-peeled butternut chunks.
Hot and Spicy Butternut with Pomegranate Concentrate
750 g butternut
2 tablespoons (30 ml) vegetable oil
1 large onion, peeled and chopped
1 red chilli, deseeded and chopped [or more, to taste]
a pinch of salt
2 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
1 tablespoon (15 ml) harissa [or 2 tablespoons chermoula paste]
the freshly squeezed juice of an orange
2 tablespoons (30 ml) Verlaque Pomegranate Concentrate
1 tsp (5 ml) cinnamon
1 tsp (5 ml) cumin
milled black pepper
To serve:
thick natural yoghurt
a handful of pumpkin seeds
chopped fresh coriander or parsley
Peel the butternut using a sharp knife or potato peeler. Scrape out any seeds and cut into large cubes. Preheat the oven to 180ºC. Heat the vegetable oil in a large pan. Add the onion and chilli and fry, over a brisk flame, until softened and golden. Stir in the crushed garlic and the butternut chunks and cook, tossing frequently, for three minutes (don’t allow the garlic to brown). Stir in the harissa paste, orange juice, pomegranate concentrate, cinnamon and cumin, turn down the heat and cook gently for 6 minutes, or until the juices have thickened slightly. Season with black pepper and, if necessary, more salt. Tip the butternut into an ovenproof dish, cover and bake for 30-40 minutes, or until the butternut is quite tender.
Heat the pumpkin seeds in a dry frying pan and cook, tossing constantly, for a minute or two, or until lightly toasted. Serve the butternut piping hot, topped with cold natural yoghurt, toasted pumpkin seeds and fresh coriander leaves.
Serves 4-6 as a side dish
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A delicious breakfast dish for two: warm, buttery mushrooms scented with fresh rosemary, zinged with a splash of Verlaque Porcini Mushroom Balsamic Reduction, and topped with a runny-centred poached egg. These are good served with hot toast or — if you’re throwing caution to the winds — crisp discs of fried bread.
If you’re not confident about poaching eggs — and they are tricky to get just right — use an egg-poaching pan, or improvise one: Butter two small, fine teacups (or small metal cups) and place in a deep, lidded frying pan. Fill the pan with water so that it reaches half-way up the sides of the cups. Cover and bring to the boil. Break the eggs into the teacups, replace the lid, and cook for 3-4 minutes, or until done to your liking.
This recipe contains just a little garlic, but if it’s not your habit to eat garlic in the morning, feel free to leave it out.
Verlaque Mushrooms with Poached Eggs
400 g assorted mushrooms
2 tablespoons (30 ml) olive oil
2 tablespoons (30 ml) butter
a pinch of salt
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
1 thumb-length sprig of fresh rosemary
2 tablespoons (30 ml) Verlaque Porcini Mushroom Balsamic Reduction
milled black pepper
a little freshly chopped parsley
2 eggs
2 tsp (10 ml) white vinegar, for poaching
Wipe the mushrooms with a cloth, and halve or quarter them if they are large. Heat the oil and butter in a saucepan and add the salt, garlic and rosemary sprig. Tip in the mushrooms and fry, tossing frequently, over a high flame for 4-5 minutes, or until soft. Add the vinegar and cook for another two minutes, or until the juices are slightly thickened and reduced. Season with black pepper, and a little more salt, if necessary, set aside and keep warm.
Now poach the eggs: add a splash of white vinegar to a pot of gently boiling water. Break the first egg into a tea cup. Using a big spoon, stir the water rapidly to create a vortex. Gently tip the egg into the boiling water. Poach for three to four minutes, or until the egg white is cooked through, but the yolk is still runny. Remove the egg with a slotted spoon and set aside. Do the same with the second egg. Trim off any raggedy edges with a sharp knife. (Or coddle the eggs as described, above.)
Remove the rosemary sprig from the mushrooms and scatter with fresh parsley. Divide the mushrooms between two hot plates and top each portion with a poached egg. Serve hot, with toast.
Serves 2
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The tangy taste of Verlaque Pomegranate Concentrate is a perfect foil to the delicate smokiness of venison carpaccio. This recipe uses springbok carpaccio, but you can use any similar, lightly smoked venison. In this recipe, the pomegranate concentrate is jellied, in order to add an extra level of luxury to the dish: the little cubes of jelly melt on the tongue and release little bursts of tart sweetness.
Use the best Parmesan you can afford for this dish – genuine Parmigiano-Reggiano is very expensive in South Africa, but you don’t need much of it, and its sharpness and crystalline texture contrast so well with the soft venison.
Avoid using rocket in this dish: its rather aggressive pepperiness will overwhelm the venison.
Venison Carpaccio with Jellied Pomegranate Concentrate and Parmesan
200 g smoked springbok carpaccio, or similar
150 g Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons (30 ml) freshly squeezed lemon juice
3 tablespoon (45 ml) olive oil
1 tablespoon (15 ml) Verlaque Pomegranate Concentrate
flaky sea salt
freshly milled black pepper
a few sprigs of young flat-leaf parsley
For the jelly:
2 tablespoons (30 ml) tepid water
1 teaspoon (5 ml) gelatine powder
100 ml boiling water
2 tablespoons (30 ml) Verlaque Pomegranate Concentrate
First make the jelly, at least four hours in advance. Place the tepid water in a small bowl and sprinkle the gelatine over the surface of the water. Allow to sit for two minutes, or until the gelatine turns to a sponge. Pour over the boiling water and stir briskly until the gelatine has completely dissolved. Stir in the pomegranate concentrate. Pour the mixture into a small (about 15-cm square) square plastic container and place in the fridge to set.
Just before serving, arrange the carpaccio on a platter. Shave the Parmesan into long thin flakes, using a potato peeler, and scatter it over the carpaccio. Using the tip of a sharp knife, cut the jelly into 7mm-square cubes. Arrange a little handful (see Cook’s Notes, below) of cubes on top of the carpaccio. Drizzle the lemon juice and olive all over the carpaccio and add dots, here and there, of pomegranate concentrate. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, and arrange the parsley on top. Serve immediately.
Serves 6, as a starter.
Cook’s Notes:
- Smoked venison carpaccio is available from good delicatessens, butchers and food markets
- You can assemble this dish an hour or so in advance, but keep the jelly cubes in the fridge to prevent them from melting
- No need to use all the jelly cubes you’ve made: keep the rest for melting into a gravy at the last minute
- Try adding a handful of very finely shaved raw button mushrooms to this dish
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Walnuts and pomegranates have a great affinity, and are used together often in Persian cuisine, most notably in Khoresht-e fesenjān, an exquisite dish of 
chicken, lamb or duck. Here, the walnuts are toasted with a little cumin, coated in hot honey, and then sprinkled with chilli powder, sumac and salt. Finally, the pomegranate syrup is poured over the ripe cheese.
This is a lovely dish to serve with drinks, or as a starter. You can make it up to an hour and a half in advance (any longer and the nuts will begin to lose their crunch) but pour the syrup over at the very last minute.
If you can’t find sumac – a zesty lemon-flavoured spice used in Middle Eastern cuisine – leave it out.
Camembert with Spiced Honeyed Walnuts and Pomegranate Syrup
1 ripe camembert cheese
16 whole walnuts
1 teaspoon (5ml) cumin
2 tablespoons (30 ml) clear honey
½ teaspoon (2.5ml) chilli powder (or more, to taste)
½ teaspoon (2.5ml) sumac
salt
3 tablespoons (45 ml) Verlaque Pomegranate Concentrate
Heat a frying pan and add the walnuts and cumin. Toast, over a moderate heat, for a minute or so, without allowing the nuts to brown. Stir in the honey and allow to bubble briskly for a minute or so, or until the mixture thickens. The moment it begins to darken, remove from the heat and stir in the chilli powder and sumac. Place the walnuts on a sheet of greaseproof paper – pull them apart if they are sticking – sprinkle with salt and allow to cool and slightly harden (they should still be little sticky, so they’ll adhere to the cheese). Place the camembert on a plate and arrange the walnuts on top. Pour the pomegranate concentrate over the camembert. Serve immediately.
Serves 4 – 6 as a snack
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This is a simple salad with lovely contrasts: sticky-edged slices of warm, tender pork fillet are served on a bed of peppery rocket and watercress, and lightly dressed with a vinaigrette containing Verlaque’s unusual Cape Gooseberry Balsamic Reduction. The sweet, astringent flavour of Cape Gooseberries pairs very well with pork: try scattering this salad with fresh gooseberries, when in season. This salad is also good topped with toasted sesame seeds.
Sticky Pork Fillet with Rocket, Watercress and Gooseberry Balsamic Reduction
one 800 g pork fillet
juice of a lemon
1 tablespoon (15 ml) grated fresh ginger
2 tablespoons (30 ml) clear honey
3 tablespoons (45 ml) Verlaque Cape Gooseberries Balsamic Reduction
1 tablespoon (15 ml) Verlaque Pomegranate Concentrate
1 tablespoon (15 ml) dark soy sauce
3 whole star anise
black pepper
2 tablespoons (30 ml) vegetable oil, for frying
For the dressing:
2 tablespoons (45 ml) Verlaque Cape Gooseberries Balsamic Reduction
3 tablespoons (45 ml) olive oil
salt and pepper
To serve:
rocket and watercress
Mix together the lemon juice, ginger, honey, balsamic reduction, pomegranate concentrate and soy sauce. Place in a non-metallic dish with the star anise and a grinding of black pepper. Add the pork fillet. Place in the fridge and marinate for four hours, or longer, turning the fillet a few times.
Preheat the oven to 180º C. Remove the pork from the marinade (don’t discard) and pat dry. Season with salt and a little more black pepper. Heat the oil over a brisk flame and, when very hot, add the pork fillet. Brown the fillet for 2-3 minutes on all four sides, taking care not to let it burn. Place on a baking sheet in a hot oven and roast for 12 minutes, or until cooked right through but still faintly pink in the middle. Remove and allow to rest for 5 minutes. Reheat the frying pan and tip in the remains of the marinade (discard the star anise). Allow to bubble fiercely for a minute or two, or until it thickens and darkens dramatically. Remove from the heat. Roll the fillet in the sticky sauce so it is well coated. Cut into slices and arrange on a bed of rocket and watercress. To make the dressing, whisk together the Gooseberry Balsamic Reduction and olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Drizzle the dressing over the pork and leaves and serve warm.
Serves 6
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