GOURMET-INSPIRING CUISINE, TASTEFUL TRAVEL

Cause for Celebration Lorna Maseko sets the mood for festive dining in her new cookbook

While television-presenter turned-celebrity-chef Lorna Maseko had always wanted to write a cookbook, for her, it was all about timing. after she finished two seasons of The hostess with Lorna Maseko, she says the book – which also contains a few of her memoirs – felt like the natural thing to do. ‘Writing my cookbook, celebrate With Lorna Maseko, was quite a reflective period of time for me,’ she says. ‘For many of the recipes, I went back to my childhood. It reminded me how far I’ve come, and why I should celebrate every aspect of my life.’ This is how Lorna wants readers and fellow foodies to interpret her book. ‘I hope my stories act as a reminder that anything is possible once you put your mind to it.’ While she admits she couldn’t possibly pick her favourite recipe from the book, she gave us a taste of a few stand-out dishes that celebrate everything we love about summer.

STUFFED CHICKEN WITH ROASTED VEGETABLES

serves 4

STUFFING:

1 cup breadcrumbs (or panko crumbs)

1 cup dried apricots

2 cloves garlic

Few sprigs of thyme

Few sprigs of sage

1T Dijon mustard

1/2 onion, finely chopped

100g baby spinach

CHICKEN:

1 large chicken

Drizzle of olive oil

100g butter

Salt and pepper

Sage leaves

METHOD

1. Blitz breadcrumbs, apricot, garlic, thyme, sage, mustard, onion and spinach in a food processor to form stuffing.

2. Fill the cavity of the chicken with the stuffing, lay on a baking tray and drizzle with olive oil. rub the chicken with butter for golden, crispy skin. season with salt, pepper, and sage leaves. roast in the oven for 30 to 45 minutes on a low heat.

3. remove when the skin is golden brown and crispy. serve immediately.