Winter recipes from The Grillroom & Sushi Bar by Chef Jamie Sutherland

more than a year ago

The Grillroom & Sushi Bar in Brooklyn launched in early 2021 and has seriously shaken up Pretoria's dining scene, bringing an upmarket dining destination with a fantastic wine cellar and even better food to the city. The restaurant is the braindchild of Chef Jamie Sutherland, who has a long and colourful career in the restaurant industry that has taken him from his home in the Scottish Highlands to Beirut, Saudia Arabia and North London and then on to South Africa where he spent 19 months working with Chef David Higgs at Marble in Joburg, before opening his own venture The Grillroom & Sushi Bar.

An impressive double volume space with two large terraces a full bar with cocktail menu, cigar lounge and wine cellar, the menu at this stand-out restaurant is equal parts sushi and seafood, and grillroom dishes. Jamie Sutherland is a master of creating wholesome flavours, and working with plant-based ingredients to produce memorable tastes, and his new destination restaurant is well worth the journey. Find out more about the restaurant and plan your visit here.

In time for winter, the chef shares some classic recipes from his winter menu to get you through the cold months.

Grillroom Venison Pies

1 kg Venison cubes
100g Diced onion
50g Diced celery
50g Diced carrots
100g Pickling onions
10g Chopped garlic
10g Thyme
100ml Red wine
200ml Beef stock
5g Smoked paprika
25g tomato paste
5g juniper berries (crushed)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Pastry Lid
500g puff pastry
100g Mature cheddar

Method
Fry the onions until soft, add in the herbs and spices and cook out for 5 minutes.
Add in the venison cubes and fry until sealed, add the salt and pepper.
Add in the wine and stock, bring to the boil, then reduce the heat to a fast simmer.
Cook out for one hour, then add the tomato paste and cook for a further 20 minutes.
Remove from the heat and allow to cool.
For the puff pastry lid, flatten out the pastry, then on one third place the cheese some salt and freshly ground black pepper, fold the pastry over and roll out, repeat the folding 2 more times, turning so the open end is facing you each time, then rest for 30 minutes.
Place 300g of the game mix in an oven proof dish, then wet the sides of the dishwith water and place your cut out pastry lid on top. Brush with egg yolk, then pierce a hole in the top and bake for 20 minutes at 180c.
I like to serve the pie with creamy parmesan mash potatoes and baby vegetables.

Cannelloni Bean Casserole

2 tins cannellini beans
100 Diced onion
40g Sliced celery
40g Diced carrot
Pinch Dried chilli
5g Smoked paprika
1 tin Crushed tinned tomato
20g Tomato paste
5g Fresh thyme
6g Crushed garlic
60g Smoked chorizo sausage diced
150ml Vegetable stock
15ml Good olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Method
Place a thick bottom pot on a medium heat and add in the olive oil.
Lightly fry the diced chorizo sausage to release the oils, then add in the herbs and spices and fry for a further 5 minutes, finely add in the vegetables, (I like to start the seasoning once I have added the vegetables, so add a little salt and freshly ground black pepper at this stage), then cook out for a further 5 minutes.
Add in the tin of beans and the crushed tomatoes, tomato paste and vegetable stock, then cook for a further 30 minutes on a low simmer.
Check the seasoning and add more if required.
This casserole can also be used as a base for game fish (Yellowtail, Sword Fish for example) or game poultry (ostrich fillet goes great with this) or as we use it for our lamb shank.

Lamb shank

8 x 600g Lamb Shanks
100g Onion
100g Carrots
50g Celery
20g Garlic
20g Fresh Rosemary
4 Bay Leaves
10g Salt
7g Black Pepper
1ltr Jus
15g tomato paste

For the Marinade
750ml red wine
200ml olive oil
50g garlic bulbs
10g rosemary stocks
3 bay leaves
15g whole black peppercorns

Method
Marinating the Lamb
Stab the lamb shanks 6 times and add in the garlic bulbs and rosemary stocks. Place in a large container and pour over the red wine, olive oil, bay leaves and peppercorns. Cover and refrigerate for 36 hours.

Cooking the Lamb
Remove the lamb from the marinade and then strain the marinade and retain.
Roughly dice the vegetables.
Season the shanks with salt and pepper then seal them in a frying pan, place the shanks on top of the rough cut vegetables in the roasting tray.
Pour over the retained marinade, cover with silver foil and then cook at 120c for 8hrs or until tender.
Carefully remove the shanks, then transfer the cooking liquor to a pot add in the jus and the tomato paste, then bring the cooking liquor to a gentle simmer and reduce by 1/3.
Strain the sauce and check the seasoning.
Warm up the casserole and place in a bowl, place the shank on top and pour around the sauce.