This recipe is inspired by our trip to the Holden Manz Wine Estate in Franschhoek. Holden Manz is owned by Gerard Holden and Migo Manz, an artist whose paintings and sculpture decorate the public areas. They took over the existing wine estate about a year and a half ago and have been reinventing it ever since.
There is a beautiful Manor House with luxurious suites that has an exclusive yet unpretentious atmosphere. This could be said of the whole estate. They have a refreshingly modern approach to the business which translates into every area. The spa, guest house, winery and restaurant all have a positivity that comes from the staff being well-trained and excited about what they do and where they work.
You can order a picnic with food fresh from the garden orchard and a lovely bottle of the Holden Manz Rose. Wander down to the banks of the river, chose your spot under the oak trees and while away the afternoon. Try some of their award-winning wines, a food and wine pairing or the extremely popular tapas menu.
The Franschhoek Kitchen restaurant has very quickly become a name up there with the heavyweights in the culinary town of Franschhoek. And those are some big names.
The stand out dish, for me, was the Holden Manz shiraz and beetroot risotto with duck prosciutto. I didn’t eat the duck obviously but the sweet beetroot risotto with a hint of peppery spice from the shiraz really was delicious. The Washer Up said it was perfect with the salty, smoky duck. My challenge was to recreate this dish at home and find a suitable replacement for the duck.
I immediately thought of feta because its salty, sour creaminess would be the perfect contrast to the sweet, dark and earthy beetroot. And this would still be great but halloumi has that slightly chewy, meaty texture, as well as the saltiness that gave it the edge over the feta. The oregano is because we have just bought an oregano plant so it is the ‘new favourite thing’ and it goes well with halloumi for that extra bit of Greek flavour.
You make a beetroot puree to add to the risotto, we made a bit extra to use as a dressing on the plate. It really increases the volume on the beetroot flavour. It’s up to you.
For more information about the Holden Manz Wine Estate, visit their website here.
Beetroot & red wine risotto with oregano & seared halloumi
Serves 3-4, vegetarian, gluten-free. Adapted from The Franschhoek Kitchen recipe
Prep time: about 30 mins if roasting beetroot Cooking Time: 25-35 mins
- about 160 gr baby beetroots, roasted until soft with olive oil, salt & pepper (or you can buy precooked vacuum packed beetroot) but don’t used the pickled stuff in jars.
- 250 gr arborio rice (we used brown short-grain rice, it takes longer to cook and more stock)
- 1/2 red onion, finely chopped
- 1 tsp finely chopped fresh oregano or thyme (plus extra for garnish)
- 1 clove garlic, finely chopped
- 1 stalk young celery, finely chopped
- salt & black pepper
- 250 ml (or more if using brown rice) red wine (Shiraz/Syrah if possible) something peppery and spicy
- 250-500 ml veg stock
- a handful of finely grated manchego (or parmesan) cheese
- 250 gr pack halloumi cheese, in 1/2 cm slices
- rocket or watercress to serve
- some finely diced cooked beetroot for garnish (optional)
Method
Blend the cooked beets with a stick blender to a smooth puree, reserving some to finely chop for garnish if you like. Taste and season with salt and pepper (if you haven’t already). Heat a tablespoon of olive oil in a large pan over a medium heat. Put the veg stock in a small pan over a low-medium heat and keep hot, not boiling. Fry the onions and celery in the hot oil until they start to soften (4-5 minutes) then add the garlic and oregano, cook for another minute then add the rice. Stir to coat the rice then add three-quarters of the beetroot puree, stirring again. Add the wine, in three parts stirring all the time until each lot is absorbed into the rice. Then add the hot stock a ladle full at a time, stirring until each ladle full is absorbed before adding the next. Keep adding the stock until the rice is cooked (you may need to add more stock/wine to the small saucepan depending on the rice). Season with salt and black pepper. Remove from the heat stir through the grated cheese, cover and leave to stand while you cook the halloumi. Heat a frying/saute pan over a medium-high heat but don’t add any oil. Dry the slices of halloumi on kitchen paper then put into the hot pan. Cook for a minute or so on each side until browned and slightly crispy.
To serve: spoon the risotto into bowls (or into a chefs ring on a plate) and top with the halloumi slices. Garnish with a smudge of the reserved beetroot puree, the rocket or watercress leaves, chopped beetroot and some baby oregano leaves.
Serve with a nice glass of the red wine you used to cook the risotto: the Holden Manz Shiraz if you’re lucky …
