Entertain at home: Pan-fried lamb chipolatas with Spier Signature Pinotage

The Signature Pinotage pairs excellently with this twist on a South African classic – a combination of lamb and smoky tomato and onion relish on creamy polenta.

Serves 4

You’ll need: For the relish (smoor) – 60ml olive oil; 2 onions, halved and finely sliced; 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped; 1 sprig rosemary, finely chopped (woody stalk discarded); 1 x 400g tin chopped tomatoes; 200g baby tomatoes, stalks removed; 10ml smoked paprika; 15ml brown sugar; 15ml red wine vinegar; salt and pepper to taste.

For the polenta and chipolatas – 500ml milk; 500ml chicken stock; 1 cup fine polenta; 30-45ml butter; 80ml parmesan cheese, finely grated; salt and pepper to taste; 30ml olive oil; 500-800g lamb chipolatas (or regular lamb sausage or boerewors); fresh basil leaves or chopped parsley to serve.

How to:

For the relish: Heat the oil in a medium-large pot and fry the onions until soft. Add the garlic and rosemary and fry for another minute, then add the tinned and fresh tomatoes, paprika, sugar and vinegar. Season with salt and pepper, stir well and bring to a simmer.

Cover with a lid and simmer for about 25 minutes or until soft and fragrant. Set aside.

For the polenta: In a deep medium pot or saucepan, heat the milk and stock to a simmer, then add the polenta all at once while stirring. Keep stirring and simmering as the polenta thickens and cooks to a creamy consistency (about 10 minutes).

Remove from the heat, add the butter and parmesan, season with salt and pepper and stir until mixed and melted. Set aside and heat another pan with olive oil to fry the chipolatas until cooked and golden.

Serve the chipolatas on the polenta with a spoon of relish and a scattering of fresh herbs. Serve with a glass of Spier Signature Pinotage.

Spier Signature wines can be tasted and purchased at the farm in Stellenbosch and are widely available at retail outlets, supermarkets and online at shop.spier.co.za.

* Recipe & image by Spier.