Pan-fried Duck Liver with Quince & Mushroom served with a Rooibos Reduction
Luke Dale-Roberts

QUINCES
1 litre white wine
130 g (150 ml) castor sugar
4 Rooibos tea bags
1 vanilla pod
100 ml granadilla or raspberry vinegar
250 ml muscatel
1 kg quinces, peeled, cored and cut in quarters

DUCK LIVER
400 g duck livers
salt and freshly ground black pepper
30 ml olive oil
200 g large oyster mushrooms
6 bread crisps for garnishing
200 g baby salad leaves or wild rocket

QUINCES
1. Heat the wine, sugar, Rooibos tea bags, vanilla, vinegar and muscatel over low heat and stir until the sugar has dissolved. Strain to remove the tea bags and vanilla pod.
2. Add the quince quarters, bring to the boil and poach until soft. Remove the quinces with a slotted spoon and let them cool.
3. Boil the liquid until it is reduced to a syrup consistency, and keep aside.

DUCK LIVER
4. Season the livers with salt and pepper to taste.
5. Heat the olive oil in a pan over medium to high heat and fry the livers until golden brown on the outside but still just pink inside. Remove the livers from the pan and keep aside.
6. Toss the mushrooms in the same pan until just cooked.

SERVING
7. Dice the cooked quinces. Spoon 3 small piles of the quinces per plate on 6 rectangular plates. Place a duck liver on top of each quince pile. Drizzle with the Rooibos reduction and garnish with bread crisps. Scatter the mushrooms around and finish with baby salad leaves.

NOTES
• To make thin bread crisps: Half freeze the bread and then slice it into very thin slices.
Drizzle with olive oil and bake for about 20 minutes at 130 °C or until golden brown and crisp.
• Chicken livers can also be used for this recipe.

Serves 6

Rooibos-Scented Gravadlax* of Salmon
Philippe Wagenführer

ROOIBOS CURING MIX
100 ml Rooibos tea leaves
10 ml honey
juice of 1 lemon
finely grated zest of 5 lemons
10 coriander seeds, crushed
200 g (250 ml) brown sugar
100 g (90 ml) coarse sea salt

SALMON AND DRESSING
500 g thick salmon fillet, skin on
500 g cucumber (use a large cucumber)
10 ml coarse sea salt
100 ml Rooibos tea leaves
100 ml water
30 ml honey
juice of 1 lemon
finely grated zest of 5 lemons

ROOIBOS CURING MIX
1. Blend the Rooibos tea leaves, honey, lemon juice, zest and coriander seeds in a food processor to form a fine paste. Mix the sugar and the salt together. Add to the paste and mix well.

SALMON AND DRESSING
2. Rub the paste on the top of the salmon fillet. Place a weight on top of the fish and leave it to stand for 12 hours in the fridge to cure.
3. The next day, drain the juices off. Keep the Rooibos curing mixture on top of the salmon. Remove the skin and cut the fish into 3 cm thick slices.
4. Peel the cucumber, remove the seeds and cut into large cubes. Salt the cubes and leave to steep for 1 hour.
5. To make the dressing, heat the Rooibos tea leaves and water in a saucepan to form a strong brew. Add the honey, lemon juice and zest. Add more seasoning, if necessary. Pour through a fine-mesh sieve to remove the solids. Set the dressing aside.
6. Rinse the cucumber under cold water, drain in a sieve and dry on kitchen paper to discard the liquid.
7. To serve, place the salmon fillets and cucumber cubes on plates. Drizzle with the Rooibos dressing.

Serves 4

* Gravadlax (also known as gravlax or gravlaks) is raw salmon cured with salt, sugar, a spirit such as vodka, peppercorns and flavoured with dill.

Submit your recipe

Please send your recipe to gerda@rooiboslimited.co.za