- We asked well-known chef Lesego Semenya to re-imagine finance minister Tito Mboweni's quick-and-dirty pilchard stew into something more edible.
- Using largely the same ingredients, but with different cooking techniques, Semenya came up with much better-looking dish.
- Key is to use less garlic, and to skin your tomatoes, Semenya says.
- For more articles, go to www.BusinessInsider.co.za.
Chef Lesego Semenya has come to dread weekends, because of finance minister Tito Mboweni’s culinary adventures.
As soon as Mboweni starts tweeting his dishes – usually late on a Friday or Saturday evening - Semenya’s own social media accounts are flooded with followers wanting his opinion on the minister’s latest creations.
Onions and extra tomatoes sorted! Stage two. pic.twitter.com/qJkJOCalYw
— Tito Mboweni (@tito_mboweni) June 6, 2019
Cleaned the inside of the tinned fish now. Here we go! Mix with the onions and tomatoes. And GARLIC!! pic.twitter.com/HObvNbiYlP
— Tito Mboweni (@tito_mboweni) June 6, 2019
Then onions with olive oil and salt and pepper later. Then some non-Gupta curry! pic.twitter.com/7WvWTzaGX5
— Tito Mboweni (@tito_mboweni) June 6, 2019
The best dinner of the Year goes to LuckyStar!! pic.twitter.com/YHDN7Qt8WR
— Tito Mboweni (@tito_mboweni) December 30, 2019
For Semenya, this is painful, largely because he simply cannot stand Mboweni’s favourite ingredient: canned pilchards.
Lucky Star stew! ( I have no relationship with them but enjoy the fish). pic.twitter.com/nnOPOcjG5a
— Tito Mboweni (@tito_mboweni) June 6, 2019
“Throughout my career I’ve been lucky enough to have sampled some of the world’s most exclusive culinary delicacies. The chef school that I studied at made sure that all the students who studied within its walls tasted and learned to make cuisine from all over the world, no matter the price or cost. Having said that, every chef is a sentimental being. We thrive off nostalgia and stories.
“Every dish and recipe is linked to a moment, a person or is an ode in remembrance to the past… but that doesn’t mean we are emotionally connected to every dish. One of those ingredients I hold no love or nostalgia for is canned pilchards.
“My dislike of canned pilchards has travelled with me since my childhood.
“A regular ingredient next to cabbage and pap, I came to detest the smell, texture and look of canned pilchards due to having way too much of it as a kid.
“My dad would stew it, make fish cakes with it, make sandwiches for road trips with it, add it to salads, mash it up and add mayo and put into our lunchboxes (as if fish paste wasn’t horrible enough) and include it in soups.”
It was therefore with some trepidation that Semenya took on Business Insider South Africa’s challenge of turning Mboweni’s trademark pilchard stew into something that would, at the very least, look more appetising.
Using the same ingredients – chopped tomatoes and peppers, a mountain of garlic, salt and pepper and a can of pilchards – Semenya set about making stew the way it should be made.
Here’s his advice to Mboweni.
Cut down on the garlic
“His final dish looked more like a tomato and garlic stew with a side of pilchards,” says Semenya.
Today, its better to have a simple snack. Do not comment about the garlic! Unfair... pic.twitter.com/lAKr3CJb7s
— Tito Mboweni (@tito_mboweni) August 28, 2020
“Remember your main ingredient should be the champion of your dish and shouldn’t be overwhelmed by other ingredients.”
Mince your garlic
“My chef heart can’t handle it,” says Semenya of Mboweni’s use of unchopped garlic.
“Garlic should be minced. And remember the longer you cook garlic the stronger it will be in your final product.”
Mince garlic by pressing it down with the flat side of a knife or even a tea cup. Then make sure to chop it fine.
Peel your tomatoes
If you intend on making a stew that includes tomatoes, simmer them in boiling water for a few minutes and then drop them into ice water, says Semenya. This makes them easier to peel. Rather use peeled tomatoes than tomatoes with their skins on. This is for final appearance and texture.
Chop your peppers
Sweet peppers are best chopped into smaller uniform pieces, this ensures even cooking and keeps the peppers more intact instead of becoming a soft mush.
Don’t stew your onions too long
Cook off the onions separately, in some butter (preferably) and only cook them until they become soft and translucent. Onions become sweeter if they’re allowed to cook off and soften first. If you overcook them they will become bitter.
Don't cook canned pilchards
Canned pilchards are cooked already. “Depending on the final texture you’re aiming for, only add them to your cooked vegetables once the vegetables are cooked through and ready.”
Following the steps above, and adding half a cup of chopped up fresh basil, a teaspoon of smoked paprika and about a tablespoon of BBQ spice, Semenya created a pilchard dish even he would eat.
After starting his career as an IT engineer, Semenya decided to pursue his interest in food. He studied at the Prue Leith Culinary Institute and after graduating, worked at The Westcliff hotel in Johannesburg as well as at Richard Branson's private game reserve in the Sabi Sands.
Over the years, he has worked as a personal chef for, among others, Howard Buffett (Warren Buffett's son) and prepared food for The British High Commission.
He has grown to become a popular culinary figure in South Africa, with radio and television appearances.
In 2018, he published a bestselling cookbook titled Dijo: My Food, My Journey.
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