BY Gugulethu Tshabalala
Growing up in Auckland Park, Johannesburg, to a single mom who enjoyed treating her family to delicious seven-colour meals convinced Chef Emanuel Mnisi to become a chef. Aged 16, he had his sights set firmly on becoming a chef and has become one of the rising stars at Southern Sun’s Sandton hotel.
My mother was a domestic worker and did most of the cooking at home. At times, she would return home late, and I would have to be creative and cook for myself. However, on weekends she would go all out and create a delicious spread of seven colours. Her dishes were always very delicious, and her creativity inspired me to want to become a chef.
At the age of 16, I decided that I wanted to study towards becoming a chef. I enrolled at Sparrow FET college in Sophiatown, Johannesburg, for a professional cookery course. I qualified as a Chef when I turned 21 years in 2018.
I was fortunate to work at Southern Sun Sandton Hotel, 123 Rivonia Road, under Executive Chef, Jonathan Moreno. I am an all-rounder and capable of working in a Hot and Cold kitchen. I love contemporary dining Asian-style cuisine and am also dabbling in much more to increase my culinary range. I continue to learn from Chef Jonathan’s guidance and leadership to sharpen my craft as a young chef.
I do not like to be predictable and keep the same style. I take common dishes and deconstruct them to appeal to fine dining and also deliver incredible taste. I always aim to heighten the dining experience of individuals who come to Southern Sun Sandton Hotel and take them on a culinary journey they will not easily forget. Currently, the braised oxtail is my signature dish.
I love eating prawns prepared with garlic sauce and salads. They remind me of the ocean in Bilene, Mozambique, where I can smell the freshness of water underneath my nostrils, so amazing.
My dream is to one day work alongside world-acclaimed Chef Massimo Bottura at his Osteria Francescana restaurant in Modena, Italy. Not only has his restaurant been recognised as World’s Best Restaurant, twice, he has also been recognised with three Michelin stars.
RECIPE
Banquet-style Braised Oxtail
20kg oxtail
1000g flour
5ml sunflower oil
300g Barbeque spice
500g Sugar
300g tomato paste.
1L Red wine
5 white onions
3 larg Carrots
500g Thyme
500g Rosemary
1 whole Celery
10L water.
Method:
1.Mix dry ingredients to oxtail flour and barbecue spice.
2. Pour Oil into the tilting pan and add oxtail into the hot pan. Let it cook both sides of the meat until golden Brown. Remove from the heat after it’s cooked.
3. In the same pan add your roughly chopped vegetables and herbs, and saute in pan.
4. Once the vegetables are cooked, add the oxtail in the same pan with the vegetables, and stir.
5. Add tomato paste and sugar inside the cooking ingredients and give a good stir. Add red wine. Let it braise till the red wine gets a darker in colour on medium heat for 6-8 hours and keep adding water slowly into the pan.
6. Keep stirring and check that the oxtail has become soft.
Serve with Red wine
